Simon Says....

[Shane (Skirky)]

Let’s all donate a tenner each to a just giving page to get a top act booked if it saves the future of the festival
I understand the act may not please everyone but a £10 donation and you get a patch/badge showing you helped support the festival.
If I had to pay a tenner to help buy an act and help the festival sell out I wouldn’t hesitate…,
Is that feasible or bonkers?

As evidenced elsewhere, Patreon might seem like the way forward. A regular monthly fee for access to exclusive content, unreleased recordings (if any 🤔😁) and priority booking.

[mickf]

I first went to Cropredy in 1984, but over the next two decades I only attended sporadically, due to family, finances and, you know, life! Since my kids grew up and especially since my retirement, I've been able to go more often. However, as has been mentioned already, old age brings with it other issues. For instance, I've given up regular camping, as it's literally, a pain! In the last few years I tried hiring a camper van at ridiculous expense and (last year) gone glamping at ridiculous expense. I'm glamping again this year, but I don't know if that is sustainable in the long term. The line up doesn't really inspire me and, as others have said, if it wasn't Cropredy, I'm not sure I would have bothered.

I'm not a huge prog fan, but can take it in small doses. Unfortunately some pretty large doses appear to be on the menu. Trevor Horn for the third time in a few years isn't really an attraction to me. Ironically, my daughter who is coming with me for the first time since 1984 (when she was 6 months old ) is looking forward to hearing his 'greatest hits' act. She is also a Fairport fan, having been with me to see them on many occasions on Wintours etc, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks of the festival as a whole. Time marches on and, I suppose, the inevitable happens.

I can't see Fairport doing much to change the current state of affairs, and if they did, maybe it's too late for it to make much of a difference anyway. Still, it's a bit of un, isn't it? No, seriously, isn't it?!

[Dubai Danny]

Given the cost of living crisis, I honestly think that the lineup is a huge part of it.

Cropredy is *not* a cheap 3 days, and if we're going to risk spending what's going to be the thick end of £700 for two of us (after food, drink, travel costs and sundries) potentially being rained on in a muddy field before trudging back to a tent, we need to be confident we're going to enjoy a fair chunk of the acts.

Cropredy is simply too expensive for us to go in the primary hope of discovering something new.

I know that in years gone by, grumbles about the lineup have always been met with the usual responses of "We don't care about the music, we're going because it's Cropredy", but as has been said, the number of people with that attitude will have been diminishing every year through unavoidable natural causes, and so there needs to be a counterbalance.

Since the weather is just pot luck, the lineup is the only leverage the organisers have with those of the ticket-buying public who aren't nostalgically wedded to the twin concepts of FC and Cropredy - which, let's be honest, is most of them.

We haven't been for 17 years, and we've only been 4 times in total starting in 2002. Even back then, it was noticeable that the FC setlists were mostly comprised of the stuff we'd seen on the Wintours and the years of the mega-sets full of back-catalogue surprises were over.

Despite the headline of "it's the lineup, dummy!" I don't really know if there's an answer, and to be frank, I would imagine that pretty much everything depends on how well this year turns out.

[davidmjs]

Given the cost of living crisis, I honestly think that the lineup is a huge part of it.

Cropredy is *not* a cheap 3 days, and if we're going to risk spending what's going to be the thick end of £700 for two of us (after food, drink, travel costs and sundries) potentially being rained on in a muddy field before trudging back to a tent, we need to be confident we're going to enjoy a fair chunk of the acts.

Cropredy is simply too expensive for us to go in the primary hope of discovering something new.

I know that in years gone by, grumbles about the lineup have always been met with the usual responses of "We don't care about the music, we're going because it's Cropredy", but as has been said, the number of people with that attitude will have been diminishing every year through unavoidable natural causes, and so there needs to be a counterbalance.

Since the weather is just pot luck, the lineup is the only leverage the organisers have with those of the ticket-buying public who aren't nostalgically wedded to the twin concepts of FC and Cropredy - which, let's be honest, is most of them.

We haven't been for 17 years, and we've only been 4 times in total starting in 2002. Even back then, it was noticeable that the FC setlists were mostly comprised of the stuff we'd seen on the Wintours and the years of the mega-sets full of back-catalogue surprises were over.

Despite the headline of "it's the lineup, dummy!" I don't really know if there's an answer, and to be frank, I would imagine that pretty much everything depends on how well this year turns out.

I'm not really disagreeing with you, but I can't help but think you weren't paying attention in 2002  

https://fclist.org/cropredy-cropredy-line-ups/cropredy-2002

Simon Nicol
Dave Pegg
Ric Sanders
Chris Leslie
Gerry Conway
Dave Swarbrick
Richard Thompson
Ashley Hutchings
Iain Matthews
Jerry Donahue
Maartin Allcock
Anna Ryder
Andrew Cronshaw
Neil Wayne
Ian Blake
Fraser Spiers
Tom Farnell
Roger Hill
Marc Ellington
Eddi Reader
Vikki Clayton
Ralph McTell
Chris Parkinson
Tommy Connolly Dancers
Terry Paine
Geoffrey Hughes
Blair Dunlop
Bob Fox
Kristina Donahue
John Jones

The Widow of Westmoreland's Daughter
Happy Man
The Crowd
My Love is In America
Neil's Morris
Journeyman's Grace
Walk Awhile
Doctor of Physick
Now Be Thankful
Flowers of the Forest
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman
Sloth
Hens March / Four Poster Bed
Polly on the Shore
Stranger to Himself
Rising for the Moon
John the Gun
Brilliancy Medley / Cherokee Shuffle
Rosie
The Plainsman
Red and Gold
England
Milltown Maid
Claudy Banks
Slip Jigs and Reels
Naked Highwayman
Red Tide
Jewel in the Crown
Everything But the Skirl / Let There Be Drums
The Light of Day
Bowman's Retreat
Matty Groves / Dirty Linen
Meet on the Ledge

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Sorry if noted elsewhere, but I note from the mailing list,  that a raffle has been initiated to try to boost ticket sales, presumably.

