Simon Says....
bassline (Mike):
Just had a message from Simon.
It seems to suggest all is not well regarding Cropredy.
Or am I wrong ?
Amethyst (Jenny):
Tell us more…
PJayBe:
A message from Simon
Greetings friends, old, new and/or young,
I’m taking the unusual step of writing to you personally to keep you informed about Cropredy 2024. You’re used to us reminding you about the festival’s progress but this time I’m writing about longer term considerations.
These are very hard times for the UK festival industry. In 2023, thirty-six smaller events were either cancelled or endured financial collapse. We’ve stewarded Cropredy for the thick end of fifty years so we feel the crashing disappointment and pain of our fellow organisers.
So far this year the number of cancellations has already reached thirty-four, some of them a lot bigger than Cropredy. We’ve seen swingeing increases in the costs of staging the festival – everything from infrastructure to artist fees, diesel fuel, lighting, PA, and so on – without compromising health, safety and comfort.
Crucially, our festival has no sponsorship: Cropredy has to pay its own way. The fact is there can never be a ‘bad year’ for Cropredy - anything which isn’t self-supporting could mean the end of the line. Simple as that. Which is where you come in.
How you can help
We want your help to secure the future of Cropredy, an event which means so much to so many.
Whole tribes have been created in these postcodes and many families bring three or even more generations together. Some of our key people were first here as toddlers and have lifelong treasured memories to prove it.
Many of you regular Cropredy-goers will have a neighbour, workmate, cousin or sibling who you’ve regaled with stories of great bands unexpectedly discovered or happy encounters at the bar. They’ve watched you pack for the journey and seen you return - sometimes muddy perhaps but always lifted and recharged by the sense of community of those three days in the field.
Perhaps you’ve told them how great it was this year and how much they’d love it. Perhaps they think they’re too old or it’s ‘not our sort of thing’. But if every couple of you regulars push that little bit harder you might persuade them that this is the year to bite the bullet. In other words, help us by introducing new friends to Cropredy.
Your loyalty to Fairport, to Cropredy, and to our collective community is unmatched; and it’s far and away the achievement I’m proudest to have been part of. So I’m appealing to you personally to do a little recruiting between now and August. Bring a friend; make a friend and bring them!
Of course, some of you reading this may be Cropredy virgins yourselves. So if you haven’t been to our festival I urge you to take the plunge and join us this year. It really is a question of use it or lose it, I’m afraid.
We have an absolutely incredible line-up of acts and they’re all set to blow you away. So don’t miss Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2024 and do what you can to persuade a newbie to share the joy with you.
See you for another amazing weekend, OK? I can’t wait!
Love and thanks,
Simon
Amethyst (Jenny):
Concerning… 😥
Wandering Steve:
The issue is as more and more fairport fans slip off the plate/ can no longer attend there need to be more newer attendees.
By booking bands that are mainly only remembered by those who are sixty plus (especially this year) it is totally unsurprising that it’s hard to attract new blood.
If there was a 80s /90s headliner this year it would attract more 50s and under.
I’m 51 and can’t remember the likes of ric wakeman, focus etc , I’d need to be well into my sixties.
It’s not rocket science
1) keep the same vibe
2) as people die off you need to book a few bands that the next 40/50 year olds can remember.
It’s all about getting the balance right.
In the email Simon says that the festival isn’t sponsored….
This year they should have approached saga or age concern.
I fear the damage is done
I as always will attend as I love the festival vibe , but this year I cannot relate to any of the main acts with the exception of fairport who I’ve grown to enjoy
Trevor horn …..again
Ric wakeman
Tony Christie.
Focus
Who in their right mind under 40 could I sell that to?
The replies would be
Trevor horn….who’s he??
Ric wakeman ….. I’ve heard of him , wasn’t he in some band in the sixties
Tony Christie…. Heard of him , what did he sing , road to Amarillo , oh yes , is he still alive he must be 90.
Focus…. Never heard of them
Now I’m in no way knocking any of the artists musical abilities and I’m not being cruel but they would be the answers I’d get.
I hate to be argumentative but most unless folk fans wouldn’t even know who fairport are if they’re under 50.
There in lies the problem
Alice cooper bought in fresh blood as although a 70’s star he did have hits in the 80’s and was a world class act
The waterboys were another 80’s band you could sell to people
Madness I actually got another couple of friends to go due to madness performing , again another 80’s band.
In a nutshell you can’t stuff a three day festival with bands that are from the sixties and expect them to still attract attendees…..
Many who enjoyed them in their prime are now dead.
That’s not harsh , it’s a fact of life
I think the festival is on thin ice down to a bad line up this year (to be fair other years have held their own and I really liked last year) but you live and die by your headline acts and someone’s decided to pack the festival with acts whose hardcore fans have died off rather than putting on at least one act who the main core of middle aged people and families can relate to.
What’s also of interest is the mystery act…
If he/she was going to be a decent act that would attract the fans it would have been announced by now given the begging bowls are out……
If I was organising it I’d be frantically looking around for an act to resonate with the main and future customers (the middle aged) rather than make it a festival for the people who were teenagers in the sixties and remember focus in their prime
I’ve mentioned this coming down the tracks for a few years now and unfortunately you reap what you sow
I hope the 60’s teenagers can get their friends to attend so the festival can continue because asking anyone under 40 to drag anyone along to see this line up would be futile and actually put them off coming in the future.
This is my 17th year and this is the only line up that does nothing for me in all that time
Il be going with friends because we get that it’s more than just the music but selling it to others … tricky
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page