Cropredy 2024

[davidmjs]

Looking at Facebook and this, the gulf between the Fairport and family folk-rock inclined fans, and the "it's just a festival in a village in Oxon, and I don't much like that band that play every Sat night" brigade (who I think it is now pretty clear are in the majority) is becoming wider and wider and wider.  I know what I'd like to see happen, and it's very much on the 'less is more' side of things.  But I think they'll continue to chase their tail, Fairport's place in the festival will become increasingly divisive, and eventually someone will realise you can't be two completely different things to two completely different groups of people...  

Meanwhile, I'm living in the past - I've just purchased a nice collection of Cropredy tees from 25-15 years ago (wish I still had my tees from the 80s and, 93-aside, early 90s) and am joyfully remembering happy days spent with people who were almost all there for the same reasons.  

[hendo (Dave)]

Looking at Facebook and this, the gulf between the Fairport and family folk-rock inclined fans, and the "it's just a festival in a village in Oxon, and I don't much like that band that play every Sat night" brigade (who I think it is now pretty clear are in the majority) is becoming wider and wider and wider.  I know what I'd like to see happen, and it's very much on the 'less is more' side of things.  But I think they'll continue to chase their tail, Fairport's place in the festival will become increasingly divisive, and eventually someone will realise you can't be two completely different things to two completely different groups of people...  

Meanwhile, I'm living in the past - I've just purchased a nice collection of Cropredy tees from 25-15 years ago (wish I still had my tees from the 80s and, 93-aside, early 90s) and am joyfully remembering happy days spent with people who were almost all there for the same reasons.  

I’ve probably said this before but fests going down smaller, possibly more eclectic routes, seem to be tge ones that thrive. Smaller overheads . Interesting to see the Brase pulling 3000 people for some acts…..

[davidmjs]

Interesting to see the Brase pulling 3000 people for some acts…..

  Is that true?

If so, and I've no reason to doubt you, that's the ultimate fracture and failure of the 'all things to all people' model right there...  They took their eye off the ball by allowing the fringe to commercialise (outside of just being additional punters buying food and drink) itself.  Massive own goal.

[Angela]

Due to broken body parts and a fear of being in crowded places we camped on field 8, Cream of the Crop and went to the he Brasenose Fringe. The field was superb, great facilities. What surprised me was the number of people camping in there with cropredy wristbands and many people at the Brasenose also with cropredy wristbands

[hendo (Dave)]

Due to broken body parts and a fear of being in crowded places we camped on field 8, Cream of the Crop and went to the he Brasenose Fringe. The field was superb, great facilities. What surprised me was the number of people camping in there with cropredy wristbands and many people at the Brasenose also with cropredy wristbands

Hi Angela, I think when you have bands on at the Brase of the  quality Of Trad Arr, While and Matthews, Jon Palmer Acoustic Band, Dream in Colour and fest favourites like Leatherat and Spank the Monkey it’s a quality fringe and people will jump between the two. The bands I’ve listed would have made a cracking main stage line up…imho…..

[Adam]

Interesting to see the Brase pulling 3000 people for some acts…..

  Is that true?

If so, and I've no reason to doubt you, that's the ultimate fracture and failure of the 'all things to all people' model right there...  They took their eye off the ball by allowing the fringe to commercialise (outside of just being additional punters buying food and drink) itself.  Massive own goal.

100% agree with you, David, my thoughts exactly. Even if it’s (say) 100 people who would have done the main festival but did the Brasenose instead, that’s north of £10k not ending up in the Fairport coffers.

[hendo (Dave)]

Interesting to see the Brase pulling 3000 people for some acts…..

  Is that true?

If so, and I've no reason to doubt you, that's the ultimate fracture and failure of the 'all things to all people' model right there...  They took their eye off the ball by allowing the fringe to commercialise (outside of just being additional punters buying food and drink) itself.  Massive own goal.

