Authenticity Police

Subject: Authenticity Police
From: John P
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 05:28 PM

I'm intending this as a light-hearted collecting of funny stories about run-ins with people who want to tell others how to play music. I'm not talking about online run-ins, but situations where you were accosted while actually playing music. While most of them are sorely vexing at the time, they are usually funny in hindsight.

My favorite, which was actually funny even at the time, was when I was playing in a pseudo-medieval folkish band. The entertainment factor in that band was more important (I'm sad to say) than musicality, and historical accuracy wasn't even on our radar. That fact should have been obvious to any marginally knowledgeable listener. We were doing funny songs, acting out the parts, etc. We were playing in a pub.

If one plays for drunken people, one expects the occasional heckler. What set this one apart was that the heckler was a medieval music scholar; I think he was a university professor. He was so drunk I don't think he could stand up. He sat across the room roaring profanely at us about the proper pitch of A (I think he wanted A-415 instead of 440), the type of harmonies being used, the tuning of the instruments, and anything else he could think of that we were doing "wrong". It was surreal.

Any other bizarre stories?

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: DebC
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 05:34 PM

Once many years ago two people start arguing quite loudly over the origins of a ballad I was singing (I don't even recall what the ballad was). Since this occurred between songs, I let them carry on for a few minutes, then with with my stearnest-former-middle-school-teacher look and voice I said, "Do I have to come back there?"

That shut them up, everyone had a good laugh and I carried on.

Oh yes, this was at a concert.

Deb Cowan

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: glueman
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 07:12 PM

Quite some years ago I went to see one of the doyens of the British folk scene who was doing a tour of small venues with 2 or 3 musicians, I forget which. She'd decided to play only recent self-penned stuff of a singularly appalling quality, really banal stuff that sounded like it was written for the cast of Playschool.

Looking round the room you could see the pain on the punter's faces as the applause became less enthusiastic until people more or less gave up clapping. I don't believe she's ever done anything as bad before or since. Though I don't consider myself remotely folk police I did think I'll never get that hour back. IIRC correctly she was booked for 90 minutes but everyone gave up long before.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 07:16 PM

Walking into a Folk club and being told " This is a Folk Club , you cant bring THAT in here" , pointing at my Guitar case !

            Honest !!!    Exeter in about 1976

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: John P
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 07:34 PM

Why, Leadfingers, didn't you know that the guitar isn't a folk instrument? They get the most hide-bound club award! Any idea what they did consider a folk instrument?

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: GUEST,harvey andrews
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:13 PM

I can't now remember where it was, but someone accosted me at the end of my set to tell me I'd got the lyrics wrong in one of the songs I'd sung. I told him I'd written it.
"No, you've got it wrong." he insisted. "Definitely."

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: CupOfTea
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:22 PM

In my earliest years of singing along with my autoharp, when I was in Illinois, I'd been attending a sing around session where the range of participation ran from sing alone - have others sing with you - pass - request someone else sing something specific. I finally got my courage up to do my first solo in what was a very accepting group. I launched into my version of The House Carpenter that borrowed from Joan Baez, Pentangle and a supernatural verse kicked in from Dan Kedding's version.

I can't remember how many verses into it I was - wasn't very far - when a clod stopped me cold, bellering out " That is NOT the way Joan Baez does it! you're not doing it right1" I was so shocked and taken aback at his rudness, as well as put off my wobbly stride and passed the turn to the next person.

I was delighted to hear that when he pulled this sort of thing on someone else another night, a regular of the song circle upended a pitcher of icewater over his head.

Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Declan
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:23 PM

I suspect that in leadfingers incident that no instrument other than the voice would have been acceptable.

In some 'singing only' contexts, and they do exist, almost any instrument other than guitar would be allowed.

Theres nowt as queer as f*lk (by whichever definition you chose to use).

