This March 1976 Rockpalast concert is a compact, sparkling glimpse of Fairport Convention creating a new sound from the mid-70s doldrums and delivering 45 minutes of magic. Dave Pegg remains the keeper of the Fairport flame to this day, and this previously unreleased performance remains one of his personal favourites.
Famous for the many who have joined and left only to re-join, remarkably everyone who was ever involved remains part of the band’s extended family, returning to the fold for an annual reunion festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire. By the time of the band’s final Island album, Gottle O’Geer (1976), their name had momentarily changed to ‘Fairport’ and the band consisted of multi-instrumentalist Dave Swarbrick and bassist Dave Pegg with various guests.
The music was delightfully quirky and eclectic, and mostly composed by Swarbrick with former Grease Band drummer Bruce Rowland. Augmented by Breton guitarist Dan Ar Bras, ex-Wizzard pianist Bob Brady and young fiddler Roger Burridge, a touring version of Fairport took the Gottle O’Geer show on the road. This line-up lasted only seven months but, happily, one of its first gigs was for German television’s Rockpalast– presented here for the first time on DVD & CD, finessed by mastering maestro Eroc.
Seven of the ten pieces performed (two in a medley) are from Gottle O’Geer with the others being a Dan Ar Bras hornpipe arrangement for solo guitar and two full-band Scottish and Irish traditional tune sets: ‘Sir B. McKenzie...’ and ‘Dirty Linen’.
TRACKLIST CD & DVD: 1. Friendship Song 2. The Limey’s Lament 3. Sir B. McKenzie 4. The Boys Of Blue Hill 5. When First Into This Country 6. Our Band 7. Lay Me Down Easy 8. Cropredy Capers / The Frog Up The Pump 9. Dirty Linen - Total playing time: 45.52 approx
