A list of my Cropredy highlights 1990 - 2002 (couldn't make '03 or '04 - so good cut off point, Colin.)
1990: My first. The third time I'd seen Fairport that year, and the fifth time overall. I knew pretty much none of the music on offer over the two days, apart from F.C and The (Bootleg) Beatles material, but I enjoyed it all, and took my first steps towards learning about and enjoying more 'folk' oriented music.
Highlights: Julianne Regan, and Gary Brooker guesting with Fairport. Gary singing 'Whiter Shade Of Pale' marked the first in a long list of my all time favourite music being performed before my very ears, often as a surprise, and that became one of my favourite aspects of the festival.
Bonus: No bottles of widdle hitting me on the head, as had become common at rock festivals.
1991: The first time I had that 'I'm back home feeling' and already felt like a bit of a veteran. I loved those early days of no music on the Thursday, where you could just chill out, wonder down to the village at your leisure, visit the pubs and enjoy the company of complete strangers who were also old friends at the same time, or just relax in the camping field listening to penny whistles, guitars and singing from the campers. It seemed also the norm in those days, that if someone was playing recorded music on a portable stereo, it was either Fairport, Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. Which was nice.
Highlights:Julianne Regan, and Andy Fairweather-Lowe - Bend Me, Shape Me and Wide Eyed And Legless took me back to childhood, sitting by the stereogram and absorbing music like nobody's business. The major highlight was 'getting' Richard Thompson. He'd played the year before acoustically, but this year, with a band, I became a fan. I can even remember the song when it happened....'I Misunderstood.'
1992:
The best Cropredy ever ?? Certainly a contender. Friday night - Richard Thompson and Fairport with guests Julianne Regan And Robert Plant!!!!! The first time I'd ever seen Plant perform, the first time I'd ever seen Zeppelin material played, and one of the songs was my favourite, 'Ramble On'. Awesome! And that was just the Friday!
At this point in time, I was only familiar with the Sandy era and the Maart/DM line up of course, and the Saturday was my education about all the bits I didn't know. My first time of seeing Swarb with Swarbrick And Carthy was followed by the recreation of as many line ups of Fairport as it was possible to gather together and I was spellbound. I also got my first 'Sloth' as far as I can recall. Magic. And much respect to Chris Leslie for standing in for the injured Ric.....oh and Eddie Yates of Coronation Street was a guest too. Surreal.
1993: Having had my knowledge of Fairport history expanded the previous year, I'd found out that I'd been listening to Fairport alumni for years on albums by John Martyn and Loudon Wainwright III and others, without knowing it,before getting into Fairport themselves, and it was a treat to see John Martyn's musical partner Danny Thompson playing with R.T. on the Friday, and Leningrad Cowboys were brilliant fun following. Fairport's set gave us Robert Plant again (no surprise this time because we'd heard 'Misty Mountain Hop' being sound checked) and Roy Wood - more childhood memories from The Move and Wizzard...fantastic...but there wasn't much F.C time left...however, they did manage to surprise me with another favourite...Everything But The Girl's 'I Didn't Know I Was Looking For Love'.
1994: Following complaints about the lack of Fairport in the set last year there were no major guests this time, but there was a little section where Fairport played the intros to various Who songs, including a stonking 'Won't Get Fooled Again', which actually went into the song for a verse and a chorus, much to the delight of the audience...shame they stopped. This year was the first year that I got excited about the rest of the bill, which was pretty proggy, featuring Roy Harper, Man and Blodwyn Pig, plus a dream come true for me, Lindisfarne. Tower Struck Down were very good in a Levellers sort of style on the Friday.
Highlights:All of Lindisfarne, but especially 'Lady Elanor', Roy Harper and F.C 'When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease.'
1995: 'Whiter Shade Of Pale' hit Cropredy again this year, as Procol Harum played a full set, much to my delight. Vikki Clayton payed with the remaining members of Fothringay and Doug Morter under the name The Nerve, playing a set largely made up of Fothringay numbers, Thompsons Richard and Danny returned, but it was the during the partnership with Roy Wood during F.C's set, that produced two of this years highlights - a brilliant version of 'I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight', and 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' as heard on F.C's 'WKWTTG' album. Another guest was very talented and really nice bloke - Joe Brown..so we got 'A Picture Of You' as a surprise.
