TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Cropredy 2023 line up so far is up on the website, and I think it looks pretty good. Something for everyone there - I'm particularly pleased to see Joshua Burnell and The Young 'Uns. Plus Merry Hell, of course!

So in no particular order:

Digance
10CC (Friday headers)
Fripp and Toyah
Strawbs
Kiki Dee
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Fisherman's Friends
Merry Hell
Peat and Diesel
Wilson and Wakeman
Beans on Toast
Joshua Burnell Band
Solstice
MOrganway
The Young-uns

So will Fripp and Toyah headline Thursday or will there be another big shout to come?

DW

10cc, Strawbs, Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri, Fripp & Toyah and Morganway. The rest is thumbs sideways so far...

Booked. What the hell, if what's on stage isn't to our taste, we'll have to mix with our friends.

Really pleased to see Joshua Burnell Band will be playing!

Told you the Fripps were a shoe-in...  ;)

I think that's a decent lineup (apart from the obvious)... I almost certainly won't go unless Fairport call it a day or something mind, but still.

3-day ticket & camping pass booked... hope my back can stand one more 3-nighter under "canvas"!

Merry Hell, NickReg, Merry Hell!!!

And Fishermans' Friends - Jenny & Diane!!

Here's a thought, Wilson & Wakeman confirmed; Strawbs' "last hurrah?" to include former members; might we see (not) Grumpy Rick as well?

Not one for me I'm afraid - maybe next year ...

DW

Tickets purchased!

Gilbert O’Sullivan, oddly, swayed it for me! I’ve always wanted to see him. But Fripp/Toyah, Wilson & Wakeman (will his Dad join them?) & Fisherman’s Friends also tempted me. Funnily enough, I had a message from a friend yesterday to check out Peat & Diesel so I’m glad they’re there too.

Great line up and something really nice to look forward to   :D

Beans on Toast - excellent!!! Looks a decent lineup to me

According to the festival FAQ's, Thursday headliner is still to be announced!

For me this is the best line up for years and not just for Merry Hell. Strawbs, Young Uns, Beans on Toast, Joshua Burnell, Giblets. Met Mrs Reg at a Kiki  Dee big nearly 50 years ago. Get in.

Except that you really meant shoo-in.   ;)

Jules

I was just thinking the exact opposite about Beans On Toast.  ;D Different strokes and all that...

I won't be there but I am so pleased for Merry Hell that they finally made it to the main stage.

Might Kiki Dee persuade her old pal Reg (Dwight) to join her for a duet?  I think that's highly improbable!

Saving Grace to be added in Feb?

Typo.  Probably ;)

Thank god.

That'll do for me. I'll be buying. Nothing really outstanding but I'm looking forward to 10cc again, Young 'Uns, Wilson & Wakeman (also hoping to see them in Feb), and the Fishys.  Solstice should be good too, I think.

Here's the running order from the website:

CROPREDY LINE-UP. Full line-up TBA on 1 February 2023

Thursday 10 August 2023

Thursday Headliner TBA

Toyah & Robert Fripp    

Wilson & Wakeman  

Merry Hell

Fairport Acoustic

  

Friday 11 August 2023

10CC  

Fisherman’s Friends  

Strawbs  

Peat and Diesel   

Kiki Dee and Carmel Lugeri 

Joshua Burnell  

Two more Friday Acts TBA

  

Saturday 12 August 2023

Fairport Convention & Friends

Gilbert O’Sullivan 

The Young ‘Uns  

Solstice  

Beans on Toast  

Morganway  

Richard Digance  

Trad arr are playing the Wednesday night at the brasenose, a few tickets are left for anyone interested.
They were brilliant last year

I've bought my ticket. Line up looks decent - a few I've not seen, and few I've not heard of, but it'll be fun finding out.

Looks good to me! Tickets bought....

Cropredy booked.. TradArr booked..
 
Yippee!, 😁😁😁

I would like to mention that I sang with Kiki Dee and Carmel Lugeri at the Albert Hall for a Born Free concert, but that would just be silly name-dropping so I won’t…

   ;D

My kind of line up - so very happy.  Tickets bought ( as per... ) My onky minor issue was I couldn't remember my password as I haven't used that account for 3 years - took a phone call to reset.

Vince

I had trouble getting into it too cos of loss of password, had to do it through G’s account.

