Who do you think is the more nervous today? The Eve's who are about to play their first headlining electric gig since 1992 in front of their biggest audience since probably Glastonbury in 1989, or the festival organisers who booked a rock band (with some folky bits thrown in) to headline the first Thursday night the festival has known? I'd never been to Cropredy as most folk music really isn't my thing and my experiences of big outdoor festivals have taught me that they're not the best places to see anyone, especially if it rains. So it was with some trepidation that we ventured into the unknown (via Oxford and Banbury to buy a flag pole...don't ask!)

Upon arriving at the beautiful little village, the sun was shining and people were wandering around with tankards of various ales in their hands. The vibe was starting to get pretty good already I thought. After explaining to numerous officials that "no, we don't want to camp, we just want to park the car" we ended up in a field with free parking and about 10 other cars. By some fluke (or should that be careful planning), we seemed to have arrived from the opposite direction to a few thousand other cars and felt quite smug driving past them all and straight in. Wandering down the road to the entrance, the strains of a familiar tune wafted along on the breeze. Was that 'December' I could hear? Indeed it was. We were walking along to the strains of the Eve's soundcheck and it did sound rather good. What a start to the afternoon.

Can you believe it...how early do Eve's fans start queuing up these days? Front of the queue was the usual bunch of mailing list loonies, blue wristbands proudly on show. Was surprised to find the gate actually open but a couple of security guys asking us not to go in yet (unless you needed the loo and promised to come straight back again). Hell, if that had happened anywhere else, they would have been crushed. Anyway, they eventually said we could go in and we tried to not look too obvious, as we didn't quite break into a run down the field to the barrier in front of the stage. Once again successfully encamped in the front row, just left of center, we settled down to await the magic hour (half past the hour as it was to be) and took it in turns to explore the site.

Marty and Andy were spied on more than one occasion at the bar and even Mr. Robert Plant was spotted wandering around, amazingly enough not being hassled by the crowd. Where else could he do that? With the reputation of this being basically a folk festival (in my mind anyway), I wondered what we'd have to endure before our Heroes (and Heroine) walk on stage but the first band were actually rather good. Called 'Spank The Monkey', they were local chaps who played a set of mean rock and blues with some excellent harmonica and guitar playing.

Highlight was a very splendid rendition of "I can't quit you baby", played while Mr Plant was being interviewed for TV at the back of the stage (planned to impress?....nah, don't be so cynical!!). A pretty enjoyable start then but things were soon to take a dark twist.

Hands up who knows anything about 'The Incredible String Band' ? Legends in the folk world I understand and while I'd heard the name before, I was unfamiliar with the music and I wish I still was. They probably didn't really want to see a bunch of Eve fans, some wearing black hanging onto the barrier like their lives depended on it but we weren't giving up our positions for anyone or anything. I know there will be people reading this who like them and if you do, fine but for us the two hours they were on seemed like an eternity.

Heads were hanging, blades of grass being counted and cross-checked as we desperately found anything to keep us interested. I've heard it said that they can sometimes be the worst band in the world and legends or not, based on that performance I'm afraid I'd have to agree. The only real interesting moment came when some poor soul was lifted out of the crowd and over the barrier. All heads turned to watch and someone shouted out he must have been crowd surfing. You had to be there to know how ridiculous this was but we all creased up with laughter, which was most inappropriate.

Luckily the change over of bands was incredibly swift and efficient, a mere 20 minutes or so meaning we didn't have long to dwell on the horror of the previous two hours. Many other bands could do well to take note that you don't have to spend an hour testing the guitars work over and over again or finding out that if you hit the drums once every 10 mins they do still in fact work. Then the moment we'd all been waiting for. It was just after 9:30pm, the lights went out (although the sun was still setting), then the stage was awash in blue light as the intro tape rolled.

Not the introduction to 'Phased' that played at the gigs in November last year but what sounded like the 'Nightmare' mix of 'The Dreamer'. So what were they going to start with if not 'Phased'? How would 'Flowers In Our Hair ' suit you? Very nicely indeed said the crowd, a great bouncy opener harking back to the old days but sounding fresh and revitalised with new drummer Dominic pounding out the rhythm like he knew it backwards and hadn't just had a week or so to learn it.

Next up was 'Farewell Mr. Sorrow' and it was clear that the band were loving this even if they weren't as tight as they would like but what do you expect after so long away from doing this? 'In The Clouds' followed although someone forgot the structure of the song and there was a little confusion as they all found their places again while Julianne carried on singing the words. Julianne was in fine voice from the outset although seemed to be suffering a little from the smoke that was being pumped on stage but she was smiling and skipping around like a kid in a sweet-shop, the years falling away as if the stage was a time machine.

