Cambridge Folk Festival

[ldennis]

It will be our first time at Cambridge this year so I am wanting to find out as much information about it as possible.

What do people think of the lineup? what are the campsites like? What is the atmosphere like?

We are really looking forward to it particularly Show of Hands, Seth Lakeman, The Unthanks, Seasick Steve .......

[TG24]

Have been going to this every year for at least the last 8/9 years or so and my folks used to take us when we were much younger as well so am fairly seasoned! This year myself and my Dad wont be attending for one reason or another.

In terms of the lineup - if this is your first year then i imagine the lineup looks pretty good, and there are some good artists on the bill. However having been so regularly, this lineup looks like every other year with a large number of the artists having played within the past 2 years. For a festival that used to have fairly original and interesting artists, this year sadly looks weak.

There are 2 campsites, Cherry Hinton (on site) and Coldhams Common (5/10min bus ride from site). Both are decent sites with good facilities toilets/co-op/stalls/food etc. Coldhams Common is much quieter but still has a tent where festival goers can sign up and play sets of an evening (can be very hit and miss!).

The Cherry Hinton site has its obvious benefits in terms of location. You'll get people sparking up sessions throughout. There's a youth tent which houses sessions after the main acts have finished, next door to an internet cafe of all things.

The main site has a dedicated Guinness tent, with a side bar for Pimms, there's another beer tent just across from the Guinness tent which provides real ales and the like. Loads of stalls, including a CD store and 2 musical instrument stores.

The food stalls/vans are awesome with decent variety, though can get a little expensive (but hey it is a festival). Blue Moon is ace for vege stuff.

The atmosphere is pretty relaxed, people sitting in chairs/on rugs reading the papers. Although every year the chair/blanket issue comes up - reserving/taking up space has become an issue of recent years and its mentioned by the comperes all the time. Last year stewards were introduced to police criminal chair and blanket users! My dad was once greeted with "can you not stand on my blanket please" as he made his way to the main stage through throngs of seated people...

So for us not going this year, its largely down to the fact that the fest has lost some of its atmosphere (along with the weak linup). The stewards policing where you can/cant sit or stand.

As an example: There are various areas hatched out on the ground where you're not meant to stand to allow for crowd movement etc, though this removes a large amount of area in an already crowded site. I remember last year standing at the back of the main stage, just inside the tent. We were asked to move on because people sat down behind us couldnt see (is this not a festival?!?!?!). So we moved inside to be told not long after that we couldnt stand in the middle (hatched area - where other people were already stood). so we moved back again. Then got told to move to the side. We gave up after that. We also saw a woman breastfeeding her child, and a young girl being asked to move out of the hatched area on 2 separate occasions, they both must have been encroaching by at least 4 inches!

It is a good festival but i think we just need a few years away before we think of going back again!

[ldennis]

TG24 thank you so much for your reply.

It does seem to me that many of the 'smaller' more relaxed festivals are suffering from over-subscription and so the crowd issue will become more and more of a problem. If you have a space which is xyz big you should only sell xyz tickets, it is all based on getting as much money as you can out of as many people as you can unfortunately.

We do have other options in terms of festivals, and we are on the south coast so Cambridge is quite a trek - I would like to think it is worth the travelling....

hhmmm... anyone else with an opion?

[HAPPY CHEF]

I've only been once and thoroughly enjoyed myself,the only downside is a lot of the punters have the"I've been coming here for xx years and always camp/stand/put my blanket here"kind of attitude.

[TG24]

I hope i didn't paint too poor a picture - as i've said it is a good fest, i think i've just had my fill for the time being!

We are thinking of Ely Folk Festival which is usually around 2 weeks before Cambridge. Only around £50 and the lineup is pretty good for what is essentially a very small fest. Its on Ely Football ground - 1 pitch for camping, another pitch for 2 music tents and a beer tent! The main stage has seating and everyone is very respectful to whoever is playing.

I think Cambridge's trouble is that as its gotten bigger its become unsure as to whether its a big proper festival (including the Zutons on the lineup last year), or a festival similar to the Ely vibe (respectful, seated - almost concert like). So as Happy Chef has said, you get people who have been since it started who expect to sit down on their chairs and be able to see everything, mixing with a newer younger audience who are perhaps more used to a bigger rowdier festival vibe.

[rhythm2006]

I've only been once and thoroughly enjoyed myself,the only downside is a lot of the punters have the"I've been coming here for xx years and always camp/stand/put my blanket here"kind of attitude.

[ldennis]

I hope i didn't paint too poor a picture - as i've said it is a good fest, i think i've just had my fill for the time being!

[ldennis]

I'm currently programming an additional acoustic stage (name TBC) which will see many more folky names added to the bill – and there's a direct train from Brighton!

http://www.rhythmfestival.com

Hope I didn't step on too many toes with this post. Keep smiling. :-)

cheers

jim

[ldennis]

Well, we have got our tickets and we will sharpen our elbows.

I will be dancing at the front for Show of hands just you try and stop me!