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: treewind
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 07:31 AM

"This is a Folk Club , you cant bring THAT in here"
Flos Headford tell me got the same reaction at St Albans, a good fair few years ago, when carrying in his fiddle case.
I think the word traditional might also have been included in said pronouncement.

(You're not supposed to bring any instruments, it's unaccompanied singing all the way)

Anahata

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Anne Lister
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 07:42 AM

I remember being approached by someone at a club once who was enthusing about the "fine Appalachian" tune I had used for a song. It was, of course, my tune, but I agreed with him at the time. No point in upsetting the man.

Anne

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 08:09 AM

At the old Sutton "Accoustic" Club in the 1990s, where a ginger haired guy ran the evenings, I used a Gibson Les Paul Junior to accompany my wife as I did not possess an accoustic guitar. The arrogant git reminded me that "they know what an accoustic guitar is at this club"! I refrained from publicly telling him to fuck off.....somehow!!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 08:26 AM

When I was playing in a 1950s-style rock'n roll/rockabilly band (many years ago), we used to play at functions or in pubs where the clientele were very much into that style of music - old teddy boys with the drapes and suede shoes, etc. A few of them could get very annoyed if you didn't play some of the material exactly like the record, or the particular recorded version they liked, and - of course - being a trio, we used to adapt the music to suit our line-up. We also used to jam in the middle - mainly to extend the number so that the dancers could have a good jive. 99% of the time we did very well and were very much appreciated - so much so that we were getting bookings nearly every night of the week at some times of the year - so we must have been doing something right.

However... we played one venue where a particular "ted" and his girlfriend just stood in front of the band and criticised every number for not being "like the record". As I was doing all the guitar work and most of the vocals, I was getting increasingly, shall we say, pissed off. Finally, at the end of some more criticism about an Eddie Cochrane number, I went to the front of the stage and addressed him thus:

Me: "I suggest you go and get a shovel."

Ted: "Why?"

Me: "So you can go to Eddie Cochrane's fucking grave, dig the fucker up, and tell him to sing the fucking song himself."

Ted: (strangled squawk)

Me: "And then you can shove the fucking shovel up your arse."

General laughter and applause from the rest of the audience (thank heavens) and no more from said ted...

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 08:30 AM

I should add that this course of action is NOT recommended generally! I was just very angry on the night.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick (cookiless)
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 08:31 AM

Many years ago I was singing in a club in Manchester and sang a song which had the word matelot in it. World's Biggest Folk Bore used to inhabit said club. On returning to my seat, WBFB handed me a note. It said "the word matelot is only used in the Royal Navy. Your song was about civilian sailors. I suggest you change it."

Come to think of it, WBFB also used to inhabit a session in The Jolly Angler, also in Manchester. He quite fancied himself as a song writer, although I don't think anybody else did. One night I sang one of my own compositions, and he obviously rather enjoyed it. He nobbled me as I was coming out of the gents, ready to make my way home. "That was a very fine song. Allow me to congratulate you on your perspicacity on learning it. Where did you get it?"

When I told him I was the author, the look on his face was priceless.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:04 AM

To me, the saddest thing is when an 'expert' corrects your tune, words, style...whatever... in a boorish manner and is right. I have known several quite knowledgeable people who really DID have a wide range of expertise, and were often able to sing and/or play the song as well as anyone in the room, but had a limited concept of politeness.

**It is one thing to know you're right, and quite another to know HOW to be right.**

I am often happy to be shown (later) a better tune, or alternate words...etc. Then, *I* have the choice of whether to change or not. What I will not tolerate though, is someone demanding I do it another way, or trying to 'helpfully' sing it 'right' louder than me.

