Some insights into the wonderful pub sings at this years' event.

It appears that the correct formula has been found.

1) Use the German club hall. It's a great space when you have that many people. The Galley is okay for Thursday night, with a small crowd, but if you get many people in the nooks and crannies half of them aren't there.

2) The price of the beer was right. That, and the absence of such refreshment at the YTB, pulled the performers over like "months advance."

Charley, you mentioned the reduced YTB activity. That is actually a good thing! The YTB can become a refuge for the "in" crowd, and those of us who have access (myself included) have a bad habit of getting carried away there with jamming and socializing with old friends, to the expense of the pub sings.

Indeed, that's been a chronic problem...performers really are booked for the festival and the pub sing is part of the festival.

This year they showed up in record numbers and stayed and stayed. Each time the pub sing showed any sign of flagging, some performer or experienced chanteyman would give it a great kick in the ass. It was still strong when I left after 1AM on Friday, and when we had to leave at 2AM Saturday. That has quite literally never happened in my 16 years of Festival participation.

On Friday night, very few people went back to the YTB I think because it was truly foul outside by around midnight. I was thinking about it until I saw the wet coming down in the streetlight. The idea of walking all the way to the YTB with a melodeon in tow when my car to the hotel was yards away didn't appeal at all.

Not having performers living on the Mystic Whaler just yards away perhaps reduces the turnout at the YTB as well. When you have to navigate, perhaps by car, to your digs, discretion becomes the better part very quickly.

It is my understanding that on Saturday night, when we got kicked from the German Club at 2AM, there were a couple more hours of YTB festivities.

Something else that was different this year, and it was a big improvement. In past years, performers and chanteyfolk who should have known better tended to carry on conversations at the back of the hall, and set up a roar that could drown out a singer who might not perhaps have the volume of a Don Sineti or Cliff Haslam.

That didn't happen this year. Everyone was there for everyone else, sang on the choruses and in many cases rescued songs that would have crapped out had it not been for a strong, on-key chorus. That happened BOTH nights.

Saturday night, someone started 'Down to the River to Pray' the version from 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou.' Oh my did that take off! Wow! A very good example of how someone not on the Festival bill can create a high point.

Another high point of those evenings was Jon and Rika from Vancouver, BC. Two very strong singers with a great sense of what needs to be done next who can pull the crowd in. And we had John Roberts in there, and Hughie Jones pulling as well.

Barry, as I recall, let the Irish jammers in the corner (myself among them) that it was time on Saturday night to change from seisun to community sing. He did this in the best way of doing it, by laying into a good loud song with a chorus.

These pub sings don't work unless everyone gets it right and this year they most certainly did.