Dave Pegg, bassist, writes to 'Beyond the Pale'

A birthday concert and a 4CD box set ... with your name in it!

A Box of Peggs
MG4CD046

Nigel Schofield, of Free Reed box set fame, and Dave Pegg have been working for the last eighteen months to compile this retrospective 4 CD box set, for 30 July 2007 release on Matty Grooves Records.

The box has a cribbage board theme and features 26 previously unreleased tracks drawn from Peggy's extensive career, featuring various Fairport Convention line-ups, Jethro Tull, The GPs, The Ian Campbell Folk Group, The Dylan Project, Richard Thompson and Beth Neilson Chapman.

Peggy has a huge discography and among over eighty tracks we go from Dave playing on his first-ever recording session up to a track from his recent duo album with PJ Wright. Tracks we hope to feature include rarities from Don Bilston, The Leesiders, Marc Ellington, The Exception, Excalibur, Steve Ashley, Steve Tilston, Julianne Regan, Mike Heron, Nick Drake, Dan Ar Braz, Ralph McTell, Murray Head, The Uglys, The Crawdaddys, annA rydeR, Beryl Marriott, Bob Fox, The Dave Peace Quartet and Simon Nicol.

The titles of each disc are taken from scores in the game of cribbage:

Disc 1 LEVEL PEGGING
In cribbage, when two players are equally matched, their pegs or scorer markers occupy equivalent holes on the board and they are said to be 'Level Pegging'. It's also the title of Dave's 1983 instrumental that kicks off this first CD, before following his career through the 60s Birmingham beat scene, The Ian Campbell Folk Group, into Fairport and its many and varied offshoots.

Disc 2 TWO FOR HIS HEELS
This bonus scoring appearance of the essential knave seemed like a natural title for CD2 which features a selection of Peggy's guest appearances for such luminaries as Richard Thompson, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Ralph McTell, Mike Heron, Steve Ashley and many others.

Disc 3 TWELVE FOR A DOUBLE PAIR
Despite his many other musical activities, Dave is best known for membership of two bands  – Fairport Convention (1970 to present) and Jethro Tull (1979 to 1995, with occasional guest returns). A double pair royal, if ever there was one! This disc features rare (many previously unreleased) recordings from both.

Disc 4 ONE FOR HIS NOB
In cribbage, during the play, a player who lays down the Jack of the same suit as the Starter Card scores a point and pegs 'one for his nob' (that's 'head' to you!), an unexpected bonus. We've therefore used it as the title for a CD of Pegg compositions, since a Jack represents a bit of additional royalty! Some songs are complete originals, some are joint compositions, some are 'trad. arr. Pegg' and some are simply traditional, but very much with the Pegg hallmark.

Bonus CD via subscription
For the first 500 people who order the CD box there will be a fifth, bonus CD, featuring rare exclusive tracks and, as a special thank you, the subscribers' names will be included in the extensive booklet which comes with the box.

Please place your order as soon as possible, and certainly before the end of May, to guarantee this special offer. Go to the Fairport website: www.fairportconvention.com

Dave Pegg 60th Birthday Bash
Birmingham Town Hall, Saturday 3 November

Peggy writes:
"2007 is also a big year for me as on 2 November I will be 60. I will celebrate this surprising feat by throwing a special concert at Birmingham Town Hall. I will be joined by the rest of Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and Martin Barre, plus lots more old chums who are threatening to be there, in this beautifully-renovated building. It is the scene of many of my favourite moments, including my first Town Hall stage performance in the Scouts' Gang Show and the first time I saw two of my fave guitarists, Albert Lee and Eric Clapton, playing at the same all-nighter. Happy days indeed."

Do join us on the 3rd: tickets are available now. There are only 800 seats available for this very special night and they are selling fast.
Call the Town Hall box office on 0121 780 3333 or go to www.fairportconvention.com.