Cambridge Folk Festival - Eddie Barcan

Virtual Festivals: How did last year compare to the last 16?!
EB: Last year was superb, partly because it was our 40th anniversary. Our 30th anniversary in 1994, which was the first year I programmed the festival, was more of a retrospective and tribute to the festival's founder, Ken Woolard, who died a few months previously. So 2004 was more of a celebration and a chance to look forward. It was extremely well received and the consensus was that rather than having a midlife crisis, we were moving forward with eclecticism and vibrancy.

VF: And is it still enjoyable for you or do you end up running around like a blue-arsed fly?
EB: You've got to enjoy it. It only comes round once a year! There's always a good balance between listening to great music and being witness to an amazing spirit, epitomised by Jimmy Cliff this year on the Saturday night. He literally had people dancing all the way back to the bar, uniting everyone regardless of their musical taste. Gillian Welch made her first ever appearance in this country, playing a spellbinding set with her co-writer David Rawlings. We also had the Portuguese fado singer Mariza, who is massively popular on a kind of Albert Hall level. It all helped make for an incredible atmosphere for everyone.

VF: Will it be much of the same this year?
EB: There will be no radical departure. Cambridge has developed over the years fairly organically. People tend to come to the festival for the overall experience, the whole thing rather than one or two bands. Half of the bands we put on have never played the festival before and many of those make their UK debut. People seem to like that. Our audience is very discerning and love the idea of finding their next best band, often plucked from obscurity. So we're just moving forward with continuous improvement, rather than major change, and are looking forward to our twelth consecutive sell out year.    

VF: Folk has traditionally been associated with an older demographic. Is it a challenge to appeal to younger fans?
EB: Our audience is actually getting younger. The majority of people are fairly youthful and folk music seems to be growing in popularity. The challenge we're facing is to keep the festival fresh and to meet expectations. The popularity of folk music tends to go through peaks and troughs and certainly we're in one of those peaks. It's great to be in a position where folk is considered cool music and our broadcast coverage has never been stronger, with sponsorship from Radio 2 and TV coverage on BBC 4. However, while the festival is at the forefront of all that, it also carries on regardless of what's fashionable at the time.

VF: But last year, The Divine Comedy played. Wasn't that an attempt to reach out and broaden? 
EB: We've always been eclectic but no, we're not necessarily trying to appeal to new markets. Every year there's always someone on the bill that surprises people. We've had Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, and Julian Cope in the past, all artists who are popular and have shown an interest in the music we put on. But they don't define the festival, it's the traditional music that dictates everything. It's just a display of our wide interpretation. We're definitely not trying to be a pop festival.