Fairport Convention have had twenty-five official members since the folk rock band formed in 1967. The current line-up is Simon Nicol (guitar and lead vocals), Dave Pegg (bass and mandolin), Ric Sanders (fiddle), Chris Leslie (mandolin, fiddle and vocals) and Dave Mattacks (drums). The founders were guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater, who was replaced by Martin Lamble after the first gig; singers Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews joined before the 1968 debut album, and Dyble was then replaced by Sandy Denny.
Here is every member, with instruments and years as the band’s own member list gives them: the current five first, then the classic-era members, then everyone else.
Simon Nicol – Guitar, Dulcimer, Lead Vocals, Keyboards (1967–1971, 1976–1979, 1985–present)
A founding guitarist, Nicol has had three spells in the band and has led it since the 1985 reunion.
Dave Pegg – Bass Guitar, Mandolin, Backing Vocals (1969–1979, 1985–present)
Pegg replaced Ashley Hutchings on bass at the end of 1969 and has been in every line-up since the reunion.
Dave Mattacks – Drums, Percussion, Keyboards (1969–1972, 1973–1975, 1985–1997, 2023–present)
Mattacks joined for Liege & Lief in 1969 and has returned three times, most recently in 2023.
Ric Sanders – Fiddles, Keyboards, Backing Vocals (1985–present)
Sanders took over the fiddle role after Dave Swarbrick’s era, joining with the 1985 reunion.
Chris Leslie – Mandolin, Fiddle, Bouzouki, Vocals (1996–present)
Leslie replaced Maartin Allcock in 1996.
Richard Thompson – Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboards, Vocals (1967–1971)
Co-founder and lead guitarist on every release from the debut to Full House (1970), Thompson left in 1971.
Sandy Denny – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards (1968–1969, 1974–1975)
Denny replaced Judy Dyble in 1968 and steered the band toward traditional British music on What We Did on Our Holidays, Unhalfbricking and Liege & Lief (all 1969). She left before the end of 1969, returned for Rising for the Moon (1975), and died in 1978.
Ashley Hutchings – Bass Guitar, Double Bass, Backing Vocals (1967–1969)
A founder, Hutchings played on the first four albums, through Liege & Lief, and left before the end of 1969.
Dave Swarbrick – Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals, Guitar (1969–1979)
Swarbrick first appeared as a session player on Unhalfbricking, notably on “A Sailor’s Life”, then joined full-time for Liege & Lief and stayed until the band’s 1979 break. He died in 2016.
Martin Lamble – Drums, Percussion, Fiddle (1967–1969)
Lamble replaced Shaun Frater after the band’s first gig and drummed on the first three albums. He was killed in a crash on the M1 motorway in 1969, shortly before Unhalfbricking was released.
Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews – Vocals
Judy Dyble (vocals, autoharp, piano; 1967–1968; died 2020) and Iain Matthews (vocals, percussion; 1967–1969) were the singers on the 1968 debut. Dyble was replaced by Denny; Matthews left during the recording of the third album.
Other Former Members
- Shaun Frater – drums (1967; original drummer, one gig)
- Roger Hill – guitar, vocals (1971–1972; died 2011)
- Tom Farnell – drums (1972)
- David Rea – guitar (1972; died 2011)
- Trevor Lucas – guitar, vocals (1972–1975; died 1989)
- Jerry Donahue – guitar, backing vocals (1972–1975)
- Paul Warren – drums (1975)
- Bruce Rowland – drums, percussion, keyboards (1975–1979; died 2015)
- Dan Ar Braz – guitar, vocals (1976)
- Bob Brady – piano, vocals (1976)
- Roger Burridge – mandolin, fiddle, backing vocals (1976; died 2020)
- Maartin Allcock – guitar, mandolin, keyboards, vocals (1985–1996; died 2018)
- Gerry Conway – drums, percussion (1998–2022; died 2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are the current members of Fairport Convention? Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie.
- Who were the original members? Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings and Shaun Frater, joined by Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews for the debut album.
- Which line-up made Liege & Lief? Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Swarbrick and Dave Mattacks, in 1969.
- Is Simon Nicol an original member? Yes; he co-founded the band in 1967 and has led it since 1985.
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