I am not a 'performer', so this doesn't happen often, but I have seen it done to some very nice folks who were performers.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:06 AM

I remember in 65 or 66 going on an expedition to the Bell in Standlake(Oxfordshire) to meet some locals for a session(including Aubrey Cantwell, the man from whom the "they kissed so sweet and comforting" Nightingale was collected). Anyway, the organiser of the trip asked me not to bring a guitar, as it wouldn't be traditional! I have come to the conclusion since then that Aubrey would not have minded the presence of a guitar in the least. But at least it prevented me from attempting to back him on the Nightingale, which would have been too embarrassing for me to contemplate now.
Another, rather different incident:probably at a Cambridge Folk Festival session, also probably 65 or 66. I was playing some clawhammer type guitar thing, and at the end this bloke(who also had a guitar) said "Was that right, what you were playing?". So I said, as you might, well I dont know about right, there were probably a few bum notes, and he said, with more emphasis"No, was it right?". Then I sort of clicked, and he sort of explained. What he meant was, was this a faithfully transcribed piece off Mississippi John Hurt or Blind Blake or Elizabeth Cotten or whoever. So I had to admit, no it wasn't right, I was just playing my own version of whatever it was. At which point, he very rightly lost interest!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick (still cookieless)
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:16 AM

At Haxey Hood one year, someone, probably a local photo journalist, asked the team of boggins to pose for some photos on the war memorial.

Earnest happy snapper asks me "Is this a part of the custom?"

I replied that it wasn't normally and they were just taking a photo call. He said "Oh I won't bother then", and put his camera away.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:37 AM

A very interesting point, Fred. And quite though-provoking. If you are into documenting customs, maybe it is entirely correct not to document un-customary things. But, if you follow this precept, you would end up failing to photograph the first year that a customary event was performed, a serious historical oversight. Hmmmmmm I'll have to think about this.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: treewind
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 11:58 AM

Doc Rowe would tell you that, if the photo-call at the war memorial happened again the next year, it would be just as traditional as the rest of it. He has countless examples in video and photos of activities (or variations of) that have become traditional because they were done once for some random reason and then seemed a good idea to repeat the next year. It doesn't take long before it becomes "we always do this"

Anahata

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:04 PM

Bill D

Well said!

Regards

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:06 PM

If I was a serious calendar custom researcher, and I doubt this bloke was, then I would say there is a definite need to document something like that, albeit highlighting the fact that it's a one off.

Don't forget, customs never run according to rigid authority. EG., I've been at Bacup during torrential downpours, when they were ferrying the nutters from pub to pub in cars. Then again, I remember one year, during smoking the fool at Haxey, when they built the fire a little too high. The fool hurriedly finished his speech and jumped off screeching "ME ARSE IS ON FIRE". Then again, during the second world war, when there was shortage of horses, they rode the Castleton Garland King and Queen round on tractors.

BTW., do you know who recorded Aubrey Cantwell singing The Soldier and the Lady? The version which was popularised by the Campbells, Dubliners etc., was recorded in 1956 by Peter Kennedy from Raymond and Frederick Cantwell. I've just looked in Steve Roud's Folksong Index and the only two entries I can find for Aubrey Cantwell are for a song called John Brdadbury.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Stringsinger
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:11 PM

Alan Lomax, after a few drinks, would go after Bud and Travis at the Village Gate (I think it was that venue) cursing at them for bowdlerizing certain songs and being "commercial".

Al Grossman and Alan had a historic wrestling match over Dylan and the Butterfield Blues Band backup at the Newport Folk Festival. These Sumo folk wrestlers entertained the audience offstage.

There were those in the early Massachusetts and Philadelphia coffee houses when someone didn't do a song the "right" way were prone to raise their hands in the air as protest.

(They left out the scratch in the 78 recording by the Carter Family)

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:21 PM

There's another version of the Authenticity Policeman called the Half-Knowledgeable Commentator. (I note this person sidling sideways into some of the posts above).

I have an instructional blues video on the Tube, demonstrating some very old, entirely unoriginal and simple blues licks in A. I've now lost count of the times this comment and my increasingly frustrated answer have appeared:

Comment: You got that from Eric Clapton's "Change The world."
My reply: No - it's a very old blues riff used by many people, including EC.

