Fairport Convention bring acoustic tour to Wirral

Apr 28 2008 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

MUSIC lovers are in for a real treat when Fairport Convention presents its new semi-acoustic show at Pacific Road Arts Centre on Friday, May 9.

For the first time, all five members of Fairport Convention will be playing in the acoustic ensemble: Simon Nicol (guitar, vocal), Chris Leslie (fiddle, mandolin, vocal), Ric Sanders (violin), Dave Pegg (bass) and Gerry Conway (percussion).

Despite featuring the same line-up as the full electric band, this show will have a very different flavour to Fairport's usual concerts. Intended, for smaller venues, the audiences will be able to enjoy the performance up close.

Simon Nicol said: “This new acoustic line-up will give us a wonderful opportunity to rework some of our popular standards. We'll also be introducing innovative new arrangements of less well-known material. And we'll do requests at a push!”

Songs from the band's latest albums will feature alongside favourite classics from the Fairport Convention back catalogue. The set will draw on the band's vast repertoire as well as on newer material such as Sense of Occasion, Fairport's most recent album.

Fairport Convention is renowned as the band that invented the British folk-rock genre. In 2002, the group won the coveted BBC Radio 2 Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2006 their album Liege & Lief was voted Most influential folk album of all time by Radio 2 listeners.

In 2007 the band celebrated its 40th anniversary and won a Gold Disc for Liege & Lief.

For tickets contact the box office on 0151 647 0752. Book on-line at www.pacificroad.co.uk