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Rick Wakeman, Focus, Tony Christie among headliners at Fairport’s 2024 Cropredy Convention




@newburytoday’s Cropredy festival veteran JOHN GARVEY spoke to Fairport Convention bassist Dave Pegg to get the heads up on this year:

THE last few tickets for ‘Britain’s friendliest musical festival’ are still up for grabs.

Fairport’s annual Cropredy Convention takes place in the eponymous village near Banbury, Oxfordshire, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 8, 9 and 10.

The Cropredy crowd
The Cropredy crowd

On the Thursday afternoon Fairport Convention will play a short acoustic set to open proceedings.

It’s a decade-long tradition at the festival, which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year.

For those who haven’t been before, the festival is unique.

Residents in the picturesque village get into the spirit; there are fringe festivals at the two locals, The Brasenose Arms and The Red Lion and everyone, it seems, is pleased that you’re there.

Even the local church serves breakfasts.

There are certain other Cropredy traditions: a ‘surprise guest’ or maybe two join Fairport Convention as they close the festival on the Saturday night.

Previous guests have included Robert Plant, Cat Stevens, Roy Harper, Gary Brooker, Roy Wood, Andy Fairweather-Low, Tom Robinson, Nik Kershaw and, Ian Anderson.

And, first thing on the Saturday, Richard Digance sets the tone for the day - I won’t spoil the surprise but do bring a clean, white handkerchief!

And there’s a lump in everyone’s throat as the strains of ‘Meet on the Ledge’ float across the field at the close and it “all comes round again.”

There’s just nowhere else on earth like it for those three days.

Dave Pegg Pic: Ben Nicholson
Dave Pegg Pic: Ben Nicholson

Fairport’s bassist and Jethro Tull alumnus Dave Pegg puts it this way: “It’s different from lots of festivals for many reasons.

“Although there’s two big screens there’s only one stage so people bring chairs and get comfy in front of the incredible sound system.

“Last year myself and my partner, Helen, sat in the audience and we had such a great time.

“There’s just one bar and so if the musicians want a drink, that’s where they go, alongside everyone else.”

Fairport organise the festival and choose all the acts, which typically cover range of genres.

Dave Pegg said: “Most of them are people we really admire, musically, and they’re not necessarily folk or folk-rock - but they’re all acts we think will appeal to the Cropredy audience.”

Dave Pegg suggested this year’s second headline act for Thursday, Tony Christie, is a case in point.

He conceded that this could be seen as a bit of a leftfield choice but said: “We saw him at a festival last year and it was amazing.”

This is, after all, the ‘folk rock’ festival that boasted Alice Cooper’s barnstorming performance a few years back.

The Cropredy Festival 2024 line-up includes Tony Christie, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, The Zac Schulze Gang, Richard Thompson and Rick Wakeman with The English Rock Ensemble, Big Big Train, Focus, DeWolff, Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening, Eddi Reader, Baskery, Black Water County, Elles Bailey, Feast of Fiddles, Ranagri, Spooky Mens Chorale and SilverBlues.

Each year the festival attracts up to 20,000 music fans of all ages.

Adult three day tickets start at £165; Youth three day tickets (12-17) are £85 and under-12s are free.

Visit the website at www.fairportconvention.com for more.



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