Sorry about the delay in keeping the posts up to date
because we are now over a year behind but we’ve had ‘family stuff’ going on and it
tends to get in the way of whatever free hours I’ve had to do it, but finally
we seem to be coming out of it and it’s been a bit of a bastard to say the
least.
But don’t worry, you’ll get to read about most of it in
the forthcoming posts…
CROPREDY 2014
THURSDAY
So…
Cropredy…
It felt really odd setting off after being back at work
three days after Rhythms.
It was like there was something missing ?
And there was…
There was no ‘build up’ to it.
It was like we hadn’t stopped even though this one was all
pleasure and no work.
Apart maybe from putting up the tent, which is the one
thing actually guaranteed to start
arguments !!!
When discussing it with some of the others I knew were
going, and that’s not just our lot but members of the other two intrepid groups
from our part of the world who I tend to bump into when I’m actually working,
there were a few divisions.
It’s far too ‘Proggy’ was the one I subscribed to
as against
It’s brilliant.
Marillion, Steve Hackett and… The Australian Pink Floyd
!!!
Fuckin’ A… I’m in heaven…
Which I didn’t.
I’m afraid my serious ‘Prog’ Rock’ days were over back in
about 1974 when we’d gone to see Jethro Tull tour their ‘Passion Play’ album.
Tull, as always, had been great but I wasn’t sure about
the material ?
That was definitely when I’d lost all inclination to see
another Prog’ Rock band.
I suppose being in attendance at the Genesis ‘In Concert’
recording for the BBC hadn’t done me any favours either ?
Genesis, who I’d always been in two minds about came over
as too clever by half, and were blown away by the support band, who, a couple
of weeks previously, had managed to drive their tour bus off an alp…
Honestly, I’m not making this shit up, they really had.
Everyone in the bus had survived the crash but not
necessarily without breaking a few bits that they might need if they were
musicians…
But an ‘In Concert’ on the old Beeb was a prestigious
event back in those days so they’d elected to do it regardless of the state
they were in.
The band’s name was Max Merritt and the Meteors.
They weren’t the best band in the world that was for
sure, but they certainly rocked hard enough and they went on stage with arms in
slings, legs in plaster (and with crutches) head bandages, finger and wrist
bandages and whatever else we couldn’t see, and proceeded to tear the roof off
the
sucka’ !!!
The accident had been in all the old music rags like NME,
Melody Maker and Sounds and nobody really gave them any hope of continuing, but
they did what all good rock bands do…
They ‘Went For It’ !!!
And they only bloody got it.
Well, they did at this gig.
They laid down the gauntlet and basically said ‘Follow
That’
And Genesis were too prissy and arty-farty and it didn’t
really happen for them.
And so, to misquote an old Dustin Hoffman line… ‘That was
the end of my progressive period…’
I can always still listen to those that I’d bought over
the years if I liked them, but the new-wave of Prog’ to which Marillion belong
has always left me cold.
So was I looking forward to it ?
Yes and possibly no, and I’d never felt that way before.
Anyway, the drive was uneventful and we fetched up first
again at the Hare & Hounds, closely followed by the rest of the nutters
with a few new ‘Cropredy virgins’ in
tow.
 |
| Karen & Shakey |
Please note that last line is what we refer to new
arrivals to the festival as, it has nothing to do with anybody living in the
village…
And when everybody had arrived and slaked their thirsts
we set off for the site.
Guess where ?
Well if you read this stuff regularly and I know some of
you do because one of the ‘Cropredy’ posts has had more ‘hits’ than the next five posts combined, you will be able to guess that we are on…
Field 7.
Well where else would we be ?
I think we’ve been there for the last ten years at least
?
And we’re only four rows away from the showers which
proves that God does sometimes smile upon you…
Tent up without coming to blows (Just) and a first drink
of alcohol and then the wristband queue while discussing Colin’s latest
invention…
 |
| Colin's shower. Made from a small garden greenhouse, a burner and a few bits from the local plumber... |
He has invented a ‘hot shower’ which is going to get its
first Cropredy outing and that sounds good to us.
But let’s face it.
Anything which circumvents the shower queue is going to
sound good to us and so we await with bated breath and a lot of hope.
 |
| Colin, our 'mad scientist...' |
 |
| Annie, Shakey & Rob. |
He’s going to put the finishing touches to it while we’re
going to queue to get in.
Yep !
It’s me, Haddy and Annie again.
The rest can’t be arsed to move at the present or are
going to the pub.
See you all later.
Fairport acoustic are what it says on the tin.
ie. Fairport playing acoustically.
I actually really enjoy their short opening acoustic sets
these days.
