Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Luckett Lad
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 03:49 AM

Quite simply the best event of the summer for me (and clearly for several thousand others). It has all been said both above and elsewhere but all aspects of how to run a good festival had been addressed. What is also impressive is the openness of the organisers to the feedback that is being offered by those of us that were there.

I know local people who came in and really enjoyed it. Shrewsbury can be proud of this event.

There was more music on that site than any one person could ever take in during 4 days. The range of concerts was impressive, together with a vast raft of sessions, workshops, dances etc. Rarely have I seen so many people queuing to get in to workshops. This was testimony both to the commitment of participants and to the quality of the workshop leaders.
The quality of the sound in Marquee 1 was, particularly when Graham was in charge, immaculate. If things got too loud for me, I went in search of something else - there was plenty of it.
Alan & Sandra have done the most astonishing job with this festival. If they have a problem, it is the old one of how to maintain excellence. But what a problem to have!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Marilyn Monsoon
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 04:36 AM

Mr Red, first of all LOL!! I too like Salty Dog am pondering (with finger on mouth) on your 'rants' about the excellent Shrewsbury Folk Festival. If it was to loud for you then why didnt you spend the weekend in a yurt beating your bodhran???? Or, for next year you could speak to the organisers and arrange to have The Red Stage by the main entrance so EVERYONE can see you!! Skys the limit Mr Red!! :)

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 06:46 AM

Mr Brown was glimpsed fleetingly around the site but his redneckss was obscured somewhat by the day-glow bright yellow steward's coat!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Alan Day
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 12:56 PM

It has been said on this thread discussion that sound for one person is great wheras for another it can be painful. My hearing is not too good these days and the strange thing is that peripheral sound such as you get in Cinemas and theatres for me are the painfull sort.
Graham has one of the most sophisticated sound systems that is available and Graham is a perfectionist in this department.People going to a concert no matter where they sit require and expect to hear what is being said and purest of sound and that is what Graham aims for,calculates for and achieves. It would not suprise me at all to find out that those who complain about sound,have in fact got a hearing problem.
Al

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Rich Bucknall
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 08:01 AM

Sorry Alan, but the main stage was stupidly loud for some acts. Peatbog Faeries for instance, I had gone up to the front for a good ol' mosh, but found the sound level unacceptable- some instruments were 'clipping'. I left that one and wandered back to my van to talk to my wife, and found that the volume of the Faeries was causing loose fittings to rattle. No two ways about it, that took the piss. Especially given that I was pitched in the middle of the quiet area.

Bear in mind, before I settled on Shrewsbury, my August Bank Hol festival used to be Reading. Even using this as a benchmark, the volume of the main stage was ridiculous. Nor am I some whinging old fella- I'm 26.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Rich Bucknall
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 08:07 AM

Having just had a whinge, I'd like to add that I did thoroughly enjoy Shrewsbury, and the main stage volume is my only gripe. In terms of size, family friendlines, choice & variety of acts, pricing etc, I reckon you've got it right.

The trouble with the main stage volume was that it intrefered with so much else. In the other two concert marquees, you could hear the main stage over the acts!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Folkie
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 10:18 AM

Yes I agree. I found the main stage too loud so concentrated on other venues where the sound levels were more to my taste but there was too much interference. It was very difficult for performers in acoustic venues to perform against all the sound coming from the big marquee. I did enjoy the festival on the whole but don't like over amplified acts.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 01:43 PM

Oh dear - read it how you will, you can't demonstrate the size of the Festival without analogy or example but of course - the minute you use a yardstick it is read a different way. Now read this wrong - if you can.

Shrewsbury is big, not the biggest but in 8 Festivals time at the present growth it will surpass Cambridge. A goal that is on the agenda in many peoples' estimation.

Big brings a different flavour and the clientele to go with it like the "me" generation and it only takes one or two to change the look and feel. It was said and I had to agree "I have not been to a folk festival where there are so many people I don't recognise" - One steward who did a lot of wandering the site on duties told me he didn't see a particular friend that he had arranged to meet with. There, are those betters definitions of BIG?

BIG, to big festival afficiandos is hardly a criticism, and to those that don't like BIG - it is information. But BIG is not an absolute - it needs some less vague quantifying or it is meaningless. ditto, ditto volume.

FWIW Red bodhrans are traditionally stained with the blood of those telling bodhran jokes and the next one needs a bit more dye.

Now - do we mention personal attacks as a purile answer to reasoned arguement or am I aiming too high?

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:08 PM

The PBFs were loud cos they brought their own sound. Too frightened they wouldn't be heard if they used the house sound!!!

Pityfull isn't it.

Sal

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Alan Day
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 03:48 AM

Well that answers a few questions Sal.
Thanks
Al

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Trevor
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 06:02 AM

I'm afraid the reference to the 'me generation' passes me by.

I recognise that people will have different preferences for all sorts of things. It stands to reason to me that the number of people who want to attend an event will determine the size of venue, the artists booked, the atmosphere and so on. Afficionados of the smaller events may regret that things change - presumably, if they don't like it they'll stop going. People will vote with their feet and if more people walk in than walk out organisers will, naturally, feel that they're doing it right.

