Fairport Convention - (1/4) 30 June 1971. Live on Ainsdale Beach nr Southport, England.

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

I saw them about a month after this at the Crystal Palace Garden Party. Great gig! Also on the bill Yes, Rory Gallagher, Tir Na Nog, Hookfoot and Elton John.

[@codybluetarp]

Dave Swarbrick has been a musical influence on me as a violin player with his amazingly diverse command of everything it takes to remove any presupposed distinctions between 'fiddle' and 'violin' music, or between folk rock and psychedelia for that matter! In any case, Fairport Convention was and is a great connection to what it means to Be In the Moment. And there is nowhere that this occurs more directly than in playing music that way. Check out also, "What We Did On Our Holidays".

[@elliotcurtis5963]

This is unbelievable. The setting is incredible. The footage of the English people of the time amazing. The musicianship unparalleled. Two songs that I’ve never heard in my 53 years of existence until about a month ago. Now my two favorite songs.

[@HCherns]

It was about this time that I attended a Traffic concert in Durham NC; they were very good, but the band that opened for them really struck us--they sang of Sir Patrick Spens (a poem I learned in grade school), they had this short guy with a transparent-plastic fiddle who was having a wonderful time jumping around the stage. The next day we went to the record store and picked up Angel Delight, and loved it. I was later fortunate enough to make it to a Cropredy concert (and London rehearsals).

[@crapitoutjim]

Wow Swarb on electric mandolin. Absolutely fantastic. Brilliant stuff.

[@kerrywiggins]

I caught a train out of Liverpool with my friend Pamela Bird to go to this concert. We were just 14. Fabulous experience. Those were the days. My memory was that it wasn't a normal festival but was closely managed by the TV crew which may account for the subdued audience.

[@angieb1970]

We were there. Summer of 1970. On Ainsdale Beach, Young and carefree ;-)

[@ISB]

RIP, Swarb.

[@trevdowson263]

these Ainsdale clips are real treasures both Fairport and Span, love them all. great to see the glory days of these bands captured in time so we can enjoy them forever.cheers, cheers, sirpatrick

[@elliotcurtis5963]

trev dowson I have to agree with you I think the fact that we can see these now is amazing. That shit really happened and it was epic. No doubt about authenticity and playing real live music in an incredible period.

[@elliotcurtis5963]

trev dowson I just realize you posted that comment seven years ago. Wow. You still there?

[@lukefenderrhodes]

love the toaster pickup on ukelellee taped very fine

[@shldnbschmn]

christ, i miss this...

[@rabgriffiths]

Excellent stuff!! The colour is fantastic!!!

[@diskochimp]

I love this period of Fairport, thanks for posting...

[@TheAx504]

I was there sitting on the sand dunes somewhere with my girlfriend, Janet. Great concert and one of the best eras in music all around!

[@southendpete]

Best line up ever......Pete

[@TimotheeLee]

I can't believe how this band sounds like the Dead.

[@nightchef57]

It's funny, I saw Furthur (the latest neo-Grateful Dead project) earlier this year and was struck by how much "Morning Dew" sounded like an early Fairport song. And now I'm being struck by how much this sounds like a Dead song (Swarbrick is practically channeling Jerry's lead style on his mandolin solos). Some interesting shared DNA between the two bands.

[@rideoutsf]

I remember going to this conceret, steeleye span where also on, hitched a ride home in an army wagon. lol

[@Simonc1952]

Damned close... Summer 1971

[@mickigoe]

Was there ever a more phlegmatic , or better , drummer than Mattacks ? Thanks so much sps for these and the Steeleye ones - didn't think there was such great footage available from those halcyon days.

[@mapior]

Mattacks' drumming on this is remarkable to say the least....!!!!

[@debsearl7266]

'was!' He still is.....and on tour with Fairport next Feb (2025) Still incredible, unpredictable musicians playing great material old and new and having loads of fun on stage ....

[@musik102]

This location is less than a mile from the famous Royal Birkdale Golf Course.

[@lumeuriancities]

simon nicol with fender gibson custom hybrid.

[@nkfiddler13]

AWESOME! Where did this come from!?!?!

[@stanleymoon]

Looked like a male Hells Angel to me

[@novadrian]

@9wolfy9 Many British Hell's Angels and bikers wore Nazi memorabilia in the 60s...not because of any Nazi sympathies but because it looked cool and there was plenty available in Army Navy surplus stores. Remember this was only 20-25 years after the end of the 2nd World War. Likewise standard hippie gear among students of the time was an Army combat jacket or a long greatcoat (with shoulder length hairand by1969 with the first Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath album tucked under your arm)

[@Grithron2]

Also we weren't being governed by subhuman morons who are prepared to write into law their demented delusory belief that mouth-noises and symbols (e.g a certain millenia-old rune) have some sort of magical power to induce destructive behavior and/or cause actual bodily harm to those who encounter them.

[@pale_saint]

Nothing wrong with NS movement if you know what they were about. Not the cartoon villain stuff we are ”educated” with mind you

[@nkfiddler13]

This says 1/4 - does that imply that there's more?

[@sirpatrickspens]

There are three others, plus some of Steeleye Span from the same concert; but I'm guessing you've discovered them by now :)

[@markoboh4461]

What 's the name of the tune?

[@sirpatrickspens]

+Marko Boh It's Angel Delight (as mentioned in the description :), from the album of the same name.

[@djpjwajtgjm]

Dave Mattacks was far greater than mediocre funk drummers.

[@mfjdv2020]

I've seen better audiences, this one seems completely apathetic.