Cropredy 2022

[Nick Reg]

TBH I find it harder now to see the band carrying on as a kind of 'Trigger's broom'.  20 years ago, yes, I'd have said that could happen, as Steeleye have kept on. But now that this line-up has been together so long, who would feel able to step in and take over from one of them?  Seeing Gerry struggling on Sat evening brought that to mind.  Simon and Peggy (with Gareth) are, I believe the directors of FC Ltd, and I think when one or both of them get to the point of not wanting to/being able to carry on, the band may just have to fold.  Maybe the festival could continue on for a few years as an 'annual reunion' again, and that would be the point at which it became apparent if it had a future without FC as the driving force?

It's a sad thought, but one that gets closer every year...

Who would be the new parts of the broom? Interesting question. I think young Chris Leslie could replace Ric and the other 4 could be replaced from within Trad Arrr.

Ashley kind of tried that with the Albion Band, handing it on to his son and some mates. But it didn't last long.  I'm not longing for the end of the band - I'll be as gutted as anyone if/when it happens. I'm just having trouble envisioning a 'young Fairport' at this point, and will be happy to be proved wrong if it works out.

I'm genuinely not sure what happened there as the small number of releases that band put out were some of the most exciting folk-rock (and certainly better than anything the mothership had put out for decades) I'd heard in a long while.

I think what happened was a combination of it not being financially viable with Blair wanting to step out from Ashley's shadow and do his own thing and Kat Gilmore's career with Jamie Roberts also starting to take off so she wanted to focus on that.

During one of Kat & Jamie's lockdown shows I asked if they would ever consider rehabilitating Kat's Albion Band material into their own repertoire and they kindly played Coalville for me, which is one of my favourite songs and was a real treat.

Very good song from a very good album.

[Viv G]

Having heard Graham Gouldman's 10CC doing Rubber Bullets at Wickham last week, I thought that it was vastly better than Lol's version.

At the risk of being burnt as a heretic, I thought that Fairport's set was poor - as if they were just going through the motions - and lacked some of the passion of previous times that I have seen them. And I hated SN's version of WKWTTG.

On the positive side, Sharon Shannon was the set of the weekend for me. Even better than the one she did last week at Wickham.

I am sure FC were just as tired by the heat as the rest of us. I for one could not have stood and played at that time of night after so much heat.

[wayne stote]

The running order is up at setlist fm for those completists among us. Having not heard it, I was surprised at the quality of the Shuffle and Go material. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/fairport-convention/2022/cropredy-festival-field-cropredy-england-53b3e3d5.html

Yeah, Shuffle & Go is excellent. I'm glad so many of the songs are still getting a live airing.

[Field 7 is Heaven (Trev)]

Is there going to be a Poll of best of Cropredy 2022, or has this forum died such a death that it cant manage to follow that tradition.

If I knew how to put one up I would do it.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Is there going to be a Poll of best of Cropredy 2022, or has this forum died such a death that it cant manage to follow that tradition.

If I knew how to put one up I would do it.

I wondered that as well. There are usually threads on each act too, but some of the mods have been poorly and otherwise engaged so maybe they haven't had time yet.

I am not on any other social media but, as TAW is quiet, I enjoyed looking at some of the Cropredy hashtag stuff yesterday.  Will do a review when the leccy's back on.

[GubGub (Al)]

Is there going to be a Poll of best of Cropredy 2022, or has this forum died such a death that it cant manage to follow that tradition.

If I knew how to put one up I would do it.

I wondered that as well. There are usually threads on each act too, but some of the mods have been poorly and otherwise engaged so maybe they haven't had time yet.

I am not on any other social media but, as TAW is quiet, I enjoyed looking at some of the Cropredy hashtag stuff yesterday.  Will do a review when the leccy's back on.

I was looking back over the weekend at the TAW activity from last time there was an actual Cropredy (2019), including from those of us who were enjoying it remotely via the radio coverage. It was already slowing then compared to previous years but there was a great deal more activity than this year. That surprised me because I thought everyone would be celebrating its return. The heat may be a factor but TAW is definitely, slowly walking towards the sunset I think. I have stayed fairly active on here whilst others have departed because I prefer the way that topics for discussion can be organised here to other social media but even I have found myself visiting less frequently in recent months and having less to say when I do. All good things, as they say....

