Fairport Convention and special guests As always, the festival will end with a spectacular three-hour set by Fairport Convention and a galaxy of musical guests. The set gives the band a chance to really stretch its wings and roam far and wide through a repertoire stretching back over forty years.
Acclaimed as Britain's friendlist music festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention is Oxfordshire's premier music event. This year it celebrates its thirtieth anniversary.
The festival appeals equally to young people, families and veteran fans. It is run by legendary folkrock band Fairport Convention and great music has always been its hallmark. During that time, Cropredy has also developed a well-deserved reputation as a trouble-free and safe festival.
Cropredy features twenty or more bands over three days on a single stage. The festival has presented many big name acts down the years - among them Robert Plant, Jools Holland, Richard Thompson, Lonnie Donnegan, Jethro Tull, Seth Lakeman, Levellers, Steve Winwood, Ade Emdondson - but has also helped launch the careers of many up-and-coming performers and has been a staunch supporter of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards. However, Cropredy is not a folk festival - its cross-genre programming includes a wide variety of rock, pop, and acoustic music.
A host of 'festival fringe' events in Cropredy village feature live music from local bands to augment the entertainment on the main stage.
The farmland festival site in beautiful north Oxfordshire is licenced for an attendance of up to 20,000. Cropredy is only three miles from Junction 11 of the M40 and there is a shuttle bus to nearby Banbury railway station which is served by frequent train services from London and many other parts of the UK.
The audience ranges in age from toddlers to OAPs and people attend from all over the world including Australia, America, and continental Europe. Most festival-goers pitch tents or park camper-vans on the well-regulated campsites surrounding the arena although some arrive by narrowboat on the nearby Oxford canal. Tents can be errected beside campers' cars for convenience and security.
As well as great music, Cropredy is renowned for its huge real ale bar provided by Wadworth, an independent brewery. The bar is used by festival-goers and musicians alike (there is no back-stage bar) making Cropredy one of the few major festivals where the audience can mingle with the stars of the show.
Fairport's Cropredy Convention offers great value for money - it is one of the cheapest three-day festivals of its kind in Britain. Camping is inexpensive for those arriving by car (in fact, the price has not been increased for three years) and is free for people coming by motorcycle, pushbike or on foot. Click this www.fairportconvention.com
Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2010 - line-up of artists
Thursday 12 August 2010; 4pm - 11pm All acts subject to contract
Keith Donnelly and Flossie Malavialle Keith is well-known for his songwriting skills and top notch guitar playing and French chanteuse Flossie has a wonderful voice. As a duo, they supported Fairport Convention on their winter tour and were a big hit with audiences.
Leatherat Banbury-based, five-piece Leatherat plays fast and furious folk-based original material.
Thea Gilmore Local lass Thea has a long association with Fairport Convention. Admired for her beautiful voice, Thea will appear at Cropredy with her backing band.
Pauline Black (Selecter) The 2 Tone record label was in the vanguard of the ska revival and The Selecter enjoyed huge chart success. The members have remained hugely influential ever since and original singer Pauline Black is a stunning performer.
Status Quo Absolute legends! After 40 years, Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi still front one of the best live rock acts in the world.
Friday 13 August 2010; Noon - Midnight All acts subject to contract
The Tindalls This midlands-based musical family combine great playing with close harmonies to perform new and classic folk songs.
Mabon Six-piece Welsh band Mabon puts on a spectacular show with fiery original Celtic material. A classic ‘get you on your feet' act.
James Findlay (BBC Young Folk Award Winners) Fairport is very proud of its close association with the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. Each year, Cropredy offers a festival slot to the winners. For 2010, we present James Findlay, a Dorset-based traditional singer and guitarist whose music captivated the Award judges.
3 Daft Monkeys 'Back by popular demand' is a hackneyed phrase but it's true of this Cornwall-based trio. Their fast and funky feel-good set will get the crowd dancing.
Little Johnny England Local five-piece folkrock outfit making their third appearance on the Cropredy stage.
Dixie Bee-Liners For sheer entertainment and good vibes Dixie Bee-Liners are hard to beat. Hailing from the USA, this energetic band has a unique and contemporary take on bluegrass and country music and is Americana par excellence.
Bellowhead A veritable folk orchestra, Bellowhead's dozen or so musicians present a riot of wonderful music and the band won Best Live Act at the 2010 BBC Folk Awards.
Little Feat Immensely influential on a whole generation, Little Feat is a truly legendary band. After many changes down the years, the current line-up is as fresh and bold as any of its illustrious forebears.
Saturday 14 August; Noon - Midnight All acts subject to contract
Richard Digance The customary Saturday opener.
Breabach Young and enthusiastic quartet playing songs and tunes from their native Scotland.
Martin Taylor Quartet Reinhardt-influenced veteran sidesman to Stephane Grappelli, Martin Taylor is a true guitar virtuoso.
Easy Star All-Stars Easy Star All-Stars are New York-based but have a worldwide following. Internationally acclaimed, the dub-and-reggae band has played in over 25 countries on six continents. Their inventive re-working of classic material has produced three of the best-selling reggae albums of the last decade - Dub Side of the Moon, RadioDread and Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band. At Cropredy, expect to hear tracks from these albums as well as the latest original songs from the band.
Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble Arguably finest keyboard player in rock music, classically-trained Rick has a wide musical pedigree and was a pioneer of electronic music. This will be his first visit to Cropredy and he will be backed by The English Rock Ensemble.
Martyn Joseph Revered singer-songwriter Martyn performs his first set at Cropredy. His rich voice and unique songs are spellbinding.
Fairport Convention and special guests As always, the festival will end with a spectacular three-hour set by Fairport Convention and a galaxy of musical guests. The set gives the band a chance to really stretch its wings and roam far and wide through a repertoire stretching back over forty years.
Andy commenteds, “The Americans have been puttin... 
