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Folklore: The BBC and Whitby
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Subject: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: Dave Hanson Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:44 AM Whitby Folk Week is one of the major folk events in the UK folk music calendar and once again the BBC Radio 2 folk music website has completely ignored this event. What is more on the list of artistes tour dates, the Whitby bookings are left off the list, why ? What has the BBC [ or Mike Harding ] got against Whitby, not adding Whitby dates to singers and musicians tour dates is surely a disservice to them. I have emailed Mike Harding about this, but I won't hold my breath waiting for a reply. eric |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: concertina ceol Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:47 AM For a little balance he announced details of Whitby and gave dates of the festival this past week after featuring "the devil's interval" |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: Dave Hanson Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:54 AM That's a first then. eric |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: concertina ceol Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:58 AM Although I agree with you that Whitby has had a very low profile in the past with the BBC... ... maybe it has helped keep the festival what it is over the last 40 years, friendly, successful, venues small enough to feel "part of it", rooted in tradition etc. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: Ruth Archer Date: 03 Jun 07 - 11:17 AM They don't profle Sidmouh much, either. I guess this is the thing with sponsorship: you promote your product to the detriment of others. Whether the BBC ought to be sponsoring certain events and not giving equivalent airtime to others is certainly a pertinent issue. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: treewind Date: 03 Jun 07 - 11:45 AM This reminds me of John Heydon's story of someone asking him about the National: "who's your headline artist?" Some folk festivals simply don't work that way, and the BBC just can't get a handle on it. If there isn't a household name appearing at the festival, it can't be important... In contrast, the previous incarnation of Sidmouth got people like Lonnie Donegan and Rolf Harris to appear at the arena, advertised it heavily and got busloads of bums on seats when the weather was good. Of course I hardly need mention Cambridge... Anahata |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: dick greenhaus Date: 03 Jun 07 - 11:54 AM Don't know about the BBC, but over here the more "pop"-oriented acts and singer/songwriters get the vast bulk of on-the-air publicity. Whitby Folk Week is notably long on traditional singers and short on headline acts. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: The Borchester Echo Date: 03 Jun 07 - 12:02 PM Of course I hardly need mention Cambridge No, don't. Though the thing about Whitby is that last year it featured a workshop from a certain Harrogate record producer. Er, did I say producer? The BBC is very keen on this MU blacklisted company and continues to carry an ad on the F&A website. Maybe someone should ask CM to endorse Sidmouth then? (Only joking). |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: dick greenhaus Date: 03 Jun 07 - 12:32 PM Actually, Mr. Bulmer's workshop had nothing whatsoever to do with Celtic Music. He was discussing how a Festival had to deal with Performer's Rights people, who were demanding a large chunk of the festival's gross income in royalties to songwriters. Odd, since the vast bulk of what Whitby presents is trad. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: The Borchester Echo Date: 03 Jun 07 - 12:43 PM Interesting that Mr Greenhaus knows instantly who I'm talking about. And that this particular person was chosen to talk about how to evade PRS/MCPS dues. An inspired choice, I have to say. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: dick greenhaus Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:31 PM Not particularly interesting. Subtlety hasn't been your strong point. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: GUEST Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:47 PM Thing is, Dick, the more "pop"-oriented acts might get the bulk of publicity in the US, but the BBC isn't just another station. It is a public service broadcaster, from whose airwaves advertising is still banned. Its sponsorship of one particular folk festival may well mean that other significant festivals get less of a look-in. They are even funny about what sorts of events you mention on their messageboards, while at the same time encouraging a big old Cambridge love-in on the very same boards, as if it's the only festival taking place this summer. It would be nice to see the BBC acknowledging the breadth of folk activity that's out there by giving a bit more profile to festivals like Whitby, which don't simply feature the same lineups as every other festival, and strive to do something different. After all, if audiences are only ever aware of the very populist stuff, that's all they're going to explore. I'm not saying that folk is unique in this respect. There are jazz and classical events subject to the same vagaries. I'm just questioning its integrity.
Thanks. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: johnadams Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:50 PM Diane Easby wrote: The BBC is very keen on this MU blacklisted company and continues to carry an ad on the F&A website. Where? I can't see any ads. J |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: The Borchester Echo Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:56 PM John: F&A site/Links/ scroll down to: Music By Mail I've been complaining about it for years. The weasliness of the excuses have to be heard to be believed. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: johnadams Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:11 PM Aha. Found it eventually. I wonder why it's not got a proper heading like the other entries? Some sort of BBC compromise? J |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: Tyke Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:11 PM Oh give the misinformation a rest the M U have him on a list as they have a BBC producer on a list. It asks MU members to contact them before having any dealing with them. So they can advise them to read the contract and seek legal advise before signing it. The MU also advises its members to you MU Contracts rather than contracts issued by Folk Clubs. Both lists are printed in black ink. Read the contract seek legal advise before signing it and if you are such a friend to Artists, Singers and Musicians. You should have been saying that when you were sat at Bill Leaders kitchen table all those years ago watching intelligent people sign away there rights. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: johnadams Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:28 PM Who are you talking to Tyke? If it's me, your post makes no sense to me. J |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: The Borchester Echo Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:36 PM I think he's talking to me, John. Though it makes not a lot of sense, it's true. Celtic Music has been on the MU Notices list (now renamed Ask Us First) for years. re: the MbM/CM ad on the BBC site. Yes the lack of bold puzzles me too. Maybe they'll think I'll stop noticing it's there, and thus complaining. Fat chance. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: johnadams Date: 03 Jun 07 - 03:10 PM It was just the reference to Bill Leader's kitchen table that confused me. I don't recall either you OR a possible Tyke being there during that era. To get back on topic, the BBC F & A site doesn't really seem to have too much relevance to what's going on at grass roots level. Lurking as I do on Britfolk, Tradtunes, Allceilidh, Eceilidh, Tradsong, EFDSS-Forum as well is here, I see a lot of activity which just isn't reflected when I visit the F & A site or on the few occasions when I accidentally listen to Folk on 2. It doesn't surprise me therefore that Whitby is ignored. J |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: concertina ceol Date: 03 Jun 07 - 03:35 PM Perhaps the organisers (I'm really thinking about Malcolm Storey before he stood down) couldn't care two hoots about the BBC? Whitby is a fantastic festival unspoiled by "over-hyped uber-kid saviour of folk rubbish" that you get elsewhere. Or the "token american" that you get at the BBC Folk awards each year. Cambridge is not a folk festival - well not my folk anyway - and is a marketing peg for the BBC to say that it promotes "folk and acoustic music" so it can largely ignore it the rest of the year. One exception being Mick Peat's show but I wonder how much the BBC actually spend on that show. However, none of this is to the detriment of Whitby, (IMHO) a fantastic mix of traditional music, dance, song and storytelling from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - and fellow travellers. I hope the BBC continue to leave Whitby alone personaly. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: The Borchester Echo Date: 03 Jun 07 - 03:51 PM Johnny: London NW1 not Halifax. Though what the Tyke knows about it is not clear. Unless . . . >>yikes<< |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: The BBC and Whitby From: Dave Hanson Date: 04 Jun 07 - 02:37 AM One of the points I was making was that the BBC Radio 2 Folk and Acoustic website lists a ' tour guide ' for a lot of folk singers and musicians but leaves out the Whitby gigs, I find this very odd. eric |
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