It took a couple of years but now I just love seeing them
ring a few changes in styles on some of their older material and even some of
the newer stuff that I’ve bought and got to know.
Plus, opening and closing their own festival makes
perfect sense to me.
There is so much work put into making it the success that
it is that I do think that it was one of their most inspired decisions.
It feels right.
And if it feels right then it is right.
So let there be an end to any argument to the contrary.
Anyway, if you click on this link you can see them play a bit of acoustic... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nStaDaWKYKU
Joe Broughton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble are…
Indescribable.
Just go and see them if they are appearing anywhere near
you.
That was a serious high point.
An absolutely wonderful and entertaining set which has
cheered everybody up immensely.
Not that anybody is feeling bad about anything but it
does help when the first band after the residents play a set like that.
And here they are in all their ragged glory...
Just go and see them, you won’t be disappointed and take
the kids too.
If that lot can’t take a studious swot and turn them into
an ordinary fun loving music lover then nobody could.
The sun’s still out…
Just thought I’d mention that, Cropredy being known for
the opposite…
We seem to be getting a field-full of our lot, too ?
 |
| Liz |
 |
| Mickey & Andrew |
 |
| Vicki & James |
What’s happened ?
Pub run out of beer ?
Not likely, they’re all here for Steve Hackett’s Genesis
Extended slot which is after Capercaillie’s.
I quite like Capercaillie.
Check them out here...
I play them at home, usually on a Sunday morning after
I’ve breakfasted if I’m not working before I hit the Grateful Dead or whoever
is going on rotation throughout my home hours.
Unfortunately they had to follow Joe Broughton’s lot so
they came over a bit bland.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a really good set but how do
you follow Joe’s lot ?
Hmmm…
My interest has been piqued.
This is going to be a very different festival than that
which all of us were expecting…
And then there was Steve Hackett playing Genesis stuff.
Which, I have to admit I actually liked.
The difference being, it rocked.
Yes it was the same tunes, but beefed up way beyond
anything Genesis ever did.
The singer was a bit of a posy tart and a little too
'histrionic’ if that’s the right word, but in general terms…
Nice one, Steve.
Check out 'I Know What I Like' here...
I can’t say you’ve made a convert out of me but I can say
you were bloody good at the event I saw you at, and if any of you out there
fancy a punt, well I can recommend it.
Ok, there were probably a few too many guitar’y bits for
the average Genesis fan, but those with an open mind should definitely enjoy
it.
Oh, and fans of that genre which never seems to die but
just lies under the radar of most music fans these days, and yes, I’m referring
to ‘Prog’ rock’ will definitely enjoy it.
And what was it our compere said after they’d played ?
‘A fitting show for what is, without a doubt, one of the
largest ever Thursday night crowds at Cropredy…’
So there !
Which brings us to Thursday’s headliners who I have
deliberately not mentioned as yet because they are the one band on, excepting
Fairport, that most of us have come to see.
The one band that every one of us has said ‘And I’m not
missing The Waterboys whatever the bloody weather chucks at us…’
And were they as good as we thought they were going to
be ?
Check it out...
How Mike Scott managed to actually get the full moon to
show itself from behind the clouds when the band went into the first ‘You Saw the
Whole of the Moon’ is something that you can all argue about…
But sometimes something special occurs, and it did for
The Waterboys.
And the other thing is that you find you know a lot more
of their tracks than you think you did.
I don’t tend to play the first two albums these days, I’m
definitely a Fisherman’s Blues head and Room to Roam is also up there, but they
were absolutely great.
Nobody from our lot, and I really do mean nobody had been
disappointed by them.
Somebody did something right, didn’t they ?
Right, it’s over for the day so we’re all back to the
tents.
I say it’s over and it is except for one thing.
Everything is over bar the drinking, and we’ve brought
along a little addition to those proceedings…
And I refer your honour, to that bottle of stuff that
we’d discovered when going to one of Haddy’s friends party’s.
A bottle of toffee flavoured vodka.
And what’s more we’d got some plastic shot glasses to
serve it in…
Hmmm…
Not bad.
Well it isn’t after your fifth shot anyway.
We lost Shakey after his fifth which I’d been matching him
on, but then he’d definitely drunk more beer than me.
Discretion being the better part of valour, we saved half
the bottle for tomorrows revels and went to bed.
(it’s better than any sleeping pill, warms you up inside
too…)
If a band is crap then bloody well say so, even
if they are mates, because you do them no favours by telling them they’re great
if they’re not.
Which brings us to the Australian Pink Floyd Show…
FRIDAY
Uuuurgh !
