Cropredy 2014

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

I think the point is that with the bands that put out leftish politics, we all only discuss their music. If I like someones music I don't care what their political views are and don't bring them up.

But, if someone mentions acts such as Digance, Brian Ferry, Ted Nugent or Rush. Someone always has a go at them for their political beliefs. This is a music site, so let's stick to acts musical output and not whether you dislike their political stance.

Hear, hear. It's all about the music

But if an artist expresses a political view in a song, they are inviting us to join a debate, aren't they? You can't always separate the two. In fact you would be doing the artist a disservice if you did.

Sorry for the delay in replying - I've been looking for evidence of nasty right-wing views in Bryan Ferry's back catalogue.... not a sausage!  

My argument is that many artists of a left-wing leaning come to Cropredy and nobody says a word, but when an artist with a right-wing association is suggested there are comments. It's blatant snobbery and I think the acts at Cropredy should be judged on the quality of their music and delivery, not their assumed politics.

I agree with the sentiment that you can't always separate the songs and the views of many artists from both sides of the political divide, however I'm not sure I can find any overt or covert espousal of beliefs in the lyrics of Mr. Ferry's many songs. Agreed that son Otis appears to be a bit of a plunker but should that cloud the judgement of whether Ferry Senior is still a consummate performer and well worth a headlining slot at Croppers ? I think not

Cheers Nigel

Exactly.

[hendo (Dave)]

My apologies for my badly argued rant and i don't want o go off topic but over the yrs i have wrestled with this.
I love the works of Wagner, however very dubious political views and afilliations.
I return to the poetry of Larkin regularly, I read my kids Roald Dahl stories , both of whom had very dubious personal views/behaviours.
Where does it stop? I have no probs with Bryan Ferry cos he's not expressing any political views. ( Sheen loves Chris Leslie, so far she hasn't become a buddhist! although our local buddhist temple does a very nice coffee and cake!))
Here's a quandry. I would love to bring Red Shoes to Glooston Village Hall. Glooston is in the middle of fox hunting country, it provides employment, stables, vets, feed etc etc Some of my friends hunt. We agree to differ.
I know that if I brought Red Shoes to Glooston they would sing that song, Carolyn believes passionately in it and I would have at least half an audience walk out and probably wouldn't do gigs there again/ lose some friends/ be ignored in the pub. I am still wrestling with it.

[Shankly (Peter)]

Here's a quandry. I would love to bring Red Shoes to Glooston Village Hall. Glooston is in the middle of fox hunting country, it provides employment, stables, vets, feed etc etc Some of my friends hunt. We agree to differ.
I know that if I brought Red Shoes to Glooston they would sing that song, Carolyn believes passionately in it and I would have at least half an audience walk out and probably wouldn't do gigs there again/ lose some friends/ be ignored in the pub. I am still wrestling with it.

Easy for me to say, as I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, but if someone would fall out of friends with you or ignore you in the pub because they disagree with the sentiments of a song sung by a band you promote, are they worth having as friends in the first place?

[Andy]

Here's a quandry. I would love to bring Red Shoes to Glooston Village Hall. Glooston is in the middle of fox hunting country, it provides employment, stables, vets, feed etc etc Some of my friends hunt. We agree to differ.
I know that if I brought Red Shoes to Glooston they would sing that song, Carolyn believes passionately in it and I would have at least half an audience walk out and probably wouldn't do gigs there again/ lose some friends/ be ignored in the pub. I am still wrestling with it.

Easy for me to say, as I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, but if someone would fall out of friends with you or ignore you in the pub because they disagree with the sentiments of a song sung by a band you promote, are they worth having as friends in the first place?

Probably. If I restricted my friends to those who agreed me about everything I'd be completely solitary. I do choose to exclude some on the basis of insult rather than reasoned argument.

A song can at least be reviewed on the basis of musical merit.

However expressed,  I think most people can agree that extremist views over racism, immigration, etc are beyond the pale and indeed beyond left, center and right wings.

[David (terrrrrrrr)]

Have the dates for Cropredy 2014 been announced yet please?

[bassline (Mike)]

7th to 9th of May no...thingy....tip of my tongue.....August!

[PaulT]

7-9 August, David, according to the FC website.  

(11 months, 1 hour and 4 mins until Digance again?)  

And if Simon, Peggy or Gareth happen to read this... another shout for Corvus Corax/Berlinski Beat.  Please.

[Will S]

7-9 August, David, according to the FC website.  

(11 months, 1 hour and 4 mins until Digance again?)  

And if Simon, Peggy or Gareth happen to read this... another shout for Corvus Corax/Berlinski Beat.  Please.

For a minute there I thought you said Bronski Beat, and had a horrible 80s flashback!

[hendo (Dave)]

Here's a quandry. I would love to bring Red Shoes to Glooston Village Hall. Glooston is in the middle of fox hunting country, it provides employment, stables, vets, feed etc etc Some of my friends hunt. We agree to differ.
I know that if I brought Red Shoes to Glooston they would sing that song, Carolyn believes passionately in it and I would have at least half an audience walk out and probably wouldn't do gigs there again/ lose some friends/ be ignored in the pub. I am still wrestling with it.

Easy for me to say, as I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, but if someone would fall out of friends with you or ignore you in the pub because they disagree with the sentiments of a song sung by a band you promote, are they worth having as friends in the first place?