Dave I read it in a post from Brase over last 2 days and I have been trying to find it to post it for you. 3000 to see Dreadzone I think but I am trying to check.
Addendum
Found it on fbook from Rebecca Ryan who stage managed and compèred Dreadzone and said they played to 3000.

[iandiddams]

I'd read smewhere the brasenose had a limit of 1000?

[davidmjs]

I'd read smewhere the brasenose had a limit of 1000?

I have to admit that seems much more likely (but still highly problematic to the festival) to me

[Sue & Chris]

Just back from the festival, 29th year for me and enjoyed it as much as ever. A few thoughts:

 - Attendance was noticeably lower on Thursday, but Friday and Saturday seemed pretty much as full as ever.

- Interestingly, I thought the field was fuller for Fairport than it has been for the last few years. Good response too.

- Stand out acts included Kathryn Tickell, DeWolff, Zac Schultz, Spooky Men, and Eddi Reader. But there wasn't really a duff one (unless you count the surprise guest.)

- Enjoyed RT's set - a few surprises in there, don't think I've heard Hokey Pokey live before. Shoot out the Lights was the highlight of his 'electric' section. It's true the field did empty a bit, though.

- Friday suffered from a samey feel - the music was good but after four bluesy Americana guitar bands in a row they all merge into one.

- Saturday night's special guest was predictably a damp squib, I hope they don't repeat it. Apparently Carrott did it for free. A bit surprised at all the pearl clutching about his language, which was pretty much pre-watershed stuff nowadays and would absolutely be common on the school playground.

[hendo (Dave)]

I'd read smewhere the brasenose had a limit of 1000?

I have to admit that seems much more likely (but still highly problematic to the festival) to me

I can only quote what Rebecca Ryan posted ….and she’s been stage managing and compèring all 3 days ..and she says 3000.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0aaWmoQihnFgH31z83uFtwAgBS7K3BDHxaVCS2KEWmEh14tznWLRXFNSHPapiyhgKl&id=608480108

[Poor Will (Bill)]

T

The Brase seemed to capture the ethos of early Cropredies , new names and class acts.
Life goes full circle.

[/quote]I have come away from Cropredy with a very uneasy feeling about the Brasenose.
Due to the cover of the “Nine” album and its location within the village, there is an iconic attachment to the band and the festival.
However, what has in the past been a very symbiotic relationship now seems to have become extremely parasitic.
Far from being a part of the festival it has now set itself up in competition and is brazenly trying to poach the  Cropredy clientele.
There are already posters up advertising the fact that if you purchase a ticket for the whole weekend next year, it will cost you the princely sum of £15!
If the lineup is anything like this year I’m guessing that there will be a lot of people deciding to do that rather than pay for a Cropredy ticket.
If anything turns out to be the final nail in the coffin of Cropredy festival, it may well be the Brasenose itself.
A case of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

[davidmjs]

I have come away from Cropredy with a very uneasy feeling about the Brasenose.
Due to the cover of the “Nine” album and its location within the village, there is an iconic attachment to the band and the festival.
However, what has in the past been a very symbiotic relationship now seems to have become extremely parasitic.
Far from being a part of the festival it has now set itself up in competition and is brazenly trying to poach the  Cropredy clientele.
There are already posters up advertising the fact that if you purchase a ticket for the whole weekend next year, it will cost you the princely sum of £15!
If the lineup is anything like this year I’m guessing that there will be a lot of people deciding to do that rather than pay for a Cropredy ticket.
If anything turns out to be the final nail in the coffin of Cropredy festival, it may well be the Brasenose itself.
A case of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

I think that's a somewhat harsh interpretation in the world of market forces in which we (sadly) exist.  They saw a gap in the market and they have filled it.  And they're doing it well.  I'm really not sure they're (wholly) to blame - or do the festival organisers, who put all their eggs in a one stage basket, even as the desire for an alternative was apparent to all, carry some culpability?

