Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival returns to (hopefully) sunny Cropredy village in Oxfordshire 8-10 August 2013.

A much overused term, but Fairport are a truly seminal band, creating a body of musicians over the last 40+ years which has essentially defined English Electric Folk / Folk Rock / (your terminology of choice here). For many who have followed Fairport along the journey, the Cropredy Festival is almost like Returning To The Source. An opportunity to indulge, with like-minded souls, in a veritable feast of all things Fairport. You’ll get an acoustic set from the band, plus their famous last night 3 hour+ jamboree where anything can happen, and frequently does, with current and previous members of the Fairport family sharing the stage alongside other special guests.

Don’t be mistaken into thinking this flagship festival is solely some kind of Fairport love-in; the band are shrewd enough to invite some major international artists to perform over the weekend; this year sees the likes of Alice Cooper, Levellers, 10cc, Edward II, and, a highlight for this reviewer at least, the wonderful Peatbog Faeries.

FFA spoke recently with Simon Nicol, who had some interesting things to say, particularly about Cropredy and the relationship between band and audience… read what Simon says HERE.

Cropredy offers a very civilised experience for people of all ages … it’s not unusual to see three generations of the same family enjoying the scene. If, for whatever reason, you happen to tire of the festival and all its amenities, you can even wander the short walk into Cropredy village, where the locals maximise the opportunity to provide visitors with a host of alternative events …. Including a full music programme in some of the pubs.

If you’ve never seen Fairport live before, FFA were lucky enough to experience the band’s acoustic show earlier this year – read our review HERE for a flavour of what to expect.

See you On The Ledge!

Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2013 returns to Cropredy in Oxfordshire Thu 8th to Sat 10th August 2013 – details HERE.

Article by Barrie Dimond