UB40, Hayseed Dixie, Home Service and Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts confirmed

Fairport's Cropredy Convention known as one of Britain's friendliest folk music festivals have today announced the acts booked for the opening day and have confirmed ticket prices for the event.
 
The first day’s music will start at 4pm and finish at 11.30pm on Thursday 11 August and the acts confired are UB40, Hayseed Dixie, Home Service, Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts and Fairport (Acoustic) Convention.

Cropredy's Thursday headline act is one of the most influential reggae outfits in the world. Birmingham-based UB40 has recorded great albums and top ten hits for three decades. The band combines political messages of tolerance and hope with world-class musicianship and remains as popular as ever. UB40 has been on the Cropredy crowd's wish-list for years - now that wish is set to become a reality.
 
A taste of mountain music at Cropredy. Nashville's Appalachian hellraisers, Hayseed Dixie, take American bluegrass and give it a rock edge, a style described as 'deranged rockgrass.' The band is best known for its hillbilly renditions of Dixiefied rock classics but they also have an impressive repertoire of self-penned songs. Hayseed Dixie's live set has to be seen to be believed.
 
Born out of the Albion Band, Home Service quickly became one of the best-loved groups on the British folkrock scene. Now reforming for 2011, John Tams, Graeme Taylor and the band are returning to Cropredy (Home Service played the festival twice in the 1980s). With its distinctive brass sound and great repertoire Home Service's reunion performance is a must for folk fans.

Fairport is renowned for nurturing young artists and the band's 2011 Winter Tour concerts feature an opening set by talented newcomers Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts. With influences spanning British folk and Americana, Kat and Jamie's set features fine vocals, finger-style guitar and soaring violin.
 
A first for Cropredy in 2011 - the festival opens with a short welcoming set by the host band. Fairport Convention will also close the event with its customary marathon set on Saturday evening but this will be the first year that the band has 'book-ended' its festival.
 
Tickets for Fairport's Cropredy Convention go on sale Tuesday 1 March 2011. There are substantial discounts for early purchase.
 
As in previous years, the festival offers three-day (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) tickets, two-day (Friday and Saturday) tickets, and Saturday-only tickets.
 
Fairport’s Cropredy Convention -  Thursday 11, Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August 2011 - Banbury, Oxfordshire.