I’ve just discovered that another of my heroes passed away a few days ago – Dave Swarbrick. I can’t shake off that iconic photo of him from the 70s, fag on, smoke everywhere, fiddling like ****.

Oh no. I had no idea until I saw your post.

I’ve heard him a few times over the years, most recently at Hebden Bridge Trades Club with Martin Carthy a couple of years back. He was so stoned that when I asked him to sign my CD cover he could barely scribble his name. But my god, the music he made that night was beautiful.

RIP Swarb

I saw him on that tour, too. He was way past his best though.Understandable after a double lung transplant. He’d got pretty short of money apparently, hence the recent tours when he obviously wasn’t well. The Fairport boys even did a ‘Swarb Aid’ thing a few years ago to help him out.

On hearing that his friend John Martyn had had a leg amputated: “Can I have a go on his foot pedal?” 😆