RIP Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention)

Violinist, singer, songwriter, and beloved British folk-rock legend Dave Swarbrick has died at 75. Swarbrick released several solo albums and collaborated with an array of other artists, notably guitarist Martin Carthy.

But "Swarb" was best known for his work with seminal folk-rock band Fairport Convention. The fiddler first played with Fairport on the group's third album, 1969's Unhalfbricking, and became an official member with the same year's Liege & Lief, regarded by many as the best folk-rolk album of all-time. Swarbrick took a lead role in guiding the band away from psychedelic-rock to a more pastoral -- if still musically pungent -- arena and cowrote some of the group's best-loved songs, often with guitarist Richard Thompson. Although Fairport officially disbanded in 1979, Swarbrick regularly returned to the fold for tours or to play at the group's annual reunion "convention" in Cropredy, Oxfordshire.


Any other fans of Fairport Convention?

i'm a very casual fan of these guys, i like unhalfbricking, but that's all i've ever heard from them. so this news doesn't hit me too hard, but it's sad nevertheless. RIP.

Wurthless wrote:

i'm a very casual fan of these guys, i like unhalfbricking, but that's all i've ever heard from them. so this news doesn't hit me too hard, but it's sad nevertheless. RIP.

I'm kind of the same, I don't particularly care for the direction that he took them in but it's always sad when someone passes.

RIP

Was never much into them, but it wasn't because I disliked them, I just hadn't gotten to them yet.