I was going to say 'smaller, more intimate events'. Personally I found the atmosphere at Shrewsbury as welcoming, friendly and intimate as any festival I've been to. To treat it as a private do, a club for those in the know, strikes me as far closer to my definition of behaviour of the 'me generation' than anything I saw at Shrewsbury.

And to be honest, it doesn't surprise me that the cliqueishness for which Mr Red seems to be pining results in comments like those two earlier postings, puerile though they may be.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Windygather
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 12:56 PM

"Oh dear - read it how you will, you can't demonstrate the size of the Festival without analogy or example but of course - the minute you use a yardstick it is read a different way. Now read this wrong -if you can."

I can't understand a word of this. Please, Mr Red, for those of us that are less erudite, can you tell me what this means without taking the piss?

We - me partner and kids, folkies ("musos" even maybe)through and through - went to Shrewsbury, had a great time, thought a couple of acts were noisy, didn't enjoy Paul Brady so went to listen to The Wilsons instead. We went to a couple of smaller venues, thought the unaccompanied singing was great (The Wilsons, Quartz, Stream of Sound and particularly Rapsquillion).

If the agenda is about giving lots of people what they want (because they obviously wouldn't turn up if it was wasn't) then good for the Surtees for responding.

If you couldn't hear people when you were 150 yards from the tent then you must already have a hearing problem. Or more likely, because I saw you as well, its because you were conducting a conversation whilst 'playing' your bodhrain, next to the little sessions that were happening in the table and chair area. Whichever, to suggest that the noise levels from the marquee were the cause, is crap.

I object to the pejorative connotation of the term 'me generation', particularly when being used by someone who seems to be suggesting that things shouldn't move on because it may spoil it for him.

Is it unusual for a mechanical engineer a sound expert a public health consultant and a witty punster, to also be a such a Luddite?

Vote with your feet Mr Red. And could you please use plainish English on here so that idiots like me can understand what the hell you're on about.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,HELGA
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 11:19 AM

My name is Helga, I can in your town soon. I am vondering, vot is red person. He dresses all in red? Is like Santa Clause yes? No, oh well I'm sure he is red and fluffy, cuddly man. He speak vis the BIG words yes? I'm guessing something is very small - his brain. I think he must be darling man and sounds so funny with his little red van, like your postman Pat. He also seems to be expert on everything in world – he sounds like my sort man, I bet he sexy man. I visit his web site, most confusing until in Norwegian I read –then is much better. Anyway I visit Mudcatpeople again soon to catch up on my little, how you say, stick of the rhubarb.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Moses
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:25 PM

I feel I have to say again that I thought the only blot on an otherwise lovely festival was the level of sound in the main marquee but here it is:- THE LEVEL OF SOUND IN THE MAIN MARQUEE WAS TOO LOUD AND INTERFERED WITH MY ENJOYMENT OF EVENTS IN THE OTHER VENUES.

If I'm shouting it's because no one seems to have listened properly to what is the real issue.

It is obvious that if I or anyone else doesn't like the level of sound in the main marquee we can vote with our feet and go elsewhere.

However, when we get elsewhere the sound follows and spoils the enjoyment of the quieter acts in the other marquees.

The organisers have gone to a lot of trouble to put on something for everyone and we should all have the opportunity to enjoy the type of music we like. I have paid my money the same as everyone else and I like to hear quieter acts. I should be able to enjoy them without interference from the noise from the main marquee.

Why put on quieter acts if we can't enjoy them properly?

Christine

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:45 PM

Moses - you certainly have a very good point.

One of the problems with festivals in tents is the potential for sound leakage. I was at a festival last weekend and I could hear the Ceilidh in the main marquee most of the time. There is no way you can sound proof marquees.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Kampervan
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:47 PM

God, this is getting quite boring.

I think that the organisers have, by now, got the picture that some people thought some acts were too loud whilst others didn't.

Can't we move on to something more interesting?

I thought that the beer was too good. It encouraged me to drink far more than I wanted to and I'm told that it made me snore.

What are the organisers going to do about that?

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: Trevor
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 02:07 PM

Aye to that!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 02:12 PM

...and I'll certainly second that!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: John J
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 06:07 PM

You can't please all the people all the time...but you can have a bloody good try - which I think is what Alan & Sandra did.

With regard to the beer - try encouraging those who sleep in your vicinity to drink a similarly large amount - they won't hear the snoring. It worked for me.


JJ

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival 2007 - what's on?
From: GUEST,Tam in Gloucester
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 01:58 PM

Discussion at local our cielidh and BAnbury made me look at this.
I don't think arrogance and insults are boring. Ignoring it is accepting it as the norm. I have only been to two Shrewsburies and the dances were much less appealing this year despite the problems last year. And I only went because Mr red put flyers peoples hands at dances and recommended it. And you make him a liar and rubbish people for telling you. His appology is wasted by the organisers.
Personal taste is just that but insults are not what Folk is.
And it was too loud - now insults me I wont be back, here or there.