Cropredy on TV tonight

[fal de diddle]

Weren't Quo marvellous,

I think you may find that there's a wide spectrum of opinion on this matter, for example, on such a scale, mine is diametrically opposite to yours.

qué?

[Paul Mitchell]

it's the same old story. the world of folk music never gets much good press at all. that's why i get so many funny looks when i say i like folk (it could also be because of being prematurely bald at 21 years old, and wearing silly clothes).

live music doesn't always transfer that well to tele in my opinion.

[MarkV]

Watching it now.    Excalibur parts are now on, and I seem to recall it was raining.  Just wish they had shown the Digence Morris dancing part though.  Lorraines depressed as Acorn Fayre is over , but this is apparently  making her happy .  Uke song is about to start, i may have to go and lay down.

[Adam B]

Well, I missed the festival this year, so was delighted to see that it would be on Sky Arts.
Now, I'm a big fan of much that Fairport Convention have done over the years, and have seen them several times in the last few, and I've never really had a complaint.
But, regardless of the poor mix, and even the less than brilliant sound quality, it's hard to avoid the fact that Fairport's singing, especially on 'Walk Awhile', was terrible. Simon and Peggy were very much out of tune. Simon's vocal on MOTL was equally poor, I felt that he was really struggling with it. Unfortunately, out of tune singing can't be blamed on poor sound quality or a bad mix. And why give Ric a solo line or two during the Ukelele song? I for one already knew he couldn't sing! And as much as I love Jacqui Mcshee, I found it hard to enjoy her performance during 'Excalibur'.
Now, I'm not of the auto-tune generation, I love real music, and wouldn't have it any other way. Not only that, I understand the need to see our own heroes/heroines perform, and it's so good to see the 'old' names still doing their thing. Nevertheless there must come a time when they can't do it any more, and when that happens, surely it's time to give up.
The band's instrumental performance I couldn't fault, not that I wanted to either, and long may it continue. I do feel though that the time has arrived for Fairport to enlist a couple of vocalists, a male and a female, and leave the singing to them.
Yes, I didn't hear the rest of the set, and it may have been flawless for all I know (I haven't checked dimeadozen yet!), but from what I did see, I say time for a change!

[Henry Tompkins (Pete)]

Well, I missed the festival this year, so was delighted to see that it would be on Sky Arts.
Now, I'm a big fan of much that Fairport Convention have done over the years, and have seen them several times in the last few, and I've never really had a complaint.
But, regardless of the poor mix, and even the less than brilliant sound quality, it's hard to avoid the fact that Fairport's singing, especially on 'Walk Awhile', was terrible. Simon and Peggy were very much out of tune. Simon's vocal on MOTL was equally poor, I felt that he was really struggling with it. Unfortunately, out of tune singing can't be blamed on poor sound quality or a bad mix. And why give Ric a solo line or two during the Ukelele song? I for one already knew he couldn't sing! And as much as I love Jacqui Mcshee, I found it hard to enjoy her performance during 'Excalibur'.
Now, I'm not of the auto-tune generation, I love real music, and wouldn't have it any other way. Not only that, I understand the need to see our own heroes/heroines perform, and it's so good to see the 'old' names still doing their thing. Nevertheless there must come a time when they can't do it any more, and when that happens, surely it's time to give up.
The band's instrumental performance I couldn't fault, not that I wanted to either, and long may it continue. I do feel though that the time has arrived for Fairport to enlist a couple of vocalists, a male and a female, and leave the singing to them.
Yes, I didn't hear the rest of the set, and it may have been flawless for all I know (I haven't checked dimeadozen yet!), but from what I did see, I say time for a change!

Staedy on!  I must be honest though, and say that it was pretty dire vocally.  

[Shane (Skirky)]

Watching again;
H; We know him - there, in the audience!
Me; Which one?
H; The guy with the beard!
Me; Um...
 

[Metro96 (Keith)]

Just checked and I'm not subscribed. So who can record it?

Send me your adress Colin & I'll send you a copy.

[Pete Gray]

But, regardless of the poor mix, and even the less than brilliant sound quality, it's hard to avoid the fact that Fairport's singing, especially on 'Walk Awhile', was terrible. Simon and Peggy were very much out of tune. Simon's vocal on MOTL was equally poor, I felt that he was really struggling with it.

Singing out of tune can in my experience result from poor monitor mix - which shouldn't happen at this level of course - but we know that FC can, and usually do, sing in tune so perhaps something was amiss on stage.
A live recording is, by definition, warts and all and doesn't necessarily do the performers any favours, I bet there's a certain element of discontent in the FC camp following the screening.

[Jim]

But it wasn't financed by FC and therefore no one can complain that it hasn't become a promo film....

