Live Review: Al Stewart @ Fairfield Halls.

by | Oct 25, 2013

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

It is always nice to photograph your heroes and Al Stewart is one of mine. The people at Fairfield Halls in Croydon made it all possible with their bend over backwards care, thought and great customer service.

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

Al has been around since the mid 1960’s when he got his first break appearing on a BBC TV folk music show, back in the day when the UK had only one TV channel. His early records made him more than a folk icon and he found himself cast as a historical balladeer.

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

This style set him apart from his contemporaries, Cat Stevens, Roy Harper and even Paul Simon with whom he once shared a flat. His set at the Fairfield Halls was a low key affair, the night before at the Royal Albert Hall he had a big band and played a strict set list, here he played what he wanted in an all acoustic fashion mixing Time Passages and On The Border with not oft performed early songs like You Should Have Listened To Al.

Al Stewart live and acoustic. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. (Simon Jay Price)

Al went on to enlarge his sound and add more and more players to his band which helped give him the big FM radio hits in the USA with songs like Time Passages, Year of the Cat and Song On The Radio.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000r1l404AmFyI” g_name=”Al-Stewart” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Rocky Rockshot. 24th October 2013. Croydon.

Swervedriver (Steve Gullick)

Swervedriver To Celebrate 35 Years Of ‘Raise’ With Special London Show

UK psychedelic rock trailblazers Swervedriver are set to mark the 35th anniversary of their seminal debut album Raise with a special one-off London performance this autumn.

McCoy Moore (Matthew Berinato)

McCoy Moore Set For C2C Spotlight As ‘Prayin’ For Me’ Signals Breakout Year

Rising Nashville singer-songwriter McCoy Moore is steadily carving out his place in modern country, blending raw vulnerability with grounded grit — and UK audiences are about to see why the buzz is building.

Starbenders (Alec Weeks)

Like A Pomeranian With A Switchblade — Starbenders Unleash The Beast

Atlanta glam-rock firestarters Starbenders have never been a band to sit still — stylistically, geographically or...
Sananda Maitreya (Press)

Sananda Maitreya Releases Newly Remastered ‘Neither Fish Nor Flesh’ As Part Of ‘Juvenilia: The Columbia Years’ Series

Sananda Maitreya has released a newly remastered edition of his visionary second album, Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack Of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction, available now. Originally released in 1989, the album stands as a bold and uncompromising statement in his catalogue and arrives as the latest chapter in Juvenilia: The Columbia Years — a curated remastered album series tracing his artistic evolution from breakthrough success to fearless reinvention.

Molly Roberts (Press)

Molly Roberts Unleashes New Single ‘Hurricane’ Ahead Of Landmark Six Nations Performance

Welsh singer-songwriter Molly Roberts continues her rapid rise with the release of her highly anticipated new single Hurricane, out now. Known for her emotionally rich songwriting and powerful vocal delivery, the track arrives at a pivotal moment as Roberts prepares to take her music to one of the biggest stages of her career.

Young The Giant (Press)

Young The Giant Share Uplifting New Single ‘Different Kind Of Love’ And Announce New Album ‘Victory Garden’

Young The Giant have returned with their brand new single Different Kind Of Love, marking the first taste of their forthcoming sixth studio album Victory Garden, due for release on 1st May.

Princess Superstar (Vico Velez)

Princess Superstar Fires Up Her Comeback With New Single ‘YUM-ME’ Featuring Eloise Keeble

Princess Superstar continues her high-octane return with the release of her brand-new single YUM-ME, featuring Eloise Keeble. The track marks another bold step forward in a comeback that has gathered serious momentum, following renewed chart success and viral attention over the past year.

Issac Ryan Brown (Nedim Nazerali)

Issac Ryan Brown Steps Into A New Era With Uplifting Single ‘End Of The Season’

Fast-rising pop and R&B talent Issac Ryan Brown continues to build momentum with the release of his latest single End Of The Season, out now via SSK Records. The 20-year-old Detroit native has been making music since his early teens, but this new release marks a clear turning point as he pushes confidently into a bold new chapter of his career.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing