Hello All,

One thing missing from this thread is the view of professional musicians booked to appear in The Ham Marquee.

Many of us enjoyed successful and well-attended concerts.

We were pleased to support Sidmouth 2005 (often for substantially lower fees than we can normally command) and we were pleased that Sidmouth audiences supported us and the concert promoters.

BUT...

I have to say the organisation backstage at The Ham was very poor and the treatment of professional musicians was worse than at any other festival I have appeared at this year (and I've appeared at many).

When I see the manager of one of the best bands on the circuit being treated like a little child by the concerts promoter it saddens me and when I see the same promoter shout at her and yell that he "will not take instructions from a woman" I do wonder why I have agreed to play for the same promoter.

For obvious reasons I have to post this as Anon. but some other musicians will know who I am and others who were backstage can bear out the fact that things were not as good as they should have been.

I am delighted that Sidmouth has survived into 2005 and I very much hope Sidmouth survives and thrives in 2006 and beyond but if the Ham concerts are to be repeated then somebody needs to sort out the things backstage that the public out front don't normally get to hear about.