Cropredy 2024

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Never posted here before, but am a Cropredy veteran: first time in 1986, and most years since. So - some thoughts after Croppers 2024.

1. A lot of people have rose tinted memories of the 80’s and 90’s. Yes, the field was more hardcore FT and friends familiar and friendly, but the atmosphere was often quite heavy. RT once told me his band were once pelted on stage by local yobboes. It was quite wild.

2. We - the hardcore FT faithful - are dying off. We can’t sustain this festival anymore. Look at the half empty Albert Hall for RT’s 75th. Having said that, both RT and Fairport retained loyal and appreciative attention on Friday and Saturday. Shoot Out the Lights was fab.

3 Too many poor choices in this year’s line up. As someone has said, too many sound alike blues outfits and not enough idiosyncratic artistes like the wonderful Eddie Reader.

4.  The JC ‘surprise guest’ reveal was the most heart sinking moment at Cropredy I can recall. You could feel the sense of shock and deflation round the field. A truly bad call.

5 But what has become really depressing is the gradual disappearance of all the great and often unexpected musical fusions that the band surprised us with year after year. RT channelling Marvin Gaye with Roy Wood’s horn section…London Wainwright…,Percy with Jerry’s daughter. All gone.

6. And I have no great plan to sort any of this. I don’t think it can be sorted. Night draws in.
We’ve had a good run and been priveliged to enjoy some brilliant music.

7 So- not sure I’ll be there next year. But a better more varied line-up (see Cambridge this year),
a showcase for Sandy’s songs, and the full participation of all surviving FT members would probably do it.

Oh - and no bloody comics!

Agree with pretty much everything there.
I still couldn’t imagine being anywhere else on that Saturday night.
Long may it continue!

[Sue & Chris]

4.  The JC ‘surprise guest’ reveal was the most heart sinking moment at Cropredy I can recall. You could feel the sense of shock and deflation round the field. A truly bad call.

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

[hendo (Dave)]

As usual I’m hesitating to post as I haven’t been to Cropredy since 2018.
The strength of the fest was always Fairports and one stage.
Now there are , effectively, many stages.
A walk from the field to the Brase is no longer than the walk between stages at some fests.
I know an aging audience likes to get in their chair on the field and stay there….but times change.
The fringe used to be low key, localish bands, free to walk in, quickpint when nothing on main field appealed.
That has changed with Brase charging…….that would have been a quality stand alone fest.
Will be interesting  to see how it went for them financially… £30 for the weekend , which apparently is dropping to £15 for next yr. That maybe an early bird offer I’m not sure…….

[iandiddams]

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

I suppose that is AJ's job.  But I entirely get what you are saying ...

TBH it felt to me as if the special guest slot never actually got filled and in the end Peggy asked his mate (Im told they are good chums) to step in.

Either that or RT was going to be the "special secret guest" - which i dont perceive as being either really - and that got stuffed by having to cover for trevor horn so somebody else needed finding in the middle of festival season for a late Saturday night slot...  and we are back to the Peggy asking his mate scenario.

[Sue & Chris]

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

I suppose that is AJ's job.  But I entirely get what you are saying ...

TBH it felt to me as if the special guest slot never actually got filled and in the end Peggy asked his mate (Im told they are good chums) to step in.

Either that or RT was going to be the "special secret guest" - which i dont perceive as being either really - and that got stuffed by having to cover for trevor horn so somebody else needed finding in the middle of festival season for a late Saturday night slot...  and we are back to the Peggy asking his mate scenario.

Surely they wouldn't advertise a 'special surprise guest' without having someone signed and sealed? That would be mad.

If it was RT (I don't buy that theory either) why not come out and say so when the Trevor Horn problem arose? And why wasn't he still there on the Saturday?

No, I reckon that FC (and specifically Peggy) thought that JC warranted the billing. You are right that the two are old friends, and I suspect the plan was cooked up over a few beers one night (with the best of intentions, no doubt.)

[bassline (Mike)]

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

I suppose that is AJ's job.  But I entirely get what you are saying ...

TBH it felt to me as if the special guest slot never actually got filled and in the end Peggy asked his mate (Im told they are good chums) to step in.

Either that or RT was going to be the "special secret guest" - which i dont perceive as being either really - and that got stuffed by having to cover for trevor horn so somebody else needed finding in the middle of festival season for a late Saturday night slot...  and we are back to the Peggy asking his mate scenario.

Or maybe it's just because Carrott WAS a surprise addition the last time as it wasn't announced. He asked if he could do a quick set and they said OK, so he did.
So they thought 'we could do that again' it went down well last time.
Announcing it in advance took the surprise out of it, caused much speculation, and it backfired.
'Oh, it's just Carrott again.'