Comment: This sounds like Eric Clapton's "Change The world"
My reply: It's an old blues riff that's been used by many blues players.

And then a little later...you can guess the rest. So let's hear it for the H-KC!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:27 PM

Fred M:
In the interest of writing a quick letter on an essentially humorous thread, I perpetrated a slight inaccuracy. Aubrey Cantwell did indeed singing the Nightingale at the Bell in Standlake, and I was there to sing it with him. But in fact, as you say, it was two other Cantwells(I believe his two elder brothers, but am not sure) who were credited with singing it to Peter Kennedy 10 years before in 1956.It was that bit of collecting that eventually propelled the song into becoming the anthem of the clubs that it turned into ten years later, via Dubliners, Campbells etc etc.. I think Aubrey was there on the Peter Kennedy occasion, but I couldn't swear to it. He did say something about the incident, but it was a long time ago and drink had been taken.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: kendall
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:28 PM

A certain young twit once told me that I sang Lorena too fast. I told him that it was good enough for Folk Legacy to record.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:31 PM

British trad jazz purists used to end up beside themselves in fury if anyone tried to introduce a saxophone into the lineup. Indeed, when the Humphrey Lyttleton band tried it some bright spark hung a banner from the upper circle at one of their concerts. It read "Dirty Bopper". Little did these geezers realise it but in New Orleans, genuine New Orleans jazz bands had been using saxes for years with no fuss whatsoever.

Then again, British trad jazz fell on hard times in the mid 1960s. The high priest of mouldy figdom in those days was a man called Brian Rust (who did some very valuable work compiling discographies of the stuff by the way). In the middle of the the trad boom collapse, a magazine, conducting its annual Critics Poll, asked Rust to nominate the ten best jazz albums of the past year. Rust retorted "There have been no jazz records issued in the last year".

BTW., I can remember a few Dylan purists getting very uptight when the poor lad went electric - including the cry of "Judas" at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:34 PM

Greg Stephens. "I think Aubrey was there on the Peter Kennedy occasion".

Did Aubrey play an accordeon? There is an unidentified accordionist on the recording.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:42 PM

Not that I know of. He didn't have one the night I was singing with him. Perhaps somebody told him they weren't traditional, so he didn't dare?

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: John P
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:56 PM

Interesting how guitars seem to set some people off. We once did a Bulgarian dance tune at the end of our first set. As is normal, a bunch of folks came up to talk to us and look at our unusual instruments (cittern, hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa). I was having a nice chat with someone about the time signature of the Bulgarian tune (5/16), when a loud voice cut through the conversation saying, "I hope you're not going around telling people you play Balkan music. That's not the way it's done!" I let him know that it is how the tune gets done, since he just saw it done that way.

The best part was that a week later we played a "folk festival" at the Bon Marche, the local large department store. We were set up in the women's handbag department, with the escalator from upstairs right in front of us. As we were playing the same Bulgarian tune, an old woman was coming down. She stood in front of us while we finished the tune and said, with a heavy Bulgarian accent, "That is Bulgarian!" She had danced to that tune as a child and was thrilled to hear it in a department store in Seattle. The guitar didn't bother her at all.

I'm so glad I'm playing for folks, not for the academics.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 04:46 PM

Ah......I remember it well.....Ewell. A folk club. I went along for a floor spot (remember them?) I was stopped at the door..."just wait a moment, please?" I waited the requisite moment and then the chap came back. "Sorry mate," he said, "They don't like the look of you!"

Seeing as they hadn't actually seen me...this was quite astonishing. Went to another club and had a great evening.!

One difficulty with this is that we can be put off songs completely by an inappropriate comment. I recall learning one specific song to perform at one gig, only to be told after wards that "so and so does a chorus after every verse." I've never sung it since. My bad, but the critic has to take some responsibility!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:07 PM

Sounds like Ewell to me, rather than the folk club.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Tangledwood
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:19 PM

OK John P, a bizzare occurance? How about when your own singing partner interupts a performance and snaps "that's not how it goes"?

