Counting down to Cropredy...

Less than 24 hrs to go til it all kicks off at Cropredy this weekend - 40th anniversary of a band called Fairport Convention, whose first drummer was a bloke named Martin Lamble (killed in a road accident when the band tour bus ran off the road in 1969). No idea if he was any relation. Mightabeen.

We're going up with our mate Julian (Jules), who's going to his 19th Cropredy - and with whom I have a gig in 10 days. There's an openmike competition night here twice a month, winner gets a gig - we've been playing up a few numbers together over the last couple months.

Turned up last night, I wasn't planning to sing, he didn't even bring a guitar, but they had a spot free at the end so he borrowed one, and we f***ing won. Am quite excited!

Anyway, Cropredy: it's a wee village in Oxfordshire, near Banbury, north of Oxford by about 15 minutes, most famous for the Battle of Cropredy Bridge between the royalists and roundheads in the 17th Century English Civil War (not to be confused with the other English civil war, in the 12th Century, when Stephen the Usurper stole the throne from his cousin, Matilda, her father's designated heir, and granddaughter of William the Conqueror. Their famous battle took place in Oxfordshire too, right here in town. English blokes, btw, are still ioverwhelmingly & stoopidly sexist, and can't handle strong intelligent women...)

But I digress again. Cropredy plays host to the festival because some of the band members own a farm there (I wonder if that's where Roger got the idea for his rant - see entry from July 31). Up to 20,000 people will be there this weekend... Our mate Mandy from Melbourne is going too - along wtih 20,000 other people - she's been touring the festival circuit all summer, and has blagged a guest pass! Oh for connections...

I still expect to be a wreck by Sunday...