I'll KEEP

IT WITH MINE FAIRPORT CONVENTION

PROM0110hAl COP' AM RECORDS not be touched and reshaped in anyway. In fact traditional sounds and songs. A good example is the .-1411Z1V4i) it seems a logical step in the experiment with "Sailor's Life" track on the UnhalJbrickingalbum, traditional music. The Fairport have always played Iwhich features Dave on fiddle. with taste and treated their music with respect and will "A lot of music we'll be doingwill be veryloosely folk," no doubt do the same with this new idea. FAIRPORT CONVENTION said Dave. "It will be based on traditional music, not just "We want to concentrate on an album of English owan electric copy. It's just the Fairport sound really. I think material," says Simon, "and we won't be afraid everyone is going to be surprised. Some of it will to bring in other musicians and singers. It'll be be fairly free, like 'Sailor's Life', and some of it a sort of co-operative venture. And we'll be will be disciplined." making anotherLP of the sort of things we've "It'll be based Dave will probablybe using a solid electric done in the past but it will be impressed by the fiddle, at present in the process of being built. other and probablycome out more English." on traditional "I've got a number of acoustic violins that have The Fairport are now eager to get back to work been tried out that I want to sell now." full time but they are faced at the moment with How did Dave feel about going electric? finding another drummer to fill the gap left by music, not "Well, going electric seems to be a natural the tragic death of Martin Lamble in the group's progression forme," he replied. "If I go electric, motor crash of a couple of months ago. just an who do I go with? The Fairport. They're doing "We're still looking through the drummers what! believe in." who have applied to us. There's no shortage With Dave splitting from Martin Carthy, of guys. The only problem is knowingwho to electric copy" there might be some outcry of "selling out" from check with and knowingwho will fit. You don't certain quarters of the folk scene, although really realise what you're looking for. It's like having a jigsawwith Dave said that reactions to his joining Fairport have been friendly. a piece missing. Until we do, we can't achieve anything. We can't plan "Reactions from the folk scene?I've had all this before," commented appearances or an album." Tony Wilson Dave. "When I joined Martin I was frowned upon as this 'pop' fiddler. I don't think I've sold out." - MELODY MAKER AUGUST 9 - Dave hopes to be increasing his writing activities with the Fairport and said, "I have done some, but theydon't know it yet. I've had a couple of WIIEN THE FAIRPORT Convention hit the road again in things going round in myhead. It maybe possible that a lot of writingwill the early autumn they will have two new members, be a corporate venture as well as the writing that Sandy Denny and drummer Dave Mattacks, who has just joined, and fiddle Richard Thompson do. and mandolin player Dave Swarbrick. And we might take a traditional song and put it in the middle and say, Swarbrick has been a well-known face and sound on the British folk 'What can we do with it?' and what we'd probably do is rewrite it. I think it scene forsome years now. He was a member of the Ian Campbell group would be very interesting for the Fairport to play in a folk concert or club. and then later teamed up with singer Martin Carthy, whom he is It's a weird lot of stuff. We've been messing about with sounds and it currentlyworkingwith. His instrumental services have always been in comes out more trad than some of the stuff I've heard in folk clubs. We've demand for recording sessions with folk artists and it was when he played been playing jigs and reels as well." some of the tracks of the Fairport's latest album, Unhalfbricking, that the Would playing with the Fairport affect Dave's style, particularly using mutual decision was taken that Dave should join the group. a solid electric fiddle? "I don't' know," Dave answered. "I don't know what "I think it was just hearing them that made me want to join the Fairport," an electric violin technique is going to be. The problem with playingwith Dave told me last week when he visited the MMoffices. "I was doing this a pick-up is that you have to slowdown. Being a folk -style player, my runs session with them, and although I'd heard of them, I hadn't anyidea what have been folk, but what you can do on electric violin will be dictated by theywere like. But theywere a gas. They had this gorgeous sound." the instrument largely. Just what! can do is very much in the air." The Fairport are moving into a new phase of their development as Dave's parting from Martin Carthywas something of a surprise, a group and this is going to involve music that will owe a lot to English although there had been whispers of it. The breakwas a friendlyone. "Martin knew even before! did," said Dave. "I said on the occasion, 'There's something I want to discuss with you,' and Martin said, 'Do you want to split?' He was at the Fairport session and he was knocked out by it. I seem to remember him saying, 'Are you going to join?' But we'll still do odd things together." At the moment, the Fairport and Dave are concentrating on another album, which Dave thinks "will be quite heavy on traditional material". After that it will be live dates for the Fairport Convention. "I don't think there will be any gigs before the record's done in September," Dave said. "I don't suppose it is likely to be before October. I'm going to be terrified on the first one, though. I'm thinking about it, even now." Tony Wilson

- MELODY MAKER AUGUST 16 - WHEN DAVE MANNING, manager of Drum City, one of London's leading percussion retailers heard the Fairport Convention were looking for a drummer, he immediately thought of 21 -year -old ex -assistant of his, Dave Mattacks. So Dave contacted the Fairport and was invited along for an audition and got the job as drummer. For the past two years Dave has been working with the Geoff Reynolds and Denny Boyce bands in Glasgow, Belfast and London and doing broadcast gigs with the Guy Darrell group."All very far removed from the Fairport," commented Dave in London last week. "I started off as a group musician)0

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