Fairport Convention - Philadelphia Folk Festival 1970 (2024)

When Full House was released in July 1970, it boasted some of the best instrumental sections in Fairport Convention's repertoire. Even with the then recent departure of Sandy Denny and founder Ashley Hutchings from the group, this was fast becoming arguably the strongest line-up in Fairport Convention's long and illustrious history. With Dave Pegg on board and Thompson and Mattacks at the vocal helm, they went on their first US tour in May 1970, opening for Jethro Tull. They returned in the summer to play the 9th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival on a Saturday afternoon where the Fairport rituals were duly carried out through the rigs, reels and laments of Fairport's Full House-era setlist with gusto, providing a perfect launchpad for the delightful guitar/electric fiddle duels of Thompson and Swarbrick. This classic-era performance from Old Pool Farm, Schwenksville, PA on 29th August 1970 is presented here with a fully restored and professionally remastered WHYY-FM broadcast. Richard Thompson - guitar, vocals; Simon Nicol - guitar, vocals; Dave Pegg - bass, vocals; Dave Mattacks - drums; Dave Swarbrick - violin, vocals.