Editing Fairport Convention (section)

===1979–1985: The Cropredy era===
[[File:Fairport Convention, Cropredy 1982.jpg|thumb|Fairport Convention "Nine" line-up, reunited on stage at Cropredy 1982]]
[[File:FairportCropredy2005.jpg|thumb|right|[[Simon Nicol]] and [[Ric Sanders]] of Fairport Convention on stage at [[Fairport's Cropredy Convention]] 2005]]
By 1979 the mainstream market for folk rock had largely disappeared, the band had no record deal, and Dave Swarbrick had been diagnosed with [[tinnitus]], which made loud electric gigs increasingly difficult. Fairport decided to disband. They played a farewell tour and a final outdoor concert on 4 August in [[Cropredy]], the Oxfordshire village where Dave and Christine Pegg lived. The finality of this occasion was mitigated by the announcement that the band would meet for a reunion.{{sfn|Redwood|Woodward|1995|pp=15–16}}

In August 1979, the band played at [[Knebworth Festival 1979|Knebworth Festival]] in England. The headline act at both their appearances at the festival, over two consecutive Saturdays on 4 and 11 August, were [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Led Zeppelin {{!}} Official Website Knebworth Festival – 11 August 1979|url=https://www.ledzeppelin.com/|access-date=9 January 2022|website=Led Zeppelin – Official Website}}</ref>

No record company wanted to release the live recordings of the tour and concert, so the Peggs founded [[Woodworm Records]], which would be the major outlet for the band in the future. Members continued to take part in occasional gigs, particularly in festivals in continental Europe, and after a year they staged a reunion concert in Cropredy which became the annual [[Cropredy Festival]]. Over the next few years, it grew rapidly and emerged as the major mechanism for sustaining the band. In August 1981, the band held their annual reunion concert at [[Broughton Castle]], rather than the usual Cropredy location.{{sfn|Humphries|1982|p=103}} The concert was recorded, and released on the 1982 album ''[[Moat on the Ledge]]''.

The Peggs continued to record and release the Cropredy concerts as 'official bootlegs'. These were supplemented by New Year's gigs in minor locations including the [[The Half Moon (music venue)|Half Moon]] at [[Putney]] and the [[Gloucester]] Leisure Centre.{{sfn|Redwood|Woodward|1995|p=18}} In 1983 the magazine ''Fairport Fanatics'' (later ''[[Dirty Linen (magazine)|Dirty Linen]]''), was created: a testament to the continued existence of a dedicated fan base.<ref>R. Weissman, ''Which Side are You On?: An Inside History of the Folk Music Revival in America'' (Continuum International, 2005), p. 241.</ref>

The ''Angel Delight'' lineup of Simon Nicol, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, and Dave Mattacks played a number of gigs in the UK in the early 80s, then toured extensively in the UK and the US in 1984 and 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.myfairpoint.net/srabbot/fc/fcbase.htm|title=Fairport Convention Set Lists|first=Scott|last=Abbot|website=Home.myfairpoint.net|date=31 March 2008|access-date=15 May 2021}}</ref> Band alumni like Richard Thompson and Bruce Rowland would occasionally join in.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fclist.org/fairport-convention/mini-history-fairport-convention|title=A Mini-History of Fairport Convention|website=Fclist.org|access-date=15 May 2021}}</ref>

The remaining members pursued their own lives and careers outside of the band. Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks had recorded and toured with [[Richard and Linda Thompson]] at times in the 1970s, and did so again during this period, culminating in their appearance on the ''[[Shoot Out the Lights]]'' album and tour in 1982. Bruce Rowlands gave up the music business and moved to Denmark and as a result Dave Mattacks returned as drummer for Fairport's occasional gigs. Dave Pegg was the first of several Fairporters to join [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] which gave him well-paying steady employment. Simon Nicol had teamed up with Dave Swarbrick in a highly regarded acoustic duo, but this partnership was made difficult by Swarbrick's sudden decision to move to Scotland, where, from 1984, he began to focus on his new project [[Whippersnapper (band)|Whippersnapper]].{{sfn|Redwood|Woodward|1995|p=18}}

In 1985, Pegg, Nicol and Mattacks found that they all had some free time and an available studio belonging to Pegg. They decided that they needed some new material to add to the catalogue that had been suspended in 1978. As Swarbrick was unavailable, the selection of traditional tunes was more difficult than for past albums and there was a need for a replacement fiddle player and some vocals. Pegg and Nicol took over arranging duties on an instrumental medley and the band turned to sometime Albion Band members: jazz and folk violinist [[Ric Sanders]] and singer-songwriter [[Cathy Lesurf]]. They also had the help of ex-member Richard Thompson. Thompson and Lesurf contributed songs and took part in the recordings. Also important to the album was [[Ralph McTell]] who contributed one song and co-wrote one track each with Nicol and Mattacks; the latter of these, "The Hiring Fair", would become a stage fixture of Fairport.

The resulting album ''[[Gladys' Leap]]'' (1985) was generally well received in the music and national press, but caused some tension with Swarbrick who refused to play any of the new material at the 1985 Cropredy Festival. Nevertheless, the decision to reform the band, without Swarbrick, was taken by the other three remaining members. Ric Sanders was invited to join, along with guitarist, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist [[Maartin Allcock]]. Nicol, with his developing baritone voice, took over the main share of the vocal duties. This line-up was to last eleven years, the longest period of membership stability in the band's history so far.{{sfn|Redwood|Woodward|1995|p=19}}