Dave Mattacks, 77, Rejoins Fairport Convention for Spring Tour Date

From Paul McCartney's Pipes of Peace to Elton John's Nikita, Dave Mattacks has spent six decades building one of the most impressive CVs in rock music history. Now 77, he is heading back out on the road with Fairport Convention for a spring UK tour, with a date at Turner Sims in Southampton on Tuesday, March 31, part of a run that will carry through the rest of March and into April.

The return marks Mattacks' first two-month-long tour since the 1980s, when he was logging long stretches of stage time with Jethro Tull and Chris Rea, the Road to Hell hitmaker. Speaking to the Daily Echo ahead of the tour, Mattacks was candid about adjusting to the demands of extended time on the road: "For the first time in a long time, I'm going to be away from home for two months. I know how to do it, I'm just not used to it."

The circumstances behind his return carry real emotional weight. Mattacks rejoined Fairport Convention following the death of drummer Gerry Conway, who had held the seat before him. "It's a little difficult emotionally because me and the rest of the chaps absolutely loved Gerry," Mattacks said. "He was one of my heroes very early on. I'm trying to fit in and put my stamp on it, but respect his parts at the same time."

Mattacks officially joined Fairport Convention in 1969, though his relationship with the band has been on-and-off across the decades. The 2026 touring lineup alongside him includes founding member Simon Nicol and long-time bassist Dave Pegg.

His résumé stretches well beyond Fairport. Recording credits dating back to the 1960s take in collaborations with Jimmy Page, The Proclaimers, and sessions that produced landmark tracks for McCartney and Elton John. That depth of catalogue, Mattacks acknowledged, can cut both ways in the market: "If you build up a resume with some substance to it, it prevents some people from even calling you as they think you're not going to be too interested or want $10,000 a day. I was working [in the US] a lot more."

That US base has been his home for more than 25 years. Work opportunities drew him specifically to Boston, Massachusetts, where he remains based when he is not touring. After the spring run with Fairport wraps, Mattacks will return to America before crossing back to England in August for Fairport's celebrated Cropredy Festival.