The song was being done at her request and I'd spent quite a while transcribing and learning it, while she doesn't play an instrument or read music. We'd even spent several practice sessions on it.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:23 PM

I spent several years playing on Sunday afternoons at Sandy Bells in Edinburgh beside the old and opinionated moothie player Iain Grant. Iain had an immense repertoire of Scottish tunes - mainly pipe tunes - and very definite ideas about how to play them. He had the table in front of him spread out with his six-way diatonic moothie, a couple of other moothies, tobacco and a meerschaum pipe. This was before the smoking ban.

If somebody started playing (his idea of) too fast, or did too many Irish tunes in succession, Iain would slowly and carefully put his moothie down on the table, pick up the meerschaum and smoke it right through the tune set, vanishing into a blue haze while gazing beatifically at the ceiling.

It rather reminded me of a long-time Buddhist who told me his idea of Buddhist martial arts: gaze at your assailant with such unspeakable pity at the misery of his condition that he'd fall at your feet pleading for instruction in the Dharma.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Eve Goldberg
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:49 PM

Well, this isn't exactly from the "authenticity police" angle, but it seems to belong here, especially after the last post.

I have a song called "Old Tin Cup" that includes a refrain and chorus with the words "Hold on to what you've got." To me the song is about paying attention to and appreciating the things you have, some intangible, some concrete -- friends, songs, love, time, dreams, a roof over your head, etc.

I sang the song at a concert near Philadelphia one night and afterwards a man came up to me, unprompted, to tell me "that song wasn't very Buddhist."

I didn't quite know what to say, since

a) I never claimed that the song was Buddhist in any way

and

b) actually, if he'd listened to the words, he would have realized that many of the ideas expressed do dovetail nicely with some of the principles of Buddhism

It's given me a nice little story to tell about the song, though!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Eve Goldberg
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:53 PM

I guess that last post would have belonged in a thread called "Dharma Authenticity Police"

Somehow seems like a contradiction in terms.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Peace
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 04:03 AM

Eve: Did you hear about the Buddist who went to a vegetarian hotdog stand and said, "Please, make me one with everything."

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 07:26 AM

Eve: Did you hear about the Buddist who went to a vegetarian hotdog stand and said, "Please, make me one with everything."

And when he asked for his change, the hot-dog seller replied "change comes from within."

And yes, before anyone 'outs' my source, I did indeed read that joke in The Guardian this weekend.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 07:31 AM

I went into a club in Beford some time in the 80's I think. It was absolutely pi**ing down outside and I entered wearing a kagoule(sp?) with the hood still up and dripping with rain. One member looked very disdainful and said.

"You can't come in folk club dressed like THAT!"

Never found out what he was on about but I still laugh.

:D (eG)

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 07:45 AM

But meanwhile back at the authenticity police.

I'm getting increasingly intolerant of the many people you find in sessions who have learnt a tune from Spiers & Boden (in one or other of their manifestations), and then will tell you how you're 'playing it wrong' if you start to play the tune in any other version (the Rochdale Coconut Dance with the S&B rhythmic alterations in the minor part is a particular example).

Please Note: I do not criticise the fine work of S&B in any way by saying that. I love their work, the energy and exposure they bring and the obvious love and respect and understanding they have for the music, and I most certainly have no issue with them continuing the folk process of subtle and personal alteration on some of the tunes they play. I will also happily play the S&B version of any tune if that is the version the person who starts the tune in the session wishes to play, and will sometimes consciously 'sit back' until it becomes clear which version is intended.

But what does get steam coming out of my ears is their zealous acolytes and would-be imitators, who regard the S&B version of Tune X as the once-and-for-all-time version, and are curiously and uniquely forward in telling you when you deviate from The One True Version ...

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 07:57