Photo by Brian Marks of Cropredy 2007. Credit information in metadata.
John O’Regan wrote this review.
Fairport Convention’s 40-year career has seen them evolve from a UK equivalent of American West Coast folk-rockers to the inventors of British Folk Rock. To celebrate their 40th anniversary from Thursday August 9 to Saturday August 11 2007, the familiar fields of Cropredy in Oxfordshire were filled with over 20,000 eager music fans.
It was my ninth time to experience the Cropredy magic and the unique atmosphere it generates. Cropredy is more than just a music festival; it is a social event and a gathering of Fairport Convention fans and friends from all over the world. There are also other things that happen alongside the music — the field is the centre of activity and associations are formed and renewed.
This time the weather played a deciding role in proceedings. Cropredy 2007 could have been a non-event up to two weeks before the festival. Torrential flooding had crippled the Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire countryside, leaving towns like Tewkesbury cut off from the outside world. Nearby villages like Abington and Daventry also suffered, and the farmers fields where the Cropredy backstage area normally sits were waterlogged. However, the weather improved sufficiently for the festival to proceed and it was a mixture of luck and providence that allowed the proceedings to begin on time and to happen at all.
The story of Cropredy and its origins has been oft-related. While they may have only lived here briefly during the middle of the 1970s, their influence on community life is still very apparent and had a long-lasting effect. The best example of this is the welcome extended by the villagers to 20,000 Fairport fans every 2nd weekend in August for three days of music. More recently, Fairport Convention’s contribution to the local community has resulted in the fitting of a special church bell in Cropredy Church appropriately called the Fairport Bell.
Cropredy 2007 was monumental for the fact that the event was completely sold out in advance — the first time this has happened in its long history. Also, everyone travelling apparently decided to arrive on Thursday which allowed for chaos on the festival camping grounds and the roads adjoining! Usually the mode of transport from Banbury to Cropredy is the familiar double-decker bus. On this summer day I would normally be in a bus, crowded with enthusiastic would be Cropredyites, some carrying tenting and dressed in the manifold Fairport T-shirts, and for some their greying hair betraying their age. Instead, taking the good weather in hand and the news of the bus being held up due to an accident on the M40, I wandered along the riverbank with a Swedish Fairport fan and some others who made the journey to the festival grounds on foot.
Walking along the canal and the banks of the river Cherwell, we witnessed lines of brightly coloured barges populating the area over a two-mile radius. The occasional distant farmhouse was the only sign of life apart from the hovering of cars on the M40 overhead. Given the right weather conditions the canal bank walk is a vigorous alternative way of bridging the gap between Cropredy and Banbury. It’s also a walk of no going back — once begun it has to be finished. The walk itself is worth doing for the contrast it provides. On one side the M40 roars between Northamptonshire, the Midlands and Oxfordshire with no mercy for pedestrians. The contrast between urban and rural becomes clearly obvious when juxtaposed in a situation like this. On the other side lie reams and reams of unspoiled open countryside — long green fields redolent of the French countryside, and small villages with names like Great Bourton and Little Bourton dotting the landscape. Brightly coloured barges also sail along the canal, some owned and some rented. The aura at times is idyllic, recalling huge swathes of unspoilt lands and open areas. It suggests a feeling of adventure and ethereally unspoilt beauty.
On the day, one corner led to another and the barges became more colourful and plentiful, with wafts of music filling the air. The latter told us that Cropredy festival was on the near horizon. Suddenly, fields lined with tents, mobile homes and land cruisers met the eyes. That, and the sound of music from the Brasenose yard-covers of Kinks, Free, and The Who songs and a ruffle of melodeon from the adjoining fields, convinced us that we had arrived. However, sore feet are side effects if one is not a regular walker — I wanted to rest and listen to music. When finally reaching the festival ground and walking the distance between fields I heard a young attractive neophyte voice intoning Pentangle’s ‘Light Flight’, her voice intoned an ethereal fragility somewhere west of Celia Humphris and Anne Briggs and south of Jacqui McShee — it also reminded me that I could be nowhere else but in a hamlet of rural England.
