Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 10:53 AM

that should be 'lovely people' not loey

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:01 AM

Cresby you don't like Shrewsbury Folk Festival! We got that message over 14 months ago. And that's absolutly fine - everyone can't like every festival. I have read most of your postings on Mudcat, the Annexe, on the ceilidh web sites and the BBC message board and, if I didn't know better, I would think you were waging a vendetta. You know my phone number, email address and my postal address, why did you never contact me direct to discuss your issues? You masqueraded as a friend for at least 10 years and when you started your postings I for one was rather hurt. I'm not going to drag all your horrible and sometimes downright untrue comments up – they are best laid to rest.

You say you were watching motorcross this year, during the bank holiday weekend, so how can you comment on a festival you did't attend. And how can you presume to know what we think!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:03 AM

So my question is why have a mosh pit?

Wiki says...

'Moshing or slamming refers to the activity in which audience members at live music performances aggressively push or slam into each other. Moshing is frequently accompanied by stage diving, crowd surfing, and headbanging. It is commonly associated with concerts by heavy metal, punk rock, and alternative rock artists.'

So where does health and safety come into all of this then?

Sal

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:08 AM

Sal now you are being silly - you know very well that non of the above happens in a mosh pit at a folk festival. We use the term very lightly. I suppose we should just call it 'the standing when you don't want to dance area'.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: billybob
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:15 AM

Sounds to me that Alan and Sandra should get loads of credit for working so hard to ensure hundreds of folk have a great weekend. Billy and I organised a festival for over 15 years. Now we go to other peoples festivals to enjoy ourselves! Why?

15 years of weeks of preperation and meetings.
Anyone who had a complaint was always told" go see Wendy"
Artists taking too long on sound checks or arriving late for them.
Spending the whole weekend in the box office or back stage, so I never actually saw a complete concert.
Artists asking for the running order to be changed as they needed to get on the road early Sunday evening to get to the next gig.
I could go on.....
but we had a wonderful time , made fabulous friends, had lots of laughs and treasured memories.
Never been to Shrewsbury but it sounds good to me... maybe next year!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:19 AM

that was obviously none and not non

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Vin2
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:47 AM

I guess at the end of the day if more people are disatisfied than satisfied with this (or any) event enough not to go back next year, then the event probably won't survive but i suspect that's far from the case with Shrewsbury. It's like muscicians you never reach perfection - the fun is in the trying. Enjoy whilst we've got it!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Kampervan
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 04:58 PM

Jeez, why does anyone organise a festival?

I've been to Shrewsbury twice now and enjoyed both visits, (missed this year).


The organisers are actually trying to get it right - that way people come back.

And while I'm sure the organisers always appreciate constructive feedback, there's no need or excuse for it to get vicious.

Thanks to Alan and Sandra and here's to more great festivals at Shrewsbury.

K/van

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Dave Higham
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 08:35 PM

Just a note to Alan to say that I wasn't really angry, just disappointed. And I did explain that I've been out of internet contact until I started this thread.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Aeola
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 06:37 AM

Prsonally I do not enjoy 'The Big Concerts' but there is a large variety of other events at Shrewsbury to enjoy. I did visit the large Marquee on several occasions and the Buzz was exciting, everyone did appear to be enjoing themselves. The people at the front dancing added to the atmosphere. Whether this is the way folk music shouild be is another matter! Shrewsbury is one of the main concerts in the country and the organisation cannot be changed at the last minute without causing some ripples elsewhere which might finish up a bigger problem than the original.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: .spiderman
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 08:12 AM

I'm tempted to start a thread entitled 'Shrewsbury Festival - How wonderful!' Just to re-iterate my original point which seems to have been lost amongst all the complaining. A festival of this size is not going to please everyone - rather than complain unconstructively, do something about it. If you don't like it vote with your feet and find a smaller festival to attend. I would hate to think that I was spoiling someone's festival by rushing to get in the 'Mosh Pit' where I really appreciated being able to get close to some of my favourite acts as well as jumping around like a loon to Bellowhead - so please, Mr Higham don't come again! I also enjoyed sitting on the chairs for some of the quieter acts and had no problem with the much smaller crowds that wanted to stand at the front. I am quite sure that there are enough folkies like me that will make Shrewsbury the first date in their diary for years to come! I think it has the balance just right and well done to all those with the vision, passion and enthusiasm to take it to the level it has achieved.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: GUEST,baz parkes
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 09:01 AM

Hasn't there always been a "mosh pit" element at concerts and festivals?

Some of us are old enough to remember Fred Woods' mag Folk Review...I seem to remember a heated discussion in the letters page about the problems of so called "idiot dancing" or "jigging" which was particularly evident at Steeleye gigs. I seem to remember there was no one answer then. And yes, "mosh pit" is an unfortunate term...but irony and the internet were ever strangers. FWIW Ray, our bass player, refers to the set nearest to the band at ceilidhs as the mosh pit. It isn't.

Not that Alan, Sandra and team need my faint praise,but I've attended festivals as punter, morris dancer and musician, children/yoof entertainer and played for loads of ceilidhs for 32 years, and IMHO Shrewsbury is up there with the best.   I got my teeth knocked out at Bromyard. That didn't happen at Shrewsbury. Friends of mine had a load of gear nicked at Towersey. As far as I know that didn't happen at Shrewsbury. For heaven's sake, we were driven from the campsite at Chippenham one year by a swarm of bees Unlikely, but true:-)). That didn't happen at Shrewsbury.