Nothing that especially merits making the trip for me, although there's a few I've seen mentioned on here and wouldn't mind hearing. And more acts to be announced, of course.

Tickets bought (naturally!) as well as Field 8 / Cream Of The Crop camping. :-)

Wow I remembered my password here! After 11 years  ;D

I’m loving this year’s line up. Love Peat and Diesel and love the mix of cheese and crackers.

We did go this year and roasted to the point of misery but heyho. Pushing the boat right out and glamping for 2023.

Welcome back!

We roasted this year, too, and then got COVID and had to go home Saturday morning, so looking forward to spending 3 days in a field in 2023 with this lineup.

Enjoy the Glamping!

So does anyone know when the tier one prices change to tier 2 ?    Dates or numbers of tickets sold?

There's a post on FB saying less than 300 Tier one tickets left, so I guess it is done by number sold.

All tier one tix sold now.

I have recently taken the plunge on 2 festival tickets and 2 glamping pitches, bring it on etc.  I did raise an eyebrow when I realised that the latter combined did cost slightly more than a recent 4 day trip to Alicante including flights and an upgraded hotel room.  ::)

We bought glamping tickets for 2020 which we were finally able to use this year. It was fab to be able to just turn up & unpack. The showers were exceptionally good - always clean, as were the toilets.
We thought the bar & food would have been available a bit more but that was a very minor complaint. Expensive but definitely worth it  :)

I hired a campervan for this year's festival, for me and my two sons. It worked out more expensive than the glamping was, due to the fact that I had to book two extra days - this was because I needed to pick it up a day early and drop it off a day late (Wed - Mon). So this year I've booked the glamping. I really think that regular camping is beyond me now, I find the recovery from the variety of aches and pains just a little too much to bear!

I think if you looked into it you could book a hotel maybe 10 miles away, Brackley or Daventry, and get a taxi each day and it wouldn't be much dearer than glamping

There's some lovely Air B'n'B's local to Cropredy. £50-75 a night.

From FB re; Cropredy 2023 tickets:

There are just 500 Tier Two 3 day tickets remaining. Once these have sold, Tier Three 3 day tickets will kick in at a price of £165 (still just £10 more than 2020 Tier Three prices!)

Anyone still waiting for their tickets to arrive?

Yes, I am. Bought on the 14th, but no sign yet.

You've got 8 months before you need to panic about them.

Not panicking, just wondering.

If you set up an account with the ticket factory, you can check your order online (I’ve just done this for my tickets, as I bought them in December but didn’t receive any email confirmation)

Arrived today, along with the Christmas card!

... or 8 months to put them away somewhere safely, and then forget where that was :-)

It doesn't say if they have been posted or not does it? I looked and could see my order but I don't know if they have been posted, not been posted or been posted but not turned up yet, so I'm still in the dark  ???

Snap Bill we will be there Yayyyyyyy

Mine arrived on Saturday.  See you all in 7 months!

Got them this week  ;D

Website update yesterday states final line-up will be announced at noon on Valentine's Day. Tickets sold-out by ten past 12 do we think?

I ordered my tickets a few days ago in anticipation of a big name announcement.

Apparently the headliner is an unknown, according to the Daily Mail.

Ha.  I did laugh at their ridiculous article about Bonnie.  Is it supposed to be her then?

Please be Bonnie. She’s fabulous  :)

Seen her once about 20 years ago , a repeat is overdue.

I think she was under rated as Mel in Doctor Who - really liked her in Whittaker's finale. A bit of old fashioned West End glitz for Cropredy I say!!

DW

 ;D ;D ;D

It's a guess.

Ah - La Langford! See here twice, she would certainly be entertaining…  8)

Please no! I've only just recovered from Petula Clark !

isn’t she the oldest person to play at Cropredy?

Probably but isnt Jon Moore of E2 well into his 80's.

I'd have said so although I think Beryl and Roger Marriott were 'getting on' when they played.  It'll be Fairport themselves soon....

Dee Palmer is mid eighties.

A good point well made!

Nile Rodgers and Chic. After all the hype, I'm rather underwhelmed. It'll probably be a party, but I think I was hoping for more.

They were amazing when I saw them last summer at Hyde Park. I had fairly low expectations, but they were brilliant! Hit after hit after hit!