Due to the walk along the canal I missed the opening act, Anthony John Clarke, but the whispy melodeon and dancing feet of Kerfuffle provided an interesting couplet. Arriving late at the grounds on the completion of their set it’s unfair to offer analysis other than to say that their sound befitted the day, the atmosphere and the area, geographically and otherwise. Wishbone Ash is one of the many 1970s UK classic rock bands operating in truncated line-ups with at least one original member involved. This time it was founder member Andy Powell and his distinctive Gibson Flying V guitar. Playing material from their 1972 album Argus (their best album without doubt) the first three songs ‘Throw down the Sword’, ‘The King Will Come’ and ‘The Warrior’ sent out a message that this outfit was not to be messed with. Wishbone Ash’s particular style is honed by their use of twin lead guitars (Phil Lynnott was obviously listening for his later twin lead Thin Lizzy combination), harmony vocals and playing music that is rocky, melodic, progressive and folksy at once, but with no allegiance to any camp. Some new material provided a hard rock face but it was the Argus tracks that did it for me along with the extended closer ‘Phoenix’, which easily crossed the 10-minute mark.
New English folk sensation Seth Lakeman played a set full of angst and balanced an English romanticism with an American Folk rock raunch. Imagine Steve Earle circa Copperhead Road, raw, angry and intense with an English accent and songs based in the West Country, and you have Seth Lakeman. Apart from a tendency to sameness in some of his material it impressed me very much.
Finally, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra finished the first night. Holland, a household name on UK TV screens, is a mean blues/jazz and boogie-woogie piano player. He also has a 17-piece orchestra that plays some of the most complex yet enjoyable old-style rhythm and blues music around. Even if one is not a fan (and his presence did arouse some bemused reactions) his music is so well arranged and well played, and so damned enjoyable, that you are whisked off in the enthusiasm and energy they generate. Guest vocalists Ruby Turner and Lulu provided the vocal and eye candy. Ruby Turner (whom I had interviewed some years ago and been a long time fan) impressed mightily — to say she owned the stage was no oversight. Her take on Big Joe Turner’s ‘Honey Hush’ was majestic and Holland’s description of Ruby Turner as the Boogie-woogie Queen seemed apt. Lulu on the other hand, while having a vivacious personality, had to work harder to ensnare her audience — she got there, and a frantic ‘Shout’ did the work, but for sheer personality and class the night belonged to Ruby Turner.
Friday was dominated by Fairport past, especially with the anticipation of the Liege and Lief line up. It was quite a spectacle seeing Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Swarbrick and Richard Thompson on stage, joined by Chris While taking the Sandy Denny seat. Her phrasing, breathing and vocal technique was spot on; so much so, that when she lapsed into her own headspace briefly during ‘Tam Lin’ and sang like herself, the difference was notable and she quickly checked herself, returning to Denny delivery mode. Musically the band played with a fire and energy that was immediately palpable and their decision to play only the contents of their best-known album (and only gold record to date) was admirable. They came, they did it, and for one hour it was like being back in 1969 and the 1970s were just round the corner. Followed by Richard Thompson and Band, it was a fine ending to an interesting day. Richard Thompson with a band for me provides an intriguing set up — having seen him play solely with Danny Thompson or solo I found his band show a more enlivening, up-tempo show than his solo performances. Mixing the set liberally between the hits and new material from Sweet Warrior, especially the pungent ‘Dad’s Gonna Kill Me’ and ‘Bad Monkey’, side by side with ‘Wall of Death’ and ‘Tear Stained Letter’, made this a classic Thompson performance.
While not wallowing in Fairport related matters the rest of the day had some interesting music too — Show of Hands are so popular in the UK they are probably the best hope of breaking through to mainstream popularity. They command a loyal audience whose enthusiasm for them was immediate and their own singing/writing/instrumental abilities pack a considerable punch. Their material, with its nods to traditional roots, social comment and pastoral evocations of Cornwall and Southern England, is also highly commendable. Last Orders, the winners of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, sound good but are lost on a stage the size of Cropredy — they sounded out of their depth and unable to hold a crowd no matter the musical expertise involved.
Viva Santana as a tribute band is admirable and entertaining but as individual players they are extremely confident. Having developed an interest in Santana and its offshoot bands Malo and Azteca, I found Viva Santana exciting musically — their guitarist, percussionist/keyboard player was especially outstanding. Playing a wisely chosen set of material from across the Santana catalogue, this outfit proved a more than worthy tribute.
Saturday’s bill again balanced the experienced with the up and coming. The Bucket Boys offered middling pub rock, while The Demon Barbers Roadshow suffered from a muffled sound that didn’t make much impression. Iain Matthews began his set with two songs that immediately hit my consciousness, ‘Just One Look’ and Terry Reid’s ‘The Frame’, from his 1977 album the sporadically involving Hit and Run. Those over, he moved into more recent material including one gorgeous song again hitting a lost love theme. With just the right blend of voice, poignancy and emotion he achieved what others had failed in creating an intimacy within a field of 20,000 — for one glorious moment it recalled the best of Matthews’ frostbitten romanticism like ‘For the Second Time’ from Plainsong’s In search of Amelia Earheart album. I was a huge Iain Matthews fan in my schooldays, his words were gospel and while I had slid from the path momentarily, today I was won back again. This was a priceless moment not even overshadowed by Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol and Julian Dawson’s guest appearances.