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

That will be a sad day. I had noticed that, too, as it was always great to get home and relive the festival through the TAW posts.

I was on an education forum once, which was suddenly pulled without warning so it wasn't possible to keep in touch with friends made. I hope THAT never happens.

The heat was certainly a factor for us, meaning we missed a few acts whilst finding shade whereas we'd normally be on the field most of the time. Quite relieved to return to mist and 18 degrees.

[Nick Reg]

That will be a sad day. I had noticed that, too, as it was always great to get home and relive the festival through the TAW posts.

I was on an education forum once, which was suddenly pulled without warning so it wasn't possible to keep in touch with friends made. I hope THAT never happens.

The heat was certainly a factor for us, meaning we missed a few acts whilst finding shade whereas we'd normally be on the field most of the time. Quite relieved to return to mist and 18 degrees.

We missed a few sets out of sheer necessity and so our voting may be a little lobsided, particularly as the sets I enjoyed most were Trad Arrr and Merry Hell. Not that there werent a lot of fine sets on the main field - Turin Brakes, Martyn Joseph, Slambovians, E2, RT, IM, Holy Moly etc

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

I was hoping we’d get at least a child board for Cropredy 2022, we can add our own topics then.

If it’s left too late we’ll forget what happened!  

[StephenGiles]

TBH I find it harder now to see the band carrying on as a kind of 'Trigger's broom'.  20 years ago, yes, I'd have said that could happen, as Steeleye have kept on. But now that this line-up has been together so long, who would feel able to step in and take over from one of them?  Seeing Gerry struggling on Sat evening brought that to mind.  Simon and Peggy (with Gareth) are, I believe the directors of FC Ltd, and I think when one or both of them get to the point of not wanting to/being able to carry on, the band may just have to fold.  Maybe the festival could continue on for a few years as an 'annual reunion' again, and that would be the point at which it became apparent if it had a future without FC as the driving force?

It's a sad thought, but one that gets closer every year...

Yes Simon & Peggy are indeed the directors of FC Ltd according to Companies House.

[Nick Reg]

I was hoping we’d get at least a child board for Cropredy 2022, we can add our own topics then.

If it’s left too late we’ll forget what happened!  

What happened where?

[Simon Care]

Interesting discussion about Fairport being replaced by a "young Fairport" and "triggers broom" .... hasn't Fairport always been a moveable feast/institution over the years? Why would the band suddenly change wholesale over night.   Of course some current members might consider stopping, but im guessing they wouldn't all stop at once.  The beauty of evolution is that it happens without us noticing.

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

I was hoping we’d get at least a child board for Cropredy 2022, we can add our own topics then.

If it’s left too late we’ll forget what happened!  

What happened where?

Exactly!  

[davidmjs]

.... hasn't Fairport always been a moveable feast/institution over the years?

He's not wrong  

[iandiddams]

Wonder no more: he was over to play the Full House set - which had been advertised everywhere since early 2020.

DOH!!  I knew that of course! LOL!

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Regarding the new parking charges at Williamscott Rd., we were quite taken aback by the lack of environmentally-friendly consideration. The tickets were A5 size plasticised paper printed with thick lettering in coloured ink. They were dated 2022 so could not be collected back in on exit and reused which could have happened with a colour-coding and a rolling programme of years.

It may have been better to just give a small, stick-on ticket for each day.

There is obviously only the one entrance, so those who purchased all three in advance had to queue up waiting for those paying daily, which I imagine caused some delays later, though a filter lane had been set up further on with cones ( we were early so it wasn’t too bad).

Also, anyone not on the mailing list or social media would not necessarily have found out about it until they arrived. I don’t begrudge paying if it goes to a good cause such as the scouts(?) but there could be improved execution.

[Will S]

Is there going to be a Poll of best of Cropredy 2022, or has this forum died such a death that it cant manage to follow that tradition.

If I knew how to put one up I would do it.

I wondered that as well. There are usually threads on each act too, but some of the mods have been poorly and otherwise engaged so maybe they haven't had time yet.