Yeah, I mean, I'll be there anyway. I have my ticket. But if I had been wavering, they wouldn't have sold it to me.

Very very disappointed

Not my thing :-\

I strongly suspect this will be one of those things where everybody says in retrospect "I didn't think I liked them".  They get very good reviews everywhere from all types of audiences.  Easy for me to say as I'm not going!

Remembering the slagging off Alice Cooper got beforehand, I'm willing to be people will love them.

Be grateful it's not Peculiar Clark again.

If it wasnt for some of the other acts I'd probably offer you some tickets . Couple of early nights Thursday and Friday. Mind you I didnt like the headliners last year either!!

I'd sooner it was either of them again!!

Not a band I'm particularly into. I know they are popular, but not for me. I'm happy with most of the rest of the line up, so I'm not totally crestfallen. As Andy suggested, I may end up enjoying them.

Should broaden the appeal of the Festival to newer audience. A lot of us oldies are no longer here and the Festival needs new blood. Not everyone's cup of tea but will be some show I think. Well done the organisers for pulling this one off! Alice Cooper was amazing and brought a lot of people who would certainly never have visited Cropredy otherwise. I am sure it will be a great gig and we will all be singing and dancing along and freaking out 😁😁

I absolutely adore Chic & Nile Rogers. He’s one of the industry’s top writers, artists & producers and puts on an amazing show.

They’ll be brilliant. I can’t wait.  :D :D

Thank goodness the organisers have extended the net again.

Not exactly over the moon, but I expect I will be won round when the time comes.

I'm just about whelmed

The relief of the organisers is palpable.

Interesting comments.
Chic will do what they do…..and they do it well. Music to bounce to. A medley of hits.
Will be interesting to see if that pulls a different  audience , as in some previous years and the audience thins for Fairports.
It may show that the fest is in a period of flux.
Cropredy without Fairports somewhere down the line…..????

You’ll love it Bill…you’ll be there with your Daft Punk helmet on…..go for the gold one….

Chic aren’t a band I have wanted to see but then I didn’t think I would like Trevor Horn either. Oh, bugger. Just remembered I didn’t like him when he performed either!
Still, a warm Thursday night in my favourite field can’t go too wrong.

Adam saw them at Victorious and he thoroughly enjoyed them. Sure I will too!

Get those tiaras polished, folks, and stick sequins on yer wellies (or even C r * c s!!)

I don’t mean to come across as antagonistic but if I’d have not liked the thurs/fri headliners for two consecutive festivals then I would have decided to just come for the Saturday rather than three days.
Maybe it’s time for you to consider this as an option.

It’s about so much more than the acts, though, isn’t it?

It’s an old chestnut for sure but personally if it was getting to the point where I wasn’t enjoying headline acts I’d be thinking twice.
The vast majority of your ticket expenditure is going on booking the headliners after all.
I really like this years line up as it’s really diverse and will certainly be there(god willing) all three days.
My point is that if I hadn’t enjoyed the headline acts for two years then there is an option to just buy a one day ticket and save money rather than attend to see acts that you don’t wish to hear……
It’s not compulsory to attend all three days if you find yourself not enjoying it…
FWIW I think it has the makings of a real busy festival this year with a large number of newbies which although it’s hard for some to accept or comprehend , are the future of the festival.
As always the customer is always right and I have a feeling the field will be busier than ever on Thursday which is great news for the organisers…
Time will tell

Easy Star All Stars though!? I’m very pleased they’ve slipped in, fingers crossed for a bit of Dub Matty Groves!

I enjoyed most of the acts last year and am looking forward to most this year I just dont like the headliners (10cc would have been OK if they hadnt been on twice before). Particularly last year I thought the sets by Turin Brakes and Martyn Joseph were exceptional. Anyway Merry Hell are on this year and Damian has promised me a pint!

Not a fan of Disco type music as heard on the Radio or TV. But having seen that brilliant documentary, about Nile Rodgers life in music ,I thought id check out a you tube of a recent festival set.

I watched them in action at Kendal Calling , to put it simply ,they were brilliant. Full of passion and world class musically. Singers outstanding and the bass player and drummer as good as any I have ever seen.

I think they will go down a storm. Really looking forward to it.

Tried it Trev , gave up after 5 minutes . More cliches than a whole Alan Partridge show .Not for me.

