Worst things seen in a Folk Club

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 02 May 07 - 06:42 PM

Over the course of 47 years in folk clubs, most of the twelve year olds I've seen could give us lessons, Ref.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Surreysinger
Date: 02 May 07 - 06:17 PM

Never seen that one ......yet......

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Ref
Date: 02 May 07 - 05:35 PM

The cute little girl who shows up with a twelve string guitar she can't play to perform a song she can't sing, while her dad gets the whole thing on his video-cam.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: PoppaGator
Date: 02 May 07 - 03:58 PM

Instead of a number of songs, performers should be allotted a number of MINUTES. Then it's up to the performer to decide whether to do a lot of short numbers or a few long ones.

At the Neutral Ground Coffee House in New Orleans, the weekly (Sunday night) open mike allows 15 minutes per act. The other six nights a week, it's one hour each for three, four, or sometimes even five pre-scheduled acts (8, 9, and 10 pm every night, sometimes 7pm as well, once in a while an additional 11 pm slot). There's a nice big clock on the wall, everyone is aware of it, and there are no arguments about running overtime, being cut short, etc.

The basket is always passed for contributions to the performer, at the Sunday 15-minute sessions as well as at the hour-long sets during the week. No guarantee as to how much or how little you'll collect, of course.

A decent 15-minute performance on a Sunday will get you on the monthly schedule. Most of the acts are beginnners, amateurs, or over-the-hill "returnees" like me, but there are a dozen or so well-established local acts who have real paying regular gigs elsewhere, but who maintain their relationship with the Neutral Ground and do a monthly show, if only as a "rehearsal."

With timeslots for 100 or more acts a month, this is a great local institution that encourages live music and continually nurtures new performers.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: GUEST,Peter Stockport
Date: 02 May 07 - 03:36 PM

Worse thing Ive seen is people who make statements on here running down their local clubs.- Since you mention Poynton I take it you're in South Manchester.
L shaped room, I take it that's the Red Bull, singers finishing the night, I assume that's the Armoury
Late running club, I guess that's Bollington.
Some people on here don't half moan, if you don't like the way a club is run then run one yourself to your own rules.
Otherwise don't run a club down.
Support it.
Peter

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: JennyO
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:57 PM

I can't remember who said this on a previous thread - I think it was something that happened in a UK folk club. The MC said something like "Next month we'll have someone even better!".

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:33 PM

As I said this is not a negative thread it was meant to be constructive, and maybe have a laugh at the goings on, most "folk" I have met over the years are good eggs, most "Clubs" I've been to are friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: LesB
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:28 PM

One thing that annoys me is when all the floor singers are dooing 2 songs each & a person / group just carries on after their second song & it's then embaressing for the organiser to get them off without being rude.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Menno
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:11 PM

"4. A floor singer who was told they had 3 songs and after their 2nd song the organiser walks on stage and takes them off."

Grrrrowl. Happened to me. In a place in the Netherlands. I got three songs and was booted after the second. Cause was that organiser had just fallen deeply in love with my (admittedly very cute) predecessor, who rambled on for about half an hour with scraps of poetry before the Main Act came back on stage. And poor li'l me was sandwiched in between.

Needless to say, I was Not Amused.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:09 PM

bit of a negative thread.........like everybody else I've witnessed acts of rudeness from audience to performer and vice versa, but its not the general way of things.

As Malcolm Stent once said to me, most folkies are good eggs!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:47 AM

One of the worst things I saw in a Club was Brian McNeill of the Battlefield Band at Poynton.
The voice mic suddenly came out of it's holder and smashed through the front of his Sobell Cittern which he had placed on the floor next to him, Brian just sat in a daze and the audience were in a deathly silence for what seemed a lifetime, how he continued I'll never know.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:30 AM

Live it for what it is at the time...not for what you wanted it to be or thought it should be....life's too short!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: GUEST,Yeti
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:29 AM

I'm the worst thing ever seen at any Club

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:26 AM

And going back to pete, if nobody turns up and nobody hears you, you can still tell yourself you are a Folk Singer.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:22 AM

Kevin I totally agree, it is better for people to arrive and find something has already started than to sit waiting in a dead room.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:21 AM

Hello,

I agree Y Not....the show must go on!

(If a folksinger sings in a folk club and there's no one to hear them....are they still a folksinger?)

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:19 AM

I always try to start our club at the advertised 7.30 start time, sometimes it may be 5 minutes out, due unavoidable delays (setting up guest etc) bur never more than that. If you don't then the audience just start to come later as you suggest Y Not.

It helps to have a "house band" as we have at Walthamstow since you can always have music playing as people arrive, similar situation at Islington. Bit of a tradition in these parts.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 11:16 AM

Do you let the audience dictate what time the night starts?
For example;
A folk Club that started at 8pm for years now starts at 9pm and some times it can be later, because the resident doesn't want to sing to just a few people, the start time has got later and later.
I think that the resident should go on at the set time even if they are singing to the four walls.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:41 AM

DaveS! similar to that "He's not been here before, I don't know what he does, but we'll give him a go anyway". Priceless!

Years ago someone asked Jeremy Taylor if they could borrow his Martin special edition guitar, Jeremy said "Yes, but first can I have the name of your solicitor". the guy just walked away.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: stallion
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:36 AM

oh and I forgot, for petrol money and beer money!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: stallion
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:35 AM

Turning up to a gig to be told that they were up to their limit for fire regs and having to wait in the bar to go on, then they threw two people out whilst we performed, then threw us out when they had finished and let the other two in!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:33 AM

The organiser/M.C. introducing you, as a floor singer, with "I've never heard of him, but here he is"

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: concertina ceol
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:32 AM

I wondered if there had been some "history" between the two of them in the past. I'm laughing now thinking back on it!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:29 AM

Concertina, I agree that is bad, but it might be my sense of humour it also makes me laugh.

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: concertina ceol
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:22 AM

Someone borrowing the "main act's" instrument and singing a song that the "act" is known for, then doing a very poor job of it! Unbelieveable!

Subject: RE: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 May 07 - 10:12 AM

1 - The room shape is not good , but surely better than NO room at all !

2 - Would never happen in a club I ran ! The Paid Act is the High Spot (after the Raffle) and should finish the evening

3 - As (2) Totally BAD organisation !

4 - Done it myself - Floor spots were told Ten Minutes ! Run over and you get Hooked !!

Subject: Worst things seen in a Folk Club
From: Y_Not
Date: 02 May 07 - 09:54 AM

I thought this might be a constructive thread.

1. A Folk Club which is in an L shaped room where they discourage the use of P.A.
Half the audience can barely see who is singing and even worse they can't hear a word.
And the organiser bemoans the fact that his audience is dwindling.

2. The residents who have done a healthy spot earlier in the evening; but decide that after the main guest has finished their last song, the residents go back on to finish the night.
Was the main guest that you booked not good enough to finish the night?

3. A breakdown in communication where the main act doesn't realise that they have just done their last song, and they and the audience are informed by the organiser that there is no time for anymore.

4. A floor singer who was told they had 3 songs and after their 2nd song the organiser walks on stage and takes them off.

A light hearted look at some amusing things seen in clubs, I'm not out to have "GO" at clubs.