Next up were The Strawbs and another aural experience. I remembered ‘Lay Down’ from schooldays and the first Strawbs album I bought (Strawbs by Choice in Stardiscs, Limerick, October 1978 for 99p). Later exposure to albums like Ghosts and Heartbreak Hill alerted me to the typical grandiose, highly impassioned style of rock that The Strawbs produce. Today, lush romantic arrangements and Dave Cousins’ impassioned, almost operatic vocals dominated a choice set of English Progressive Rock. Bob Fox and Billy Mitchell provided an enjoyable pre-Fairport set, some well-chosen songs, tunes, banter and camaraderie.
At 8.15 pm Fairport Convention arrived on stage (15 minutes early) and, for the next three-and-three-quarter hours, stunned the audience. While there was a nostalgic element to the set, it being a 40th anniversary show, the emphasis was much on the new album A Sense of Occasion and more recent material, alongside the classics. While basing the set around the current line up of Ric Sanders, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie and Gerry Conway and repertoire, they generously bowed to their seminal past. Briefly reforming the original line up with Iain Matthews and Judy Dyble out front, they roared confidently through Emmet Rhodes’ ‘Time Will Show the Wiser’ from their debut album.
Bringing Vikki Clayton, Jerry Donahue and the striding brilliance of Dave Swarbrick, Richard Thompson and a rare double drummer set with Dave Mattacks and Gerry Conway rattling the traps, they crisscrossed nostalgia and contemporary relevance working through the back catalogue with ‘Down in the Flood’, ‘Sloth’, ‘Walk Awhile’, ‘Polly on the Shore’ and ‘The Hexamshire Lass’ with Chris Leslie on vocal — Swarb’s lack of vocals was notable but his musical ability undiminished. Another highlight occurred when young Beth Gibbins from Tiny Tin Lady shared vocals with Simon Nicol on ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’. The Tiny Tin Lady singer captured the Denny depths with a maturity beyond her years. Vocally, Simon Nicol extolled the beauties of ‘The Girl from the Hiring Fair’ and a suitably dramatic ‘Red and Gold’, commemorating the Battle of Cropredy in 1605 in which King Charles 1st army included the 1st Earl of Rochester, whose son John Wilmot (a Libertine) is celebrated by Johnny Depp in the movie of the same name.
Of the new material, Chris Leslie’s ‘South Dakota to Manchester’, detailing the visit of Buffalo Bill Cody to the UK, and Pete Scrowther’s ‘Hawkwood’s Army’ showed the Fairport eye for quality narrative ballads remains intact. Musically, Ric Sanders’ ‘Just Dandy’ allowed for high-stepping from the Tommy Connolly Dancers from Coventry, and ‘Canny Capers’ highlighted their instrumental expertise. This was a powerful display of the Fairport Convention magic in action and what better place to witness this folk-rock institution than on their adopted home ground.
‘Meet on the Ledge’ was the anthemic closer to a weekend of musical excellence headlined by a legendary band. 40 years of musical activity was suitably remembered, but Fairport Convention’s wish to develop and grow while avoiding resting on their laurels is glaringly obvious.
Sunday saw the annual cricket match at the Cropredy Cricket Club — already in the distance the stage and sundry effects were being dismantled. The cricket match between Fairport and a local team is the ideal wind down experience — a relaxed post-festival social gathering. Earlier in the week the warm-up shows were well attended and the general feedback on Woodford Halse as a venue was quite positive. Visitors coming on Nancy Covey’s festival tours package (which also included a trip to the Edinburgh festival) were treated to a meet and greet with Fairport, complete with a round of Aunt Sally. Finally, the week drew to a close with Freeway Jam’s regular Monday night slot at The George in Barford St.Michael. Freeway Jam know rock like established pub rockers and are always worthy of a look, providing a great night’s entertainment. With the final notes lingering in the ether, Cropredy 2007 wound its way into history. If you haven’t been there you ought to go. Whether you are a Fairport Convention fan or not, Cropredy Music Festival is one of life’s experiences.
John O’Regan, Oxfordshire, UK, August 9 – 11 2007