Don’t worry, it’s not a box of hankies, a knitted loo roll cover and some After Eights…it's some festival tickets for some other events via Costa Music Festivals.

[davidmjs]

Sorry if noted elsewhere, but I note from the mailing list,  that a raffle has been initiated to try to boost ticket sales, presumably.

Don’t worry, it’s not a box of hankies, a knitted loo roll cover and some After Eights…it's some festival tickets for some other events via Costa Music Festivals.

That slightly underplays it, to be fair, the prize is worth about £2k  Everyone that buys a ticket (or has already bought a ticket) is entered.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Sorry if noted elsewhere, but I note from the mailing list,  that a raffle has been initiated to try to boost ticket sales, presumably.

Don’t worry, it’s not a box of hankies, a knitted loo roll cover and some After Eights…it's some festival tickets for some other events via Costa Music Festivals.

That slightly underplays it, to be fair, the prize is worth about £2k  Everyone that buys a ticket (or has already bought a ticket) is entered.

I know-Great prize! Here’s hoping it tempts a few more people.

[Tasha]

ah but how do we know if we already have a ticket it really will be added to the draw

[StephenB]

ah but how do we know if we already have a ticket it really will be added to the draw

You trust them. Is that so weird?

[Adam]

Further announcement from Simon on Facebook, saying  “this is getting serious now”…..

[Nick Reg]

Further announcement from Simon on Facebook, saying  “this is getting serious now”…..

Its clear that punters dont agree that its the best bill for 40 years or they would have sold more tickets. The only way they will sell more would be to change the line up but they probably wouldnt be able to without incurring more costs. I wont be there for the first time in 35 years but have been spared the tough decision because I'll be at a family wedding in France. If i had gone I would be sat in the van (at the Brasenose) for three quarters of the time.  I am not being unreasonable i just wouldnt want to watch most of the line up. I have a lot of bills this year and £500 to see a couple of bands is just not on and head would overrule heart I'm afraid. Clearly I'm not alone.

[Andy]

Simon Nicol's post on FB today:

"This is getting serious now. Please share the hell out of Cropredy in any way you can. It really is the best and this year's bill is as good as any in the last forty plus years. And by the standards of others, we've worked really hard to make it affordable despite the problems outlined below.

"#useitorloseit

"'In the past five years alone, 172 festivals in the UK have disappeared. 96 events were lost due to COVID, 36 were lost throughout 2023, and now, 40 have already been lost since the start of the year.'"

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Awful… 😥😥😥

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Further announcement from Simon on Facebook, saying  “this is getting serious now”…..

Its clear that punters dont agree that its the best bill for 40 years or they would have sold more tickets. The only way they will sell more would be to change the line up but they probably wouldnt be able to without incurring more costs. I wont be there for the first time in 35 years but have been spared the tough decision because I'll be at a family wedding in France. If i had gone I would be sat in the van (at the Brasenose) for three quarters of the time.  I am not being unreasonable i just wouldnt want to watch most of the line up. I have a lot of bills this year and £500 to see a couple of bands is just not on and head would overrule heart I'm afraid. Clearly I'm not alone.

He said it was ‘as good as any’, not ‘the best’. I wonder how many tickets have sold so far and why they haven’t announced the ‘special guest’ to boost sales.

[fat Billy(Bill)]

I have to agree with most of the comments here, and this years line up is not the bets I have ever seen.
Add in an ageing fan base (We don't camp any more because of Kims arthritis) and you have the makings of a perfect storm.

Other than trying to attract a younger punter by putting on current bands (expensive) I'm not sure what the answer is.

[Nick Reg]

I have to agree with most of the comments here, and this years line up is not the bets I have ever seen.
Add in an ageing fan base (We don't camp any more because of Kims arthritis) and you have the makings of a perfect storm.

Other than trying to attract a younger punter by putting on current bands (expensive) I'm not sure what the answer is.

The fact that both headliners have appeared before doesnt help and people who go every so often may choose this one to miss. Although very often I find the headliners the least appealing. I thought last years line up was excellent apart from the Thursday headliner.

[hendo (Dave)]

I also feel the main problem this year is the underwhelming lineup.
I will be there because it is Cropredy after all, but if I saw this prog yawnfest at any other festival I would definitely be giving it a wide berth!

….and thats the point isn’t it Bill , money is tight, people , including me, are choosing their fests based on lineup…..not nostalgia for an event long changed…..

[Malcolm]

The matter of the 'Special Guest' is curious.

Have they not disclosed him for fear of putting people off?

Does the ability to pay his fee depend on an incremental increase in sales?

[Adam]

I do wonder if it’s time for Cropredy to come to an end, and the band does a much smaller summer event focusing on them and associated friends/acts, similar to what Show of Hands do at Abbotsbury…

[davidmjs]

The matter of the 'Special Guest' is curious.

Have they not disclosed him for fear of putting people off?

Does the ability to pay his fee depend on an incremental increase in sales?

I suspect it's a slightly milder version of the former - someone that the majority would simply shrug their shoulders at.