RIP Dave Swarbrick

[Lord Bracknell]

Folk musician Dave Swarbrick has died at 75, his family have announced. Best known for his work with the hugely influential folk group Fairport Convention, Swarbrick was a virtuosic violin player and one of the most highly regarded musicians of the 1960s folk revival. He also wrote, arranged and sang, and performed on the viola, mandolin and mandola, and guitar

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/03/dave-swarbrick-dies-at-75-fiddler-fairport-convention

A great musician and a lovely man.

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[Hotchilidog]

An absolutely superb musician, haven't listened to Fairport in a while but this is sad news. Just one more to Meet on the Ledge.

 

[GT49er]

Oh, that really is a sad one. RIP Dave.

 

[Mowgli37]

My Dad will be gutted, he has every single one of their records (or so it seems anyway!).

RIP

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

My Dad will be gutted, he has every single one of their records (or so it seems anyway!).

RIP

Oh dear. The Fairports were a big part of my youth. If I recall rightly Dave S. was reported dead a few years back (obviously wrongly!) and made a bit of a joke about it. My goodness the guy could play.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Sad news. A genuine folk legend who was involved in so much great music over the years.

 

[Icy Gull]

Sad news, do they still have their own Fairport Convention Festival one weekend every year in Cropredy?

I loved the music they made when Sandy Denny was in the band.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I knew Dave Swarbrick 30 years ago - he made some exhausts for my Yamaha race bike.

Different bloke I assume .....

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Oh dear. The Fairports were a big part of my youth. If I recall rightly Dave S. was reported dead a few years back (obviously wrongly!) and made a bit of a joke about it. My goodness the guy could play.

And my youth too, I still fondly listen to Liege & Lief and Unhalfbricking in the car.
As Ed has posted, he did seem a really lovely fella. I met him at the Brighton Folk Club in the Hare & Hounds at Preston Circus in 1971 where Maddy Prior and Richard Knight were playing; just a few minutes of chat at the bar. 18 months later I was at university, the Fairports were playing and I had to pay the band; it was like meeting an old mate, he even remembered my name. He then introduced me to Sandy Denny who'd "left" the band by then; but did any of them ever really leave?

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Oh No very sad, loved his stuff, Nine a favourite

 

[Lord Bracknell]

And my youth too, I still fondly listen to Liege & Lief and Unhalfbricking in the car.
As Ed has posted, he did seem a really lovely fella. I met him at the Brighton Folk Club in the Hare & Hounds at Preston Circus in 1971 where Maddy Prior and Richard Knight were playing; just a few minutes of chat at the bar. 18 months later I was at university, the Fairports were playing and I had to pay the band; it was like meeting an old mate, he even remembered my name. He then introduced me to Sandy Denny who'd "left" the band by then; but did any of them ever really leave?

The Hare and Hounds? Shirley not. The Stanford Arms, I think.

My best time with Dave Swarbrick and the rest of the Fairports was at something called the Sheffield Festival in 1992, when an old friend of mine managed to swing a deal that had me compering a Fairport Convention concert on the Saturday evening, requiring me to sit in the bar with the band for the whole of the afternoon, waiting for the sound equipment to be sorted by the guys who did that sort of thing for Sheffield City Council.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

The Hare and Hounds? Shirley not. The Stanford Arms, I think.

My best time with Dave Swarbrick and the rest of the Fairports was at something called the Sheffield Festival in 1992, when an old friend of mine managed to swing a deal that had me compering a Fairport Convention concert on the Saturday evening, requiring me to sit in the bar with the band for the whole of the afternoon, waiting for the sound equipment to be sorted by the guys who did that sort of thing for Sheffield City Council.

Arghhh! You're right Ed; a bit too much 5FU & Irinotecan in me at the moment to be 100% sure of my 1970s pubs.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Sad news, do they still have their own Fairport Convention Festival one weekend every year in Cropredy?.

Yep - still happens and with an eclectic line up.

 

[GT49er]

Sad news, do they still have their own Fairport Convention Festival one weekend every year in Cropredy?

I loved the music they made when Sandy Denny was in the band.

Yes they do (Cropredy that is). Must go again one year, sometime before I'm too old!

Sandy Denny is my all-time favourite female singer still. Saw that line up of Fairport (before the road crash) - great gig. Think I probably saw Swarb at Cropredy, but can't actually remember (festivals, you know!)

 

[severnside gull]

Great loss. Loved the Fairports

 

[Seagull kimchi]

https://youtu.be/KbY7c1mVlOM

Legend of the bow.

 

[Surf's Up]

I always thought that the Fairports had two key musical influences - Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick. Must admit I preferred the RT influenced, pre-Swarbrick Fairports but Liege and Lief was a superb album, featuring both Thompson and Swarbrick influencing the music in equal measure and for me was probably the best album they made as the band turned more resolutely topwards British folk music. So farewell, thank you and RIP Dave Swarbrick.