They played Lytham Festival about five years ago and went down a storm. Certainly know how to generate a party atmosphere, I am sure they will be brilliant. Only sorry that we are unlikely to be there following our move back home to Lancashire as it looks like a good, varied lineup.

Nile Rogers & Chic opened for Duran Duran a few years ago, and for Cher in 2019, and I thoroughly enjoyed them both times. They bring the funk, to coin a phrase.

Ok, now that we have a complete line up there's one question remaining, whose bum will grace the drum stool come August ?

I believe DM has already been confirmed for Cropredy.

He did say that last night at the Solihull gig.

I'm not sure if this has been put out elsewhere, but this is the day breakdown

Thursday 10 August

Nile Rodgers & CHIC

Toyah & Robert Fripp

Wilson Wakeman

Merry Hell

Friday 11 August

10cc

Fisherman's Friends

Strawbs

Ritchie Owens and the Farm Bureau

Easy Star All-Stars

Peat & Diesel

Kiki Dee & Carmelo Lugeri

Joshua Burnell

Saturday 12 August

Fairport Convention

Gilbert O'Sullivan

The Young 'Uns

Solstice

Beans On Toast

Morganway

Richard Digance

Has Fairport Acoustic been dropped from Thursday, then?

Probably not.
I copied it from the Fairport website where there are links to each band on the list to get a taste of what they do.
I guess as FC are headlining Saturday as per, they only needed one link.

Click on the 2023 Lineup tab at the top.
Fairport Acoustic are there.

A lot of you have probably seen this, but just in case there are some who haven't:
                   
DAVID COUSINS – HEALTH UPDATE
In November 2021, shortly after ‘Rock Against Cancer’, I had a major cancer procedure. I was very lucky that my recovery went well, but it still took a year before I began to feel anything like my old self. Anyway - just before last Christmas I was cheered up by being offered a slot at Fairport’s Cropredy Festival, which I accepted. The organisers were made clear that this would be my last stage appearance with ‘Strawbs past and present’.
Unfortunately, in January, a routine blood test revealed that my immune system is severely compromised. The consultant haematologist advised my GP: “Mr Cousins needs to avoid crowded places and people with coughs. He also needs to report any fever or infection to casualty immediately”. At the end of March, I was eventually diagnosed with a subtype of MDS, which is a complicated disease to understand.
I asked my consultant’s advice about the Cropredy Festival. He strongly advised me to avoid mixing in confined spaces such as rehearsal rooms. On stage, in the open-air at Cropredy, I’ll have to be very careful and keep well apart. After the show I won’t be able to meet and greet, sign records, shake hands, or hug anyone - sorry! I’ve made the organisers of Cropredy aware and they are understanding and supportive.
As for the future? I’ll have to be extremely careful in avoiding infections for the rest of my life. It won’t get better, but it won’t stop me writing new songs and I intend to carry on recording.
Thank you for all the good times and the memories. I’d rather you don’t write to say how sorry you are to hear all this. Just put a record on, pour yourself a glass and have one with me.

Looks like The Strawbs will just be Dave Cousins and some side men:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/strawbs-disarray-dave-cousins-hits-095549080.html

DW

Reading the article it seems clear that he has tried his best to get a Strawbs retrospective involving several past and present members, but health,availability and other issues got in the way.

It may not be a true Strawbs farewell. But it will be a true Dave Cousins farewell and so in my opinion is valid and to be enjoyed.

Vikki Clayton has posted UK dates on FB and on her website ( https://vikkiclayton.info/ )

I see these include "Cropredy-related events Aug 8-12"... so would it be a reasonable guess that Vikki's one of the guest/friends joining FC for  a song or three? I hope so!  :)

Tue, Wed & Thu are described as Cropredy Folk Festival whereas Sunday is her appearance at the Brase. Curious.

Not for me this year. Maybe next year? 🤔👌

There are some Strawbs shows before Cropredy - looks like the line-up includes Blue Weaver, John Ford and Brian Willoughby.

Do you know where and when the Strawbs gigs are, Martin ?  I'd certainly like to go if I can. I'd have been at Cropredy if only Strawbs were playing the final day and not the Friday, but migraine issues force me to have a "one day only" policy for festivals.

I have now found one Strawb-event ... Folkestone on 9th August ...