[Sue & Chris]

For me, the single stage is a selling point. I like the community feel it engenders. If I want multiple stages I can go to pretty much any other festival.

Anyway, on the basis of Simon's comments last night, the festival is secure for at least another year.

As for the Brasenose, good luck to them but I'm sure they know that without the main festival their's won't last long.

[hendo (Dave)]

T

The Brase seemed to capture the ethos of early Cropredies , new names and class acts.
Life goes full circle.

I have come away from Cropredy with a very uneasy feeling about the Brasenose.
Due to the cover of the “Nine” album and its location within the village, there is an iconic attachment to the band and the festival.
However, what has in the past been a very symbiotic relationship now seems to have become extremely parasitic.
Far from being a part of the festival it has now set itself up in competition and is brazenly trying to poach the  Cropredy clientele.
There are already posters up advertising the fact that if you purchase a ticket for the whole weekend next year, it will cost you the princely sum of £15!
If the lineup is anything like this year I’m guessing that there will be a lot of people deciding to do that rather than pay for a Cropredy ticket.
If anything turns out to be the final nail in the coffin of Cropredy festival, it may well be the Brasenose itself.
A case of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.


[/quote]
Yep , agree with Bill. The  Brase and the Red Lion used to be the fringe. Now the Brase is a fest in its own right pulling crowds similar to
The fact they’ve taken the price down is interesting though.

[davidmjs]

As for the Brasenose, good luck to them but I'm sure they know that without the main festival their's won't last long.

I'm not actually convinced that is the case any more.  As perhaps proven by the ex-attendees of the main festival who have chosen to pay their money and go and sit in the Brasenose garden instead.

[Sue & Chris]

As for the Brasenose, good luck to them but I'm sure they know that without the main festival their's won't last long.

I'm not actually convinced that is the case any more.  As perhaps proven by the ex-attendees of the main festival who have chosen to pay their money and go and sit in the Brasenose garden instead.

But I suspect those numbers are dwarfed by the people who were at the main festival and who popped down to the Brasenose to see a couple of the acts. It was free entry during the day, I believe.

And if there really were 3000 people there, no one would be sitting in the garden!

[bassline (Mike)]

For me, the single stage is a selling point. I like the community feel it engenders. If I want multiple stages I can go to pretty much any other festival.

Anyway, on the basis of Simon's comments last night, the festival is secure for at least another year.

As for the Brasenose, good luck to them but I'm sure they know that without the main festival their's won't last long.

I agree about the single stage for the most part.
It depends on how the marketing goes.
Many will advertise all the acts booked, and not announce day splits or stages until after they have your money.
Then you find out you bought a ticket because there are five or six bands you want to see, and you find out that they are playing at the same time, and you only see two of them, or half a set and then dash off to see the second half of the other band.
If the fest organisers tell you which stage the acts are appearing on, and what days, then you can see what you are getting - maybe choose a two day or one day ticket instead of the full thing. And from the other side, the fest may get people buying one or two day tickets rather than not bothering to buy a full weekend ticket at all.

Maybe the future for Fairport's festival is to book all the type of acts that the Brase have 'stolen' from the previous festival line ups, and let the pubs go back to having local covers bands. Would people be going there for that music if they didn't want to listen to it ?
I'm sure that Chris and Julie don't charge as much as Nile.
And I don't think I've seen a comment so far saying how fab Tony Christie was...

[Poor Will (Bill)]

If they think their festival would survive without the main Cropredy festival, perhaps they should try running at a different time, maybe the end of June to commemorate The Battle of Cropredy Bridge.
Somehow I doubt they would be brave enough to step outside the shadow of Cropredy!

[bassline (Mike)]

If they think their festival would survive without the main Cropredy festival, perhaps they should try running at a different time, maybe the end of June to commemorate The Battle of Cropredy Bridge.
Somehow I doubt they would be brave enough to step outside the shadow of Cropredy!

Interesting.......