[Sue & Chris]

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

I suppose that is AJ's job.  But I entirely get what you are saying ...

TBH it felt to me as if the special guest slot never actually got filled and in the end Peggy asked his mate (Im told they are good chums) to step in.

Either that or RT was going to be the "special secret guest" - which i dont perceive as being either really - and that got stuffed by having to cover for trevor horn so somebody else needed finding in the middle of festival season for a late Saturday night slot...  and we are back to the Peggy asking his mate scenario.

Or maybe it's just because Carrott WAS a surprise addition the last time as it wasn't announced. He asked if he could do a quick set and they said OK, so he did.
So they thought 'we could do that again' it went down well last time.
Announcing it in advance took the surprise out of it, caused much speculation, and it backfired.
'Oh, it's just Carrott again.'

Yeah, agreed, I think that's it exactly.

[bassline (Mike)]

I'm glad Simon announced that the crisis was averted and the festival will be back next year.

I'm not sure he did any such thing. He did say that the festival will return in 2025, shortly after Peggy had been much more cautious in his speech, merely hoping the festival will be back then.

Cancelling the festival would involve invalidating many contracts such that the organising company, Fairport Convention Ltd, would probably have to go bust to do so. I haven't read the details of how other festivals have managed the financials of cancelling (because it hasn't been publicly discussed) but it's an interesting area.

Having said the above, I really want Cropredy to continue. In the programme, Simon says (paraphrasing) that they will do what is needed to ensure it does. How that translates to reality has yet to be made public, or, I suspect, decided.

Simon : As Peggy said, it's been such a relief to know that we could get this festival over the line and it only happened quite recently, really. Six months ago everything was looking pretty touch and go. So thank you again for your investment in this fantastic community of people.
(I can't quite make out the next line sounds like 'It's your works from us here.' Might be a gap in the recording) I've been given permission by the powers that be to say 'Same time next year' - the dates will be on the screens, it's gonna be 7,8,9 of August the earliest it can be in the..in the...(sounds like book or maybe month.) So put it in your diaries now, keep doing the work, tell your friends, and we'll see you back here.

[Sue & Chris]

2. We - the hardcore FT faithful - are dying off. We can’t sustain this festival anymore. Look at the half empty Albert Hall for RT’s 75th. Having said that, both RT and Fairport retained loyal and appreciative attention on Friday and Saturday. Shoot Out the Lights was fab.

I thought it was interesting that Simon admitted to some nervousness at the beginning of FC's set on Saturday night. Kind of an admittance that many people there may not be Fairport fans inclined to indulge their favourite band. I wonder if this also partially explains the lack of off-script randomness?

[iandiddams]

It didn't help that AJC really built it up - asking us to sit down, behaving as if it was a really big deal. I hadn't been expecting much, but when he did that I started to think that maybe they really had pulled something out of the bag. Then he announced JC and it was clear that they hadn't.

I suppose that is AJ's job.  But I entirely get what you are saying ...

TBH it felt to me as if the special guest slot never actually got filled and in the end Peggy asked his mate (Im told they are good chums) to step in.

Either that or RT was going to be the "special secret guest" - which i dont perceive as being either really - and that got stuffed by having to cover for trevor horn so somebody else needed finding in the middle of festival season for a late Saturday night slot...  and we are back to the Peggy asking his mate scenario.

Surely they wouldn't advertise a 'special surprise guest' without having someone signed and sealed? That would be mad.

wouldnt it just ?  So why the rather puerile hiding-my-test-answers-in-the-crook-of-my-elbow lack of announcement?  Not announcing a signed appearance makes no sense (see below)

If it was RT (I don't buy that theory either) why not come out and say so when the Trevor Horn problem arose? And why wasn't he still there on the Saturday?

Absolutely. But then again i never "got" the point of this "to be announced" slot anyway - others have suggested it may be contractual issues but

If it WAS RT, what contractual issues were likely?
If its was JC what contractual issues?

[
No, I reckon that FC (and specifically Peggy) thought that JC warranted the billing. You are right that the two are old friends, and I suspect the plan was cooked up over a few beers one night (with the best of intentions, no doubt.)

In which case wjhy keep ti secret.  It makes no sense.

UNLESS...  there was a concern that saying it was JC in advance would put people off coming....  cos he is hardly going to be a pull surely?  "Wow - we can see a comedian that hasnt changed his act for 12 years except some 4 year old jokes about lockdown."

[Will S]

So many comments by people - good to see that those who were there largely enjoyed it more than those who didn't go.