It’s tomorrow…
I know it is, I’ve just opened my eyes and it’s not dark.
It’s early.
I know that much because I can’t hear too many people
gabbling away outside but those I can seem to be heading for the toilets or
showers.
Thankfully, we’ve got our own little camping loo stuck in
the other half of our tent so we don’t need to queue and at this time of the
morning it’s a godsend…
So…
Breakfast.
What’s it going to be ?
Veggie sausage, fake bac’ (pronounced bake) tomato and
egg all chucked into a bit of oil in the frying pan and a couple of slices of
bread which might end up as fried bread if the oil holds out, plus the kettle
on the other burner.
That’ll do me.
Of course the smell of cooking wakes everybody else up
also…
I have discovered some numbers written on paper in a glass
next to Colin’s shower so I’ve just picked out numbers three and four.
I don’t know, but I do suspect…
And it turns out about an hour and a half later that my
suspicions were well founded because he’d worked out that was the only fair way
of establishing an order as to who goes when ?
Now all we have to do is wait until he’s heated the water
which apparently is going to take about seven minutes…
Frankly I’m gobsmacked… It works like a dream.
Haddy and I take about three minutes each which leaves plenty
of water for the others.
On a full tank at about three minutes each it’ll do about
eight people.
Five minutes and it’ll do about four and then you have to
re-fill and re-heat the water.
Brilliant idea.
Hat’s off to our Colin.
Haddy has decided on cereal for breakfast and so there’s
really only one lot of washing up.
Right, that’s that sorted, now let’s decide what we are
doing today ?
Well I want to see Churchfitters and that’s
non-negotiable.
I’ve already seen the Australian Pink Floyd Show and Chas
& Dave so I know what’s coming there, Annie, Liz, Andrew and Vicki are down
for The Wonder Stuff, Mickey’s a goer for The Travelling Band and so we all
make plans to meet on site for The Wonder Stuff.
And so, as usual, me, Haddy, Annie, and Liz, James and
Mickey make our way to the site to ‘chair up’.
The weather looks a bit iffy, but it’s not raining yet…
Oh well, It’ll shine when it shines as any Ozark Mountain
Daredevil can tell you…
When we finally get on site, Haddy and I go shopping.
Kids t-shirts and CD’s a speciality…
 |
| The staff at the hospice stall (I told you I would... hahaha) |
 |
| The top of the field toilet block... |
No CD’s that we fancy but we get the t-shirts and take a
few pictures and that’ll do.
Hopefully I’ll find a few bits on the Boot Fair tomorrow
?
There’s definitely time for a kip before the main events
but I think the weather may make even that a bit difficult because the sky has
darkened somewhat and precipitation is not just expected, it’s looking like
it’s more a bloody certainty !!!
Oh well, you can call me Weather-Diviner Chris if you
like ?
The acts are all much of a same.
Until Churchfitters hit the stage anyway.
Good, but all a little too ‘earnest’ for me.
I’m turning into a vampire, I crave a bit of blood and
fire or at least some signs of life…
And in Churchfitters we all got that.
They are definitely mad, I can tell you that much.
Homemade instruments and all…
And you can find their first four numbers here...
Mad as a Hatter.
Well that livened up the party somewhat.
 |
| It was at about this point that Haddy discovered the Jamaican fish stall... |
The Travelling Band are on next and they’re ok.
I remembered them from last time which according to the
programme was three years ago and whilst I could say that first time out they
rocked, this year the rock had taken a bit of a formulaic turn.
Mickey loved them but I can pass.
So far only Churchfitters have shown that spark that I
love today but then it’s time for the Wonder Stuff and so long as it’s better
than the size of a cow…
Fuck me !!!
They were seriously good.
You have to remember that I’m in my sixties now and
probably the eldest of our lot here but you know, you try and remain honest and
objective about music.
It’s not worth lying about, even to yourself because that
way madness lies and an exaggerated view of your own importance.
Hopefully anything I write is reasonably objective and
only coloured by my own prejudices…
Ie. Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan are the best we are ever
likely to get and the rest inhabit the trails of getting to their standards.
I know not everybody is going to agree with that,
especially those whose first objective gigs were in the ‘punk’ era, but…
Bill Shankley once said of football that it was more
important than life or death (I’m paraphrasing) well music is one hell of a lot
more important than football so why delude yourself even if you attempt to
delude others ?
Yes, I find things bland sometimes (not just here either)
that doesn’t mean the band is bad, just that they didn’t mark the event by
stomping their particular patent all over it.
And if it doesn’t ‘rock’ then nobody can induce me to say
that it does, and even well known bands and singers can do things which leave
you cold.