This is one of them:

https://www.tradingboundaries.com/strawbs-6-8-23.html?fbclid=IwAR289oE7GYoW_Oc4FGSQ0Nf0Zo2vkdj9P2K-B8ntIdISk2QPI-RpgTORfZs

Any clever types setting up a Clashfinder this year?
Cropredy times are usually roughly the same and
The Brasenose has released stage times.
Cream of the Crop and Red Lion to come?

Just seen on Myal Piper's website thst they will be busking at Cropredy this year. I assume by Nick's Bridge. Yay!

Strangely (or not) I missed them last year.

I always pitch the tent in Field 7 - I feel I've arrived when I walk over the canal bridge, under the trees and then hear & see them. Not the same without them there (for me).  

Maybe it's just me, but I reckon he's got a bit of the Daevid Allens about him...

I have a question about Wednesday- because I sold our kidneys on the black market we are glamping so will arrive on the Wednesday. I was wondering about what if anything is on Wed evening? I know about the Brasenose but that goes on a bit late for the kiddy.

Is there anywhere else in the village that would go food?

Field 8 have people camping all week, and I am guessing they will be doing food and a bar on Wednesday evening, but you would have to check.

The Saucy Hound down by the canal should be. Check by messaging then through Facebook.

Does the Red Lion serve evening meals these days?

(Sorry, straying off-topic  :-[)

We glamped last year, thinking they would be doing food in the glamping field. They didn’t, so we wandered into to village. You
had to pre-book the Brase, which we hadn’t, & nowhere else was doing food so we ended up with hot dogs from a stall next to the canal. I’d seriously consider taking grub along or eating before you get there. Or even nipping out for food, rather than leave it to chance. We were starving by 9pm and ended up scoffing our weekend supply of Pringles!  ::)

Cream of the Crop (Field eight) does good food available to all with a festival armband at reasonable prices.

Except you can't get the armband till Thurs AM...

There used to be an armband exchange on field 8 on Wednesday afternoon.

Actually glampers receive their armbands on arrival at the glamping site so no problem there.  Last year for the Wednesday we brought a lunchtime snack within our Fortnum & Mason hamper and later on bought a pizza and a beer or two on field 8.  All very civilised.

According to Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage's website, they are at Cropredy on the Sat, but I don't believe they appear on the poster, do they?

Are they at the Fringe? Just seen a fabulous set from Liam Vincent and they are. They featured Greg Cave on lead guitar

It was always a given that the tour guests and BBC Young Folkies would play at Cropredy wasn't it?

DW

That used to be the case, but hasn't been for a few years now.



It definitely says the Festival on their website, but maybe it is the Fringe? I don't remember seeing them on the Brasenose or Red Lion lists though.

Not long now chaps, time to dig out the Cropredy box. Last year was hot so no evil surprises I hope :o

It was so hot last year that, for the first time in the history of everything, I consumed more water than beer!

Thanks for the Wednesday tips. We are visiting Coventry on the way down so we’ll big lunch there and field 8 for later. Getting excited now!

I need me some Matty Groves this year though!!!

Hopefully a new arrangement.
Banjo Matty is getting a little stale!

A nicely aimed sledgehammer could do the trick. I'm sure Keith would love to oblige!

Banjo Matty was never a match for electric guitar Matty with twin fiddles.

Definition of perfect pitch: throwing a banjo into a skip without hitting the sides

I quite enjoyed it the first time I heard it (late 90s?)...but it must be getting rather tired now.  I used to rail against metal Matty but look back on that rather fondly now.  God, I wish Fairport found some bloody energy from somewhere...

I thought playing with DM on the Winter Tour was injecting some energy into the band, but they are all getting on too...

Of course, DM is confirmed for Cropredy this year. Ура!!  ;D

So are we!

I thought Fairport were fantastic on the Wintour; bags of energy. In fact my favourite gigs this year so far (Sparks, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, RT) are all north of 70!

Very excited now...
I'm booked into BnB in Banbury on Wednesday so that I can go to the Trad Arr gig at the Brasenose.  Does anyone fancy sharing a cab there and back? I'm not sure what parking in Cropredy will be like in Wednesday evening 

See you at the Brase on Wednesday!

I’m hoping for an All Stars dub Matty 🍻

Does anyone know if Radio Oxford (or any other station) are broadcasting this year, can't see it scheduled on their website.

apparently, someone in the know says yes!