If you don't like it, don't go, but don't slag off a load of people
who work bloody hard to ensure a load more people have a good time...but I'm sure you'll be able to tell us why where you were was so much better.

Baz

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 09:12 AM

Sandra it was tongue in cheek! It's bloody hard work organising a festival, and no matter how hard you try, there are always people out there getting a kick out of critisizing. You lot have a choice; you either go or you don't! Just stop moaning and picking on these two. I admire their strong constitution.

For God's sake just be thankful that there are people like Alan and Sandra willing to put their lives on the line to have a festival. Can you imagine the stress of running something this big? The meetings, the phone calls, the headaches? How many sleepless nights do you punters have before a festival, eh? The government have made it so difficult and consequently expensive to run a festival. We live in a nanny state, influenced by the americans sueing left right and centre.

Now I've made myself angry so I'll stop.

Sal

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 09:22 AM

Here we are agiain with a number of people taking time and energy to carp on and on about one small aspect of a huge event, as if sitting in the front row as a passive consumer was the only thing on offer at Shrewsbury.

There are any number of things happen over the 4 days and night that don't particularly appeal to me. What I do is go and do something else. I didn't want to be part of the big noisy crowd watchimg Bellowhead, I went to Marquee 2 and watched the Wilsons instead. Most of the time I spent actually singing and playing with several different groups of friends, some of whom I only ever meet every year at Shrewsbury/Bridgnorth. Didn't much fancy the Ukelele Orchestra, although pretty much everyone I have spoken to who went raved about them and said their set was brilliant. I thought this was going to give me a problem because the one act I would go anywhere to see is Richard Thompson. Thankfully the standing area at the front allowed me and a number of other RT fans to get up close and watch. Dave H was of course free to join us but chose his own place. Where there are thousands of people we can't all have the best seat in the house. Life is full of these choices/ compromises. You want pick of the seats and no queues go see someone not many people like.

I think Alan and Sandra do an astounding job putting on such a big festival with such a choice of artists/ performance venues. The sheer size of it is not to my taste, but is one of the reasons that my daughter knows she can meet a number of friends year after year. If you don't like big festivals go to smaller ones but there is no need to slag off people puttinng in huge efforts to provide what so many people want year after year

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Rasener
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 09:50 AM

How sad, that people who work there socks off to give so much enjoyment to many, have to put up with public floggings by the minority.

Basically, if there is something you don't like, talk to the organisers personally and state your case. If there is nothing they can do, then just stay away. Don't go public like this. Better still, go and help do the work to put it right. Or is that too much effort.

Its a wonder anybody bothers to run anything.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Fran
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 01:03 PM

Dave Higham there is a perfectly good feedback form on the Shrewsbury Festival website.

I am no dancer but do enjoy flinging myself about from time to time, would not like to think I was doing it at the expense of others enjoyment though.

I had a fantastic time at Shrewsbury this year.

I also was disappointed as Friday night queued for the front seats and then found it was not a treat as years before it has been, Alan your suggestion of a third "Dance house Marquee for the higher energy bands standing only and no mosh pit in Marquee one would be a dream come true, but probably too expensive.

Or moshing at the back only, if you don't like the noise sit nearer the front. However, that is all my cup of tea and I would never expect everyone else to have the same opinion.

I left my feed back on the website and if it is noted all the good but I don't think it is very nice creating a public thread with the title as such.

I also have read a lot of Mr Red's nasty comments and it has shocked me as I used to think he was nice. Best thing to do though is ignore his nasty comments, don't rise to the bait Alan and Sandra and then he will look bad not you guys.

I am very much looking forward to next years Festival, which I imagine you are already hard at work organising.

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Dave Hunt
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 02:43 PM

Just to add our two penn'uth -we are on the committee of SFF and know the hours and hours of work that Alan and Sandra, and many others, put in to ensure a sucessful festival. One that offers a huge variety of types of music and dance, and that appeals to a wide spectrum of any potential audience. This year our childrens tent was only just about big enough - so Alan immediately said 'OK I'll get you a bigger one next year, and it'll be a clearspan one too' Excellent, and no quibbles about it. I'm sure that the vast majority of people who come to SFF have a great time - which is evidenced by the comments on the feedback forms. We have already started a lot of the planning for next year, and as it's Darwin anniversary year in Shrewsbury [which was his birthplace] our theme for the childrens festival will be Darwin! - lets see what evolves!!
Dave and Maggie Hunt - Directors, Childrens Festival at SFF

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Mr Happy
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 10:55 AM

Consider this:

The organisers will be able to confirm just by examination of the returned feedback forms that most people who attended Shrewsbury both this year & last, thoroughly enjoyed the event & its support from the committee & staff.

Then compare the number of 'whinghers' to this number!

There was a big pile of folkies from my area, Chester attended + loads've others I know from all over.

Not one had a crossword about the fest nor about its organisation.

I guess if there were any minor quibbles, most everyone was focussed on drinking, folking, & cavorting, to let it spoil their enjoyment!

Subject: RE: Shrewsbury Festival - How disappointing
From: Aeola
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 03:57 PM

Well said Mr Happy! You echo the thoughts of many of us. See you next year!!
Well done Alan & Sandra