Marty was throwing every guitar-god pose he could think of, a huge grin shining through his mass of hair. Even Andy was doing the old feet-on-the-monitors routine a la Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. And that's not to say both Rik Carter (reprising his role on keyboards and acoustic guitar) and Dominic Luckman on Drums weren't into it either but I guess they were having to concentrate a bit harder on playing the songs right, not being so familiar with them. And so the set rocked swiftly by, each song a bit of a blur though with no real surprises until we got to two songs from the end of the main set. I was hoping it would be played but wasn't too sure until the riff of 'Our Summer ' bounced out of the PA and the crowd around us went wild, singing along like their lives depended on it. I don't think Marty had played that one live before but you couldn't tell and it worked brilliantly. If this song ever had a story to tell, this year suited it like no other. For all of us mad buggers who have been travelling the length and breadth of the country, taking in every note of every song at every show in case it should all end tomorrow, this really has been our summer and we sung our hearts out. As Julianne said, it's something like 15 years old now but remains a classic that sounded as good in a field in Oxfordshire in 2000 as it ever did anywhere else all those years ago. And then it all got too much.

Marty played the opening to December and it felt like all the memories of the band's past were brought back to life - all the little things we've kept to remind ourselves of their passing; ticket stubs, records, posters, photographs, things signed, things not signed but every one a treasure. This song brought it all back and I know I wasn't the only one to weep a tear of unashamed joy at being there to see this band and hear this music the way it was meant to be - live, on a big stage in front of an open-minded and appreciative crowd which totalled approximately 15,000 we were later to find out.

And that was it. An hour had gone by in a flash and they were gone but only for a few minutes. Of course they would play an encore. 'Marthas Harbour' has been one of those overplayed radio songs that I hate to admit I grew to dislike. But hearing it again on the acoustic tour after so long has reminded me that it is a beautiful song and I've grown to appreciate it again. The presentation here was as we've seen it on the acoustic tour, Marty and Andy both playing guitar with Julianne's voice soaring over the top. This was followed by a rousing 'Candytree' which again, I'd never heard Marty play and while it would be easy to pick fault and say "he didn't play it like Tim used to", he's not Tim, never will be and is a damn fine guitarist who doesn't need to copy anyone else. I don't know how I'd feel playing songs associated with someone else but what I can say is he brings to the band a freshness, a vitality and a willingness to take risks with his playing which is never less than interesting and gives the songs a life we never thought they'd have again. Full credit for doing it and putting his own stamp on it while retaining the feel and spirit of the original.

And then they were off again. Was that it? We didn't know. The compare came on and asked if we wanted even more. Bloody stupid question, of course we did, and not just us lot at the front judging by the sound coming from the field behind. They may not have been an obvious choice and many people may have wondered who they were but by this time, no-one was doubting how good they were and then they came running back on, Julianne strapping on a guitar and Rik started strumming the intro to 'Outshine the Sun'.

I don't know what it sounded like further back, or what the incredibly varied audience made of this and the other UV material played ('Phased and a brilliant 'Freeze') but with the psychedelic sounds swirling out into the field accompanied by an excellent light-show, those who weren't smoking strange substances must have thought they were. At the end, Marty was torturing his guitar like it was some wild animal that needed taming and it was making sounds almost as if it were. Julianne was stood at the side of the stage seeming in awe of the noise that was being created and punching her fist in the air at the end like she was out in the crowd with us.

Then what better way to end the entire show than with a rousing and powerful 'Every Angel'. Always one of my favourites it really had everyone going and was a perfect uplifting way to run off stage with a roar of appreciation following them (even if Marty's guitar was way out of tune at the start and had to be changed over). We needed to sit in the field and calm down for about an hour afterwards before we dare head back to the car. Full of emotion, none of us could think of a more perfect return than in this field (Meadow perchance?) in the country, under the stars and moon - all images long associated with the band and carved in the mind of every fan. They may not be as young as they were (though neither are we) but I've rarely seen a band enjoy themselves so much on stage and transfer that enthusiasm and energy to the crowd. A fabulous return and I pray not the last time we'll get to see them stretch their electrically powered muscles. And we even found the car and got out of the car park without any problems, how much better could it have been?

- Howard

More live cropredy pictures 2000