News
Fairport Convention celebrates 45th Anniversary at The apex
Posted 3rd February, 2012
Folkrock legends Fairport Convention will be celebrating their forty-fifth anniversary in Bury St Edmunds when the band visits The apex on Thursday 9 February.
Formed in 1967's 'summer of love', Fairport Convention has been delighting audiences for 45 years making them one of the most enduring bands to emerge from the fertile 60s music scene. Hailed as the originators of British folk-rock music, the band is still as vibrant and inventive as ever.
The 2012 anniversary tour will feature songs from the band's recent studio album, the critically-acclaimed Festival Bell. However, with such a long history the band has a vast repertoire to draw on so this year the tour concerts will also include a selection of favourite songs and tunes specially chosen in a poll of the band's fans.
"Forty-five years is a milestone," says Simon Nicol who co-founded the band in 1967, "but we don't intend to rest on our laurels or hark back to the past – Fairport is a band that always looks to the future. All five of us are looking forward to getting back on the road – in fact, we're raring to go – because our first love is live performance."
"We’ve played in Bury St Edmunds before but we always enjoy coming back here,“ Mr Nicol adds. "In fact, The apex is one of our favourite venues and we particularly look forward to playing there again on Thursday evening. This year, the concert will be rather different – not only have we got the new material from Festival Bell but this will be the first time we’ve invited our audiences to help us select the repertoire for a concert tour.”
Each concert on the 2012 tour will open with a supporting set by Kieran Goss, one of Ireland's best-loved singer-songwriters. Raised in County Down, Kieran has supported Elvis Costello, Christy Moore and Joe Jackson among others as well as filling concert halls in his own right. His songs 'Brand New Star' and 'Just Around The Corner' were recorded by Mary Black and he also has half-a-dozen albums and a top-ten chart single to his credit. For the tour appearances, Kieran will be accompanying himself on guitar.
As well as Simon Nicol on guitar and lead vocals, Fairport Convention features Dave Pegg on bass and backing vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki and lead vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.
Fairport Convention has won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted Fairport’s groundbreaking album Liege & Lief 'The Most Influential Folkrock Album of All Time'.
Fairport Convention’s concert at The Apex Theatre starts at 8pm. Tickets and booking information from 01284 758000 or online www.theapex.co.uk.
Formed in 1967's 'summer of love', Fairport Convention has been delighting audiences for 45 years making them one of the most enduring bands to emerge from the fertile 60s music scene. Hailed as the originators of British folk-rock music, the band is still as vibrant and inventive as ever.
The 2012 anniversary tour will feature songs from the band's recent studio album, the critically-acclaimed Festival Bell. However, with such a long history the band has a vast repertoire to draw on so this year the tour concerts will also include a selection of favourite songs and tunes specially chosen in a poll of the band's fans.
"Forty-five years is a milestone," says Simon Nicol who co-founded the band in 1967, "but we don't intend to rest on our laurels or hark back to the past – Fairport is a band that always looks to the future. All five of us are looking forward to getting back on the road – in fact, we're raring to go – because our first love is live performance."
"We’ve played in Bury St Edmunds before but we always enjoy coming back here,“ Mr Nicol adds. "In fact, The apex is one of our favourite venues and we particularly look forward to playing there again on Thursday evening. This year, the concert will be rather different – not only have we got the new material from Festival Bell but this will be the first time we’ve invited our audiences to help us select the repertoire for a concert tour.”
Each concert on the 2012 tour will open with a supporting set by Kieran Goss, one of Ireland's best-loved singer-songwriters. Raised in County Down, Kieran has supported Elvis Costello, Christy Moore and Joe Jackson among others as well as filling concert halls in his own right. His songs 'Brand New Star' and 'Just Around The Corner' were recorded by Mary Black and he also has half-a-dozen albums and a top-ten chart single to his credit. For the tour appearances, Kieran will be accompanying himself on guitar.
As well as Simon Nicol on guitar and lead vocals, Fairport Convention features Dave Pegg on bass and backing vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki and lead vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.
Fairport Convention has won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted Fairport’s groundbreaking album Liege & Lief 'The Most Influential Folkrock Album of All Time'.
Fairport Convention’s concert at The Apex Theatre starts at 8pm. Tickets and booking information from 01284 758000 or online www.theapex.co.uk.
the apex is owned and managed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.