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Alistair Hulett & Dave Swarbuck
 Alistair Hulett (vocals, guitar) - former member of Sydney-based punk/folk band Roaring Jack in the '80s and '90s - and Dave Swarbrick (violin) - a pivotal member of pioneering UK folk-rock band Fairport Convention from 1969-1985 - met in 1996 while both living in Australia and, as a result, formed an acoustic duo that continues to this day with three albums to their credit.
They are about to embark on their first national tour in over ten years, one which seemed very unlikely not so long ago, mainly due to Swarbrick's health problems. The story of debilitating emphysema, a premature obituary and his resurgence after a double lung transplant would take up an article by itself but, suffice to say, 'Swarb is back and again able to undergo a large scale tour.
"This is our first big outing since the nightmare in 1999, when it all caved in around our ears and 'The Telegraph' ran his obituary and all that malarky," explains Hulett. "Since then we've done occasional gigs but it's only after he got these smart new lungs that we've been able to even contemplate a tour of this size."
So what sort of repertoire can Adelaide expect, given the output from the duo and each member individually? According to Hulett, "Mainly stuff from the three albums we've recorded together. It's been so long since we've done that stuff it almost feels like a new show to us. We did two concerts recently in Scotland and it was pretty special. A lot of people got a bit choked up seeing 'Swarb walking about without any of the invalid stuff they've grown used to seeing him with. No wheelchair or oxygen tank for that old boy these days. All singing, all dancing. Well not exactly but we are enjoying this new lease quite a lot."
Hulett himself has recorded a number of solo CDs since returning to his native Scotland a few years ago, the latest being 'Riches And Rags'. It is far more acoustic than his folk-rock days, even including an old jug band song, but he sees no problem with old fans' reactions.
"People in Europe and USA know me mainly for what I do now and nobody's batted an eye at any of it, really. I still get booked and people turn up, so it must be okay with them.
"Jug band music has a lot in common with punk too, you know. I mean, a band that uses stuff you find lying around the yard, like jugs and washboards, how punk is that?"
Hulett informs me that there will be a new duo album at some point in the future but for now, each member is busy with their own projects. For his part, Swarbrick is continuing his other partnership with Martin Carthy and also works with a new band, appropriately called Lazarus.
The original material that Hulett writes is still politically charged, though often interspersed with traditional songs of similar calibre.
"The trad stuff I sing is often the most politically loaded stuff I know. Always has been that way. Songs like The Recruited Collier certainly have a modern political resonance, I think. That was what made me want to do it on the last record. I tend not to write topically, though. Topical political songs date very quickly, I find. I prefer to look for parallels between the past and present."
Being able to work with a master such as Dave Swarbrick is a personal pleasure for Hulett as much as a professional one, as he explains. "Swarb taught me a lot about playing this music, long before we ever met. I still learn from him now. He makes me laugh a lot, which I like doing. We see things from a similar point of view. That's why we can put music together so easily, I guess. He's quite simply the best musician I know and he's a good friend, too. That's got to count for something, don't you think?"
It should count for some sparks on stage at the Adelaide gigs, I suggest! In the meantime, I am curious about one thing: if Hulett was writing a song which he knew was going to change the world, what would be its title?
"Que Sera Sera," he states, "but I think someone else beat me to it."
MH
Alistair Hulett & Dave Swarbrick play at the Church Of The Trinity (Clarence Park) on Fri 30 and Sat 31 March.
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