1996: This years fest saw R.T return with a band and somewhere in his set, he played the most jaw dropping solo I've ever seen by ANYBODY EVER. It was during 'Night Comes In', I think, and was nominated by a reader of Mojo as one of the top 100 guitar solos ever played. Before him was Edward II, familiar to me, because by now I was attending folk festivals and I loved the folk/reggae idea. Marvellous. Show Of Hands were another band I'd come across...and they're not rubbish are they? Joe Brown played a full set and brought along Sam, (Mr Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter), and she guested with F.C, singing her huge hit 'Stop!' and 'Shoorah,Shoorah' two more favourites of mine.
1997: The first Cropredy to feature Chris Leslie as a full time member was another anniversary year, and another run through of the history of the band, this time stretching back to the first album and featuring Jude on Time Will Show The Wiser. It was scorching hot that year, and I had to hide under a blanket during the last show of the acoustic Albion Band (featuring Chris as supersub again) for fear of being burnt to a crisp. I managed to last long enough to see Eliza Carthy, but had to retire to some shade, missing Ottway and Barret in the process. Other notable acts that year were Osibisa and Kristina Olsen, who was the first performer I had never previously been aware of, that I bought CDs by as a result of the Cropredy performance.
Bonus: Being 'directed' by Ken Russell for a documentary on folk music.
1998: Top bands for me were returnees Edward II and Roy Wood, but the biggest thrill was seeing Loudon Wainwright III for the first time, and also his guest appearance with Fairport when they played 'I Wish I Was A Lesbian'.
1999: Absolutely sodden....field two was closed for camping, and we were directed to seven. The year I nearly committed violence upon bad neighbours. R.T in true Rain God mode, it peed it down, and during 'I'll Dry My Tears And Move On', I knew that the relationship I was in with the person who I was at the festival with was over. So...if it was my mood, rather than R.T, that was creating the cruddy weather, I apologise to you all. The end of an era in many ways that year.
2000: By contrast...glorious sunshine, the first time I'd been on my own, a new century and three days of music for the first time. One of my favourite years - All About Eve, Robert Plant's Priory Of Bryon, and Stackridge were my top acts. I'd seen Robin Williamson and Mike Heron solo and was looking forward to the Incredible String Band....not one of the best gigs I have ever seen. Other high points were Eddi Reader singing 'Perfect' and the special surprise guest Supertramp's Roger Hodgson, which added 'Give A Little Bit' to my list of favourite songs performed in that field, along with 'Logical Song' and 'Breakfast In America'. These were remarkable performances anyway, but Roger told us that Fairport had learned them from the records, and they had not actually played them together until that moment. Peggy at this time, used to wear sparkly baseball caps which he would throw into the audience at the end of F.C's show. I know I was grinning my head off throughout the weekend and especially during the lads set, and me and Peggy had eye contact a lot that year. I swear he was trying to throw his cap to me. I got hold of it, but it was snatched away.....shame...it was black with gold stars - or was it purple with white stars? Nevermind...a vintage year.
2001: The biggest regret I have from my Cropredy years, was not actually watching Lonnie Donegan, I was tired that night and as I was camped near the top of field 1, I retired to my tent to listen instead. I never had the chance to see him again, as he died just over twelve months later...but that inspired me to make my must see list, which I finally completed with the Stones in Hyde Park last year - until Kate announced dates. This year saw the guest appearance of Ian Anderson, which was ironic for me, because a large section of the people I used to go to Cropredy with, were Tull fans who hoped every year that there might be a surprise appearance by the whole band. Once Peggy left Tull, they stopped going and missed him. This was my first time of seeing him and was my highlight of the weekend.
2002: Another anniversary year, with lots of past members guesting. The Dige started here. Great blues ladies in Sarah Jory and Deborah Bonham, plus the Dubliners (who seemed to have stolen a set list from my old folk band and played all the songs we did), and Oysterband were other highlights. I wouldn't be able to return until 2005,by which time, things had changed again....but more of my favourite songs would still be performed in the years to come.
There aren't many mentions of Fairport on here - it's long enough as it is - with seeing them so many times at Cropredy and sometimes on the winter tour as well, it all turns into a blur....but I have never been disappointed by them. The vibe remains the same, though, and as I have said many times, I would rather be there in that field and village at that time, than anywhere else in the world.
