England Lacks Talent

Subject: RE: England Lacks Talent
From: greg stephens
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 11:26 AM

I think the Celtic Connections bloke had a point. there are any amount of English outfits who go down fine at English folk festivals, which are generally ring-fenced events preaching to the converted. But put youself outside England for a minute, in front of the mainstream audience who turn out for folk/roots events in a lot of other countries, eg Scotland or Ireland. Let's put together a hypothetical bill of Christy Moore, Dick gaughan, Danu and Shooglenifty for a nice afternoon/evening in a park in Ballybollix or Auchterhoochtie. Now, seriously, which English band/ singer are you going to slip into the middle of that bill to maintain momentum? I am not saying there are no English acts to fill that slot, there are one or two. But not a right lot, let's face it. It's a different market, and not one that the average English folk act is trained to fit in to.

Subject: RE: England Lacks Talent
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 12:31 PM

Maybe he is looking in the wrong places, or he is in the wrong job.I suggest he place an ad in the free press and prepare for the influx of the great wealth of talent waiting out there to be discovered and exploited for profit and gain. As I assume this is his underlying motive for bleating about this issue. Merry Olde England prevails yet maybe Bonnie Scotland is losing her allure for the talented hoardes of this sceptered isle.

Regards.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: England Lacks Talent
From: Cats
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 12:37 PM

Breezy - at the moment it looks like all of Cornwall Songwriters will be there as we may well be doing 'Unsung Heroes' - it's being negotiated! Not only will you get O'Connor, Bryant, Heslop, Truscott, Owen and Burrows but you'll get to hear the amazing voice of Kathy Wallis, not a songwriter but borrowed by CS as they needed another female voice and it was her idea in the first place!

Subject: RE: England Lacks Talent
From: John Routledge
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:18 PM

Sidmouth 2005 has a fair few first class English performers.

Subject: RE: England Lacks Talent
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 04:09 AM

But did they have any Scottish Acts?