I am not on any other social media but, as TAW is quiet, I enjoyed looking at some of the Cropredy hashtag stuff yesterday.  Will do a review when the leccy's back on.

I was looking back over the weekend at the TAW activity from last time there was an actual Cropredy (2019), including from those of us who were enjoying it remotely via the radio coverage. It was already slowing then compared to previous years but there was a great deal more activity than this year. That surprised me because I thought everyone would be celebrating its return. The heat may be a factor but TAW is definitely, slowly walking towards the sunset I think. I have stayed fairly active on here whilst others have departed because I prefer the way that topics for discussion can be organised here to other social media but even I have found myself visiting less frequently in recent months and having less to say when I do. All good things, as they say....

Possibly part of the reason for the lower activity from those of us on the field was that I, at least, found it very hard to get a data connection during the day.  It was a little easier late at night or early in the morning, but I couldn't have posted from the field.

But yes, there seem to be a decreasing number of people posting, and fewer people joining and starting to post.  Even at the 'Talkawhile' meet-ups (Cricket Club and Toast) there were fewer people around than often, and many of those who were there aren't regular posters these days, I think.  I shall be sad if this forum does fade away, as I think it has something that the Fairporters FB group doesn't.

And regarding Fairport's revolving membership over the years, that was the case, but this line-up has been stable for 24 years now, when Gerry joined, and Chris has been there 26 years.  I'm not a musician, and have never been in a band, but it seems like it might be a bit daunting for anyone to join a band that has been together that long and replace someone who has such history.  But as I said, I'll be very happy to be proved wrong.

[Sue & Chris]

So what was Peggy's problem - something to do with them running late?

DW

Just to answer this question, my perception was that, after Flatback Caper, Peggy had realised that they were running late, and decided (unilaterally) to skip ahead to WKWTTG. When that didn't happen, he tried to skip ahead to the tunes set, and Simon stopped him. There followed the onstage board meeting with Simon, RT and Peggy, in which you could hear Peggy saying 'but we'll run out of time' (or words to that effect), followed by a testy 'oh, you just take over then, Simon!' Finally, you could hear a very firm 'Poor Will' from Simon, and they played that, followed by Flowers of the Forest, tunes, WKWTTG and MoTL, missing out Matty Groves.

Peggy didn't seem too upset (maybe he reflected on the fact that he'd just spent three minutes telling an at best mildly humorous story that had been printed in the programme anyway, so he bore at least some of the responsibility for the late running!)

[StephenB]

It should be remembered that those five elderly gentlemen had also spent four or five days in absolutely  energy-sapping temperatures and can be forgiven for getting slightly testy towards the end of it, Add to that they were in a lose-lose situation in having to drop at least one thing from the set. We can all wish they'd dropped something earlier on (for me, "Moses Waits for the End of the Song"...) but they weren't running out of time earlier on, and hindsight is a smug b******d.

I missed Matty of course, but I also thought WKWTTG was sublime, and they could hardly drop that given that they had Georgia lined up to introduce it. As for Poor Will, they were doing a 50th (+2) anniversary airing so it would have been harsh to leave out a track on a technicality. So, circumstances took over and they made the most of it, and I'm sure they all hugged and made up after it. And we all (most anyway ) went home from it buzzing.

...and Matty and his fling were probably relieved they got to live another year.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Struggling to do a review as I realise I missed quite a lot, or semi-engaged with most of the middle sets due to coping with the weather. I realised I had the days totally mixed up when I started a review which shows the effects!

My favourites were ( in no particular order):
Trevor Horn Band
Clannad
Sharon Shannon
Martyn Joseph, especially the song about taking his daughter back to London (cried).
Maddie Morris ( despite referring to us a ‘field of seniors’ if I rightly heard...tee hee)
Matthews Baartmann, RT and the Fairport Full House set.

Normally would love Edward II but ( despite many measures) was very ill at that point after starting to be ill during Thumping Tommys..eek! But sought shade earlier on the next two days which helped a lot. Missed Emily Barker and Home Service, Bar-stewards, Holy Moly and Rosalie and doing just that, so maybe a poll wouldn’t be fair.

Seth Lakeman is a great musician and singer, but I haven’t listened to enough to be able to distinguish songs from each other.