As I’ve probably said before, all you have to do is apply
the Ken Tyler foot tapping test.
If your feet don’t tap then it’s probably not for you.
It worked for Ken and it works for me, and my old mate
Ken was a serious Jazz fan.
Music, if that’s what all those other genres were, left
him cold.
Jazz however was ‘Hot’, and nobody was ever going to
persuade him otherwise.
Now, you can argue all you like about that last sentence
but you cannot argue about the guy’s commitment to his love of it.
It was TOTAL .
He taught everybody who came into close proximity to him
to look beyond the names, the genres and the styles.
He liked Jazz, but he did not expect everybody to be or
do the same.
There was always a choice and you’d better be able to
justify your own by your own standards.
Know what ?
It works.
You like Punk ?
Justify it.
You like Folk ?
Justify it.
You like Rock ?
Justify it.
Provide examples to turn on a friend or neighbour.
That was the biggest kindness you could ever do for them.
To get them to look outside their blinkers by justifying
something else and you can’t do that without some form of enthusiasm because it
doesn’t work.
Passion and fire because music deserves it.
Yeah, that was Ken, that and a foot that wouldn’t stop
tapping and if by chance he had a cup of tea in his hand then so much the
better…
To hear him and Frank (who hates Jazz) argue the merits
of Vassar Clements Hillbilly Jazz album was a lesson in verbal ping-pong that
should have gone down in Olympic history.
Fast, funny as fuck, and even tempered but both of them
leaving barbs in the other which would surface somewhere down the line.
Frank met his match in that one, but then so did Ken.
Both agreed that it was a wonderful album, but both from
vastly differing perspectives.
And let’s not even go through what they said about David
Grisman’s ‘Dawg Music’.
It’s Country.
It’s Jazz.
It’s just bloody good music, so can we all have a cup of
tea and coffee and just shut the fuck up ?
You keep out of it.
Aaaargh !!!
Shut up ! Or I’ll
put some Mahler on…
Ok (x2)
And it would quieten down for five minutes before
starting up again after they’d had a tea and coffee break truce…
Anyway, enough digression, let’s get back to the main
event
The Wonder Stuff.
All I could remember was Size of a Cow.
Until they started playing that is…
Then I remembered damn near every song they played.
I’d always had them down as second division but this was
premier league stuff.
Check it out...
Bloody Hell !!!
Another band who changed my perceptions of their previous
material.
See, that’s what Cropredy is all about.
Really all about.
It’s not just a bunch of folkies regurgitating past
glories.
It’s new and vibrant.
It’s older and still relevant.
It’s fuckin’ brilliant, and there is no way you’ll get me
to change my mind about that.
And that’s how The Wonder Stuff became the first real
‘hit’ of the day.
At least amongst our lot, that is.
Cue Randy Newman’s ‘I think it’s going to rain today…’
 |
| Modelling the 'Cropredy Condom' |
And it did.
The first real drenching of the weekend as Chas and Dave
hit the stage.
Now I quite like Chas & Dave.
I’d seen them before a couple of times and so I knew what
to expect and they delivered just that.
What people don’t see perhaps, is the affection that they
have for old time rock’n’roll and they play it superbly.
 |
| Vicki. 'Don't bogart the beer, dear...' |
 |
| Jim. 'Sorry...' |
All their hits have really been novelty numbers and so
when they actually rock out it takes some by surprise that they do it so well.
Shame about the rain in the middle of the set but notwithstanding that the guys done good.
Shame about the rain in the middle of the set but notwithstanding that the guys done good.
Nice one.
Which brings us to the Australian Pink Floyd Show…
Haddy had enjoyed Chas and Dave but this was new territory
to her as it’s not the sort of thing they tend to play on British radio let
alone Gambian and so most of their set was going to be new to her.
Well, she lasted until their fifth track which coincided
with the heavens opening again and then asked if we could go back to the tent ?
Here's a bit of them at Cropredy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxYuSDrWodY
Here's a bit of them at Cropredy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxYuSDrWodY
It was a shame as the light show was beginning to rival
the band and that’s when they really get good but the rain was torrential so I
couldn’t really blame her.
That’s it, we’re off, see you all later…
And we retreated from the field of sound and light.
Straight back to our tent where we made a cup of tea,
laced it with brandy or tequila and waited for some of the others…
SATURDAY
Oh God…
That was a mistake.
There was about half an inch left in the toffee vodka
when we both woke up the following morning and so I glugged it before my cup of tea.
I can remember having about three shots with some of the
girls and Andrew and Karen but I don’t remember much else…
Apparently it was a good night and everybody enjoyed
themselves.