From my viewpoint, yes there were acts at the Brasenose I would have enjoyed seeing, but I don't think most of them would have featured higher than mid/late afternoon on the Cropredy stage and wouldn't have brought in large numbers of extra punters. But I'd still be happy to see them there in future years.

As a festival this year, it probably rated 7/10, as someone else mentioned.  Thursday was pretty good (apart from Tony Christie and the weather). I was happy to see Feast of Fiddles again, and thought Kathryn Tickell and her band were excellent.  TC was definitely take it or leave it for me. It was good that he interacted with the crowd more than some of the old codgers they've had on before, but I'm glad he didn't headline, as I wouldn't have stayed for the only real highlight of his set (Amarillo).  Rick Wakeman and his band were excellent - I didn't know Journey to the Centre of the Earth, but it held my attention.  The 20 minute Starship Trooper at the end was a bonus too - as someone said, that setlist didn't take long to write!

Friday was (as is often the case over the last few years) a bit meh-ish until the evening.  Black Water County reminded me of Skinny Lister some years ago (but only in the way that I remembered how much better SL were), Silverblues were good, and it was fun to hear the old Lindisfarne tunes and have a singalong.  DeWolff (like Zac Schulz on Sat) need to learn about the benefits of light and shade. Not everything needs to be played at 90mph.  Elles Bailey was better, but did go on a bit about her new album.  Still not really my type of music these days, and not outstanding enough to draw me right in.

Big Big Train were one of my highlights, but I'm a fan already. Seeing them on the list pretty much guaranteed my ticket purchase this year back in December.  I thought they did well, though I'd have chosen something a little more accessible to start with.  I liked the way they had obviously chosen their setlist deliberately to try and appeal to the Cropredy crowd.  The Spooky Men were my other highlight - I had seen a few songs of theirs before at Towersey, but this was the first time I'd seen a whole show and properly engaged with them, and they were excellent.  The only mainstage act I bought a CD by.  RT was good, and it was good to hear some less frequently played songs.  The songs with SN, DP and DM seemed a little under-rehearsed (understandably), but it's always good to see them all together. Persuasion at the end as an encore was wonderful.  The friend I was with - a big RT fan - definitely had something in his eye at the end!  I can't comment on how many people had left, as we were standing at the front for that.

Saturday began with Digance of course - my opportunity to wander around the field and browse the CD stall while everyone else was elsewhere.  Hannah and Ben were good - it was great to see them on the main stage. For Zac Schulz see above. Ranagri were OK but didn't quite grab me.  Focus were good at what they do, and I watched and kind of enjoyed them, but didn't feel the need to explore further.  Eddi Reader was good, but I missed a good part of her set due to the Toast and getting something to eat.

Jasper Carrott was, as many have said, a let down as a Special Surprise Guest.  His material was dated - lockdown jokes still? - and although there were some funny bits, all really a bit better suited to the 70s or 80s.

On the other hand, Fairport were their usual excellent selves.  I was a bit disappointed not to get one of the old tune sets (when did we last hear Dirty Linen or The Hen's March?) but for the rest I felt was one of the better sets from recent years, and good to see a few more guests on stage than some years. Ralph's Red and Gold was wonderful.  And it was such a relief at the end to hear Simon say that he was allowed to say 'Same time next year?'!

[iandiddams]

Jasper Carrott was, as many have said, a let down as a Special Surprise Guest.  His material was dated - lockdown jokes still? - and although there were some funny bits, all really a bit better suited to the 70s or 80s.

The only disagreement Id have with that is "funny bits" - ??  The general subject matter was all very 70s and 80s, yes - the irony here being he was way funnier in the 70s and 80s with stuff that didnt punch down on the neuro diverse, elderly infirm and the deaf. His 70s observational stuff was genuine and funny. Not this stuff.

I appreciate others MMV.

[Angela]

As usual I’m hesitating to post as I haven’t been to Cropredy since 2018.
The strength of the fest was always Fairports and one stage.
Now there are , effectively, many stages.
A walk from the field to the Brase is no longer than the walk between stages at some fests.
I know an aging audience likes to get in their chair on the field and stay there….but times change.
The fringe used to be low key, localish bands, free to walk in, quickpint when nothing on main field appealed.
That has changed with Brase charging…….that would have been a quality stand alone fest.
Will be interesting  to see how it went for them financially… £30 for the weekend , which apparently is dropping to £15 for next yr. That maybe an early bird offer I’m not sure…….

The £15 offer is only until the end of this month

[KascadeDan]

This year was my 18th Cropredy (would have been my 20th but we all know what happened...)