Peter, I already said my 'friends' and I agree to differ about our views on fox hunting and we rub along. It's not close friends, it's the farmers. vets, stable yard staff etc who are the main income of the pub. My mate James, who works behind the bar hunts!
There is a very pro hunting lobby in the village, their livelihoods depend on it. It's still touch your cap to the laird stuff. I don't live in  the village but the majority of my friends do. An anti hunt song would be tantamount to praising Maggie T at a miners rally. Trust me, tensions run high.
I was out walking a few weeks back when the hunt was out, I was approached by a woman who vaguely knows me with the words , are you an anti?
I said I had a couple of nephews but.........she looked at me blankly.

I look forward to the BNP Community Choir at Croppers next yr.

[Shankly (Peter)]

Here's a quandry. I would love to bring Red Shoes to Glooston Village Hall. Glooston is in the middle of fox hunting country, it provides employment, stables, vets, feed etc etc Some of my friends hunt. We agree to differ.
I know that if I brought Red Shoes to Glooston they would sing that song, Carolyn believes passionately in it and I would have at least half an audience walk out and probably wouldn't do gigs there again/ lose some friends/ be ignored in the pub. I am still wrestling with it.

Easy for me to say, as I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, but if someone would fall out of friends with you or ignore you in the pub because they disagree with the sentiments of a song sung by a band you promote, are they worth having as friends in the first place?

Peter, I already said my 'friends' and I agree to differ about our views on fox hunting and we rub along.
There is a very pro hunting lobby in the village, their livelihoods depend on it. It's still touch your cap to the laird stuff. I don't live in  the village but the majority of my friends do. An anti hunt song would be tantamount to praising Maggie T at a miners rally. Trust me, tensions run high.
I was out walking a few weeks back when the hunt was out, I was approached by a woman who vaguely knows me with the words , are you an anti?
I said I had a couple of nephews but.........she looked at me blankly.

It is hard for someone like me who lives in a city to understand I suppose - I've always been strongly anti-hunting and, whilst never involved myself, knew a number of hunt sabs when I was a student - the tales they told about how they were treated by hunt followers made it clear they weren't very popular!

[Gouty (Gary)]

Everything is connected and music doesn't exist in a vacuum. Songs reflect our shared experience of life and politics is part of life. Ask musicians to stop singing about politics, and we may as well ask them to stop singing about love, joy, regret, sex, death, betrayal etc.

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Everything is connected and music doesn't exist in a vacuum. Songs reflect our shared experience of life and politics is part of life. Ask musicians to stop singing about politics, and we may as well ask them to stop singing about love, joy, regret, sex, death, betrayal etc.

My original point was not about people singing of a particuarly subject, it was the attitude that only artists with left leanings could sing at Cropredy. As far as I'm concerned, the far right and the far left are as bad as each other and extremism of any kind is dangerous, but Bryan Ferry hardly falls into that category.

I hate snobbery about politics as much as I hate racism, sexism, ageism and homophobia. Let's celebrate our differences! "Britain's Friendliest Festival" doesn't have ...but only if your a leftie... after it.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

Please try to keep this on topic and you can talk about politics, so long as it doesn't become political. (Whatever that means.)

I've always thought the Cropredy crowd was politically liberal (small L).

Generally I'll accept that the performers have their own views and can go along with that. It's when those views themselves are intolerant of other people, that I'll walk away.

[Shankly (Peter)]

Everything is connected and music doesn't exist in a vacuum. Songs reflect our shared experience of life and politics is part of life. Ask musicians to stop singing about politics, and we may as well ask them to stop singing about love, joy, regret, sex, death, betrayal etc.

My original point was not about people singing of a particuarly subject, it was the attitude that only artists with left leanings could sing at Cropredy. As far as I'm concerned, the far right and the far left are as bad as each other and extremism of any kind is dangerous, but Bryan Ferry hardly falls into that category.

I hate snobbery about politics as much as I hate racism, sexism, ageism and homophobia. Let's celebrate our differences! "Britain's Friendliest Festival" doesn't have ...but only if your a leftie... after it.

Off the top of my head, I can't really think of any artists who sing 'right wing' songs, other than extremists like skinhead bands or National Socialist Black Metal bands. Many artists sing songs that could be construed as left wing - Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello etc, but there aren't many singing about how great David Cameron is or of Thatcher's qualities!

Add. In view of Colin's post above - I'm not trying to promote a particular political view - just musing on the lack of right wing artists.

[Addie]

I totally agree with Bridg on this matter.

[Jules Gray]

["Britain's Friendliest Festival" doesn't have ...but only if your a leftie... after it.  

I should hope not.  I hate bad grammar on signs and posters.  

Jules

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

["Britain's Friendliest Festival" doesn't have ...but only if your a leftie... after it.  

I should hope not.  I hate bad grammar on signs and posters.  

Jules

Rats! it's you're! and too late to change it  

Anyway as Colin say Back on Topic. About that Bronski Beat vote.....

[Shankly (Peter)]

About that Bronski Beat vote.....

they were bloody commies....

[RobertD]

I remember this coming up on here briefly when Joan Armatrading was announced last year. I don't care about a performers politics unless it is a blatant advertisement or jingoism disguised as a song, and that sometimes includes things on the left which I support. If the performer happens to oppose my beliefs, but does not sing political songs then for me it is no problem listening.

[PaulT]

Bronski Beat evolved into the Communards - another thing totally.

Anyhow, Berlinski Beat are nothing at all like Jimmy Somerville and the Rev Coles.  More like, well, er, a German/Polish/Balkan gyspy ska band. With bagpipes.