I wasn't expecting a promo film - I bought that when it came out. But if all I knew about FC was this programme I'd think they were five guys with ukuleles who can't sing. Which I think is a fair point of discussion on a forum principally dedicated to Fairport Convention and their works.

what Shane said

[Adam B]

Further to my earlier post, I forgot to add that I thought Chris Leslie's singing was beautiful.

[Adam B]

Singing out of tune can in my experience result from poor monitor mix - which shouldn't happen at this level of course - but we know that FC can, and usually do, sing in tune so perhaps something was amiss on stage.
A live recording is, by definition, warts and all and doesn't necessarily do the performers any favours, I bet there's a certain element of discontent in the FC camp following the screening.

I did consider that, and wondered if maybe they just couldn't hear themselves on stage, maybe the monitors weren't doing what they should have? I don't know.
As I said, I wasn't there, so truthfully, how did the vocals sound at the time, from the arena?

[Jim]

from the arena it all sounded ok and i didnt notice the out-of-tunefulness
i didnt particularly notice it on the recording that surfaced
quo sounded good on the night and i could hear the guitars of little feat, none of this is the case on the sky recording

[Chris]

But it wasn't financed by FC and therefore no one can complain that it hasn't become a promo film....

I wasn't expecting a promo film - I bought that when it came out. But if all I knew about FC was this programme I'd think they were five guys with ukuleles who can't sing. Which I think is a fair point of discussion on a forum principally dedicated to Fairport Convention and their works.

what Shane said

And what I said in response to Shane....let's not go round and round....

[Henry Tompkins (Pete)]

Singing out of tune can in my experience result from poor monitor mix - which shouldn't happen at this level of course - but we know that FC can, and usually do, sing in tune so perhaps something was amiss on stage.
A live recording is, by definition, warts and all and doesn't necessarily do the performers any favours, I bet there's a certain element of discontent in the FC camp following the screening.

I did consider that, and wondered if maybe they just couldn't hear themselves on stage, maybe the monitors weren't doing what they should have? I don't know.
As I said, I wasn't there, so truthfully, how did the vocals sound at the time, from the arena?

Strange one this isn't it?  Ahab sounded in perfect harmony to me at Croppers, on TV, and at the Brasenose(where there was next to no mixing facilities at all)

[Front Row Nik]

Just seen it - had it recorded on Sky+.

Brought back lots of good memories, then the recording conked out when Excalibur started.

Quite poor sound wasn't it!?  I don't remember it being like that, thank goodness.

The best bit is when Martyn Joseph's shot fades out and Front Row Fred and Katie are faded in!  We've replayed it a dozen times!  Oh the childishness!  What fun!

X

[Anne Dunn]

Bear in mind that it wasn't made as a souvenir for us fans, but rather for the vast majority that weren't there....

Having just watched it, that makes it all the more unfortunate

agreed, quite a few people commenting elsewhere that judging by that representation they would definitely not want to go. Bob Harris, if it was he who chose what to show, has sadly really shown the festival in a bad light.

[PeterW]

I wouldn't expect a promo film but a balanced representation of the festival would have been nice.  The sound quality was very poor and the parts Bob chose to show weren't, in my opinion, the highlights of each set.  Two numbers from both Little Feat and Quo were unecessary (although if I was a neutral I would have noticed that the crowd were enjoying themselves during Quo's set whilst Little Feat were a bit boring).  I'm not sure that it would put many on the gate but, then, who actually watches Sky Arts unless they have a good reason?!  I'm sure that most of the viewers were at or aware of the festival anyway.  A few shots of activities in the village would have rounded it off a little as Bob himself alluded to the fact that that the village is part of it.  It was nice to see Cropredy getting some further recognition but the film was a poor image of the event and not one I would be likely to show to anyone interested in attending the festival for the first time.

[mikec]

At the risk of simply saying ditto I thought the programme makers missed a major trick in not showing anything other than some of the acts on the stage.
As Bob Harris said at one point the festival extends out into the village so why not show some of it! I know there were interviews done with Festival goers, shame all of them ended up on the cutting room floor.
So well done to Sky for actually making the programme, shame it was such a poor reflection of a cracking weekend.

[Andy]

I did sort of chortle a little when Bob referred to "a number of pubs in the village". Yes Bob, that number is 2! :-)

[Jan M]

I'm in the camp that thinks sound quality this year on the field was better than ever. Great pity that Sky messed it up and managed to select mostly lowlights. Where was Bellowhead, one of the undoubted successes judging by previous postings? Even at the time I was pretty mortified that this was the year the cameras came.  And I've now gone right off Bob Harris!
As to FC vocals, I'm reluctant to bring this up, but SN  sometimes does have tuning "issues" at Croppers. You can hear it on several of the live recordings. And this year Peggy had his cloth ears on as well which didn't help. It might be a monitor issue, but most numbers are ok, so I doubt it. It's a very big occasion, so perhaps it a matter of trying too hard and forcing things a bit?
Let's forget about this programme, and spread the word about how special the festival and FC can be.