I was 11 when I first got taken in 2005 and so it was a part of my life through all my teen years, my 20s and now my 30s. For me, it has never lost its magic but I understand that I came into Fairport and Cropredy a bit later than some.

This year I made the conscious effort to relax and enjoy more music and I actually managed to see every single band over the 3 days which I have not done for at least a decade. My opinion shifted from thinking that on paper the lineup looked decidedly underwhelming to now actually thinking it was one of the better ones. So much of it was largely unknown to me but I enjoyed pretty much all of it. Highlights were Spooky Men's Chorale, Baskery, Kathryn Tickell and Zac Schulze. Focus I saw last year and knew they would go down a treat. Eddi Reader and Richard Thompson were excellent but that should come as no surprise. Same for Feast of Fiddles. I thought Rick Wakeman would be good - turns out he was sublime. I've liked Hannah and Ben since I saw them on tour with Fairport and I thought they went down a treat. This year I actually watched all of Digance's set for the first time in about 8 years and the break was most welcome - I rather enjoyed his set. The only real disappointment was Jasper Carrott, though I was pretty much prepared for the "special guest' to be a let down.

It was a bit of an extended festival for me this year also - my dear friend Matt Allen (Matts His Name - definitely worth checking out and I'm not just saying that) was playing a set at Cream of the Crop on Wednesday afternoon and I was lucky enough to be able to piggyback off his artists camping. It also meant I got to see TRADarrr at the Brasenose on Wednesday night and what a show!

One thing I haven't seen anyone comment on was the lighting. The reason I say this is because I have a friend who is on the lighting crew and he explained to us how they scaled back the lighting massively in order to budget. I won't bore you with the details but basically - there ware less lights than usual. I'd be interested to know what kinds of cuts were made in other departments.

Overall I will remember it as one of the better Cropredy festivals I have been to and I look forward to seeing what they pull out of the bag next year. Is it too early to start talking wishlists? If not, I will start - LARKIN POE

[Sue & Chris]

One thing I haven't seen anyone comment on was the lighting. The reason I say this is because I have a friend who is on the lighting crew and he explained to us how they scaled back the lighting massively in order to budget. I won't bore you with the details but basically - there ware less lights than usual. I'd be interested to know what kinds of cuts were made in other departments.

Interesting - can't say that I noticed the reduced amount of lighting, so there's definitely an ongoing saving to be made there. There are only really half a dozen acts over the weekend where the lighting has any real impact anyway, and we're not talking Pink Floyd type acts that rely to some extent on impressive light shows. So that seems a sensible saving.

[hendo (Dave)]

As usual I’m hesitating to post as I haven’t been to Cropredy since 2018.
The strength of the fest was always Fairports and one stage.
Now there are , effectively, many stages.
A walk from the field to the Brase is no longer than the walk between stages at some fests.
I know an aging audience likes to get in their chair on the field and stay there….but times change.
The fringe used to be low key, localish bands, free to walk in, quickpint when nothing on main field appealed.
That has changed with Brase charging…….that would have been a quality stand alone fest.
Will be interesting  to see how it went for them financially… £30 for the weekend , which apparently is dropping to £15 for next yr. That maybe an early bird offer I’m not sure…….

The £15 offer is only until the end of this month

Thanks Angela.

[Angela]

We haven't been to the Festival since the lockdown, mainly due to the anxiety of being in a field with so many people and the fear of falling over the chairs, much discarded rubbish or ruts in the field.
We went again this year for TRAD arr, the Brasenose Fringe and Cream of the Crop. Absolutely loved Trad Arr and many of the other acts but Really missed being on the main field.
I've now been put on some other medication for my bones and as long as I don't break anything else, will put on my big girl pants and be there again with the rest of you.

[Poor Will (Bill)]

If I had to pick one particular song from the entire weekend that really stood out, it was Baskery’s superb rendition of Neil Young’s “Down By The River”. Really stopped me in my tracks!

[Tasha]

We haven't been to the Festival since the lockdown, mainly due to the anxiety of being in a field with so many people and the fear of falling over the chairs, much discarded rubbish or ruts in the field.
We went again this year for TRAD arr, the Brasenose Fringe and Cream of the Crop. Absolutely loved Trad Arr and many of the other acts but Really missed being on the main field.
I've now been put on some other medication for my bones and as long as I don't break anything else, will put on my big girl pants and be there again with the rest of you.

ah thats good to know Angela!!

[peascod]

The BBC News website has couple of short reports of the Cropredy Festival in UK, England, Local News, Oxford :

Festivalgoers descend on Cropredy for Fairport.

Village's folk rock festival over for another year