And the toffee vodka.
So that’s alright then.
Right… Breakfast the same as yesterday and let’s hit the
Boot Fair.
We seem to be running a bit late (Who knows where the
time goes…)
But I now own another half dozen cd’s of things I’ve been
looking for cheap and she now owns a few more dresses and tops.
Leg it back to the site, drop off the gear, pick up our chairs and go.
Leg it back to the site, drop off the gear, pick up our chairs and go.
Finally arriving just as Richard Digance is exhorting
everybody to become the biggest Morris team in the world again…
Bugger it !
I like ol’ Digance.
It’s the best way I know to start off Saturday and we’ve
managed to miss most of it.
Oh well, it can’t be helped so let’s get settled and see
what the day brings shall we ?
Blackbeard’s Tea Party were enjoyable in a raucous
folk-rock sort of way.
They were obviously used to playing venues that don’t go
‘shuuuush’ when you’re in the middle of a conversation at the bar…
Check 'em out... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HI7REZWAo0
Really good set, so let’s see if this Reg Meuross bloke
is any good ?
It’s difficult for me to talk about Reg without going
into overhype.
He was THAT good that half way through his set I was
legging it, literally, to the cd tent because I knew without a doubt there
would be sod-all left if I waited until he’d finished, and when I got there it
seemed that half of the crowd had worked out the same scenario.
They certainly weren’t selling anything else at that point
in time.
Reg’s set was the classic singer-songwriter one.
Get a good enough band to do justice to the material and
then get out there and show folk what you’ve got.
He had me hooked by the second song and by the fourth I
was trying to get served the two cd’s the tent had left…
Click on this for 'And the band played Sweet Marie' from Cropredy
Absolutely great set so how come I’d never heard of the
bloke before ?
Who knows, but I bloody have now.
Just book the bloke, preferably with his band because
they seriously are a wonderful outfit.
Salute.
 |
| Vicki. 'He's bogarting the beer again...' |
 |
| Vicki. 'This time I want at least six inches...' |
It’s probably just as well that I’ve seen Treetop Flyers
and Cara Dillon before because after Reg’s set nothing was going to measure up.
Treetop Flyers... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ELLoyPds4
&
Cara Dillon... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI6EV4SJbwc
Both of them played fine sets but Reg’s lyrics in that
setting were the synergy of perfection and when that happens to you then there
is no way that you’re going to be able to enjoy them as much as you would
otherwise, and it’s a shame because they are both first rate.
Blimey !
I think they’re all here ?
It’s not the usual occurrence I can tell you that.
Must be something special happening ?
Oh yeah…
Marillion.
I will say that they played a very professional and very
acceptable set and everybody loved them and gushed over them…
Easter is here...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIUU_Lf5smU
Except me.
There’s nothing wrong with them, or me for that matter,
it’s just that I haven’t managed to ‘connect’ with what they do.
Maybe one day it’ll occur ?
Apart from Astral Weeks it had taken me ten years to
‘get’ Van Morrison, so there’s always hope.
I was definitely up for Al Stewart.
I can remember his early folkie stuff back in the old CBS
days when he always managed to get a track on all those old sampler albums that
they and Island used to punt out.
Fill Your Head with Rock and all that…
Try Year of the Cat... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01QB686deM4
Well apart from that transatlantic accent he didn’t
disappoint.
It was about two thirds RCA and one third CBS so he
definitely covered the bases.
Not bad…
Now let’s see how the main men measure up to what’s gone
before, shall we ?
Well they definitely started as they meant to go on.
It rocked and it rolled and it folked and it balladeered
and we were all Fairported to that special place a couple of hours later when
you’re all guessing where the first notes of Matty Groves are going to come in
?
And now even Haddy is up there with our loony tunes
dancers…
There’s something about this lot.
I don’t know what it is because you can’t bottle it and
take it home, but it’s there regardless.
Check out a great big chunk of them here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CXFGeQ8dq0
If the words ‘A People’s Band’ mean anything then forget
the Pistols or The Clash or anything from the punk era, but Fairport ?
They just might deserve the monicker.
They truly are a people’s band.
So let’s meet on the ledge again next year, shall we ?
And there was me thinking it was a weak and unenjoyable
line-up with all that ‘Prog’ stuff ?
This year had been one of the best.
What do I know ?
Just a mere punter at a yearly event.
The rain had mostly held off which was good, so let’s not
stay up too late, eh ?
But of course God has to get in his final joke…
As we started dismantling the tents to leave on the
Sunday morning it fucking well pissed it down !!!
You have to laugh…
But that’s Cropredy, innit ?
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