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Some thoughts on Croppers 2026
[Edit: I these are my thoughts, preferences and reactions. At the end of this piece I ask for your experiences. I do not think we will all like the same bands to the same extent, but reserve my praise for the acts I genuinely like. Don't diss me for my opinions, give yours and let's have a civilised discussion.]
The 6,500 punter limit really works for us. The camping areas have more room; paths stay open across the festival field and there's plenty of room. It doesn't work for the stalls, though, many were deserted for the whole weekend, several stall owners said to me they wouldn't be back without some substantial changes in the fees.
It has to be said that 38C temps will be high-impact on hot food stalls, but the ice cream folks did fantastic business.
The bar was, at times, completely bereft of customers and the staff milled around looking very confused. The innovation of bottled Old Hooky 0% was welcome but I only had one, sad to say. The innovation of every barperson having a card machine on a lanyard worked very well.
Of the new bands, Barbara were great. Can they come back next year please?
Banter were also great, as were Spooky Men's Chorale, Turin Brakes, Danny Bradley and the Celtic Social Club.
Marshall, Gilmour and the Webbs started well with "The Hammond Song" from the Roches, an old favourite. Their rendition of Wright/Torrey's "Great Gig In The Sky" was... adequate. There was a 5 minute silence when apparently one of their number had to leave the stage. Not sure why. Their talent outweighed their inexperience. Mostly.
I have to say I was largely unimpressed by several acts this year. Soft Machine, in particular, evoked memories of turgid prog jazz in the 1970s. Others loved them, so there's that. Hayseed Dixie are a busted flush IMHO, I'm sorry to say. I know some people love them, so there's that, too.
Matt Bragg had one good joke, which was regarding the Brasenose, but the other 19 minutes and 45 seconds of his 20 were greeted by indifference and provoked an increasingly red face on his part. I did feel sorry for him as he was relentlessly heckled and departed with a whimper and muted applause from a small section of the crowd.
Chaps, if you want to put on a modern comedian that's both good and cheap, book David Eagle. He's brilliant and won't be cheap for long.
The other acts were ok, but not memorable for me. Surprisingly this included Richard Thompson. The strobes accompanying his act were just unnecessary. That said, a lot of people liked a lot of these acts, but we can't all like them all.
Fairport had made a real effort, the setlist was not just the usual fare and their guests were not just the usual suspects (it was really good to see Vikki Clayton). Saturday evening ended in a hurry as timing issues necessitated them rushing through Matty and possibly dropping "Who Knows...?" Meet On The Ledge was perhaps less cosy than usual. All the members of the band had a chance to step forward during the set and talk about their songs / tunes.
Guy Fletcher did a good job standing in on drums when DM played keyboards. In light of the demise of TRADarrr, he might have been regarded as a future full-time member once, but it seems to be getting late in the Fairport era to introduce new members.
All their articles in the programme alluded to old age and Peggy even said that this can't go on forever, which may not be news to anyone but it's the first time a Fairport member has said this to my very limited knowledge.
Anthony John Clarke did his usual superlative job as compère. Long may he reign. Maybe he can get a slot one year?
The dates for 2027 were mentioned in passing and Simon sounded a little plaintive when asking if we'd be back next year. To which the answer is of course, "Yes".
Astonishingly, a caravan was stolen from the Cropredy camping fields for the first time ever. A "Shaun the sheep" scarecrow was also nicked from the village. The Brasenose was apparently, largely deserted except when Steve Knightley chose to be the only major act to retain his place in their discredited Fringe.
Complaints of high prices in the Red Lion weren't encouraging either, with a mandatory purchase of a plastic mug increasing the cost. It should be noted that the bar on the Field did not charge for plastic pint glasses.
The heat took its toll, several people were whisked off to hospital with heatstroke or worse; all were treated with kindness and efficiency by the medical team, acknowledged and thanked publicly by several in the Facebook Fairporters page. Since they saved my life in 2014, you'll find no argument from me.
Fewer people were visibly inebriated this year. Perhaps the heat tempered their thirst?
It is irritating that the exit by Jonah's tree is no longer used on Saturday night.
Food: the crepes were lovely. The Mexican cantina did a tasty Chilli burrito which had a very nasty effect on my guts. The hot chocolate from the Coffee stand (very necessary on Saturday evening) was delicious.
The 2026 T-shirt design was very good. I bought one but it's in a (cool) wash at the moment, so I can't picture it.
I love Cropredy Festival. I think friends speak the truth and my view (backed by some other conversations) is that this year was somewhat stale and a bit sad. I think the heat was overwhelming at times and the fatigue felt by the audience was reflected in their responses to the acts.
So, on to 2027, the "Fairport at 60" celebration:
The Pearce Brothers are apparently booked for next year, which may well please the ladies in the audience.
The ticket limit is apparently going to be 11,000 because "that's what the economics demands". It will never return to 20,000 because several camping fields, including 4 & 5, aren't available any more under new ownership. I interpret the higher number as they're going to try and book some bigger acts to help the celebratory atmosphere. It must be born in mind though, that Cropredy '26 didn't sell out until June / July and plenty of tickets remained unsold on the resale sites. So the acts will have to be bigger and better to sell 11,000 tickets.
Will 2027 be "60 and out"? It's the 49th Cropredy by my count, so maybe shoot for 50? There is little doubt in my mind that the Fairport audience, like Fairport themselves, is getting old - and that includes me. I wouldn't be amazed if either '27 or '28 were the finale, at least of Fairport leading the charge at Cropredy Festival. As Neil Young said "It's better to burn out, than to fade away". Once they depart, it will challenging for the festival to just roll on. That said, surprisingly, many people don't stay for Fairport on Saturday night anyhow - but that makes the support acts even more important and when they're not successful, neither is the festival.
Who would I like to see next year? Manic Street Preachers, Frank Turner, Plant & well, anyone, really.
Disclaimer: I know nothing certain of future plans and have no connection with Fairport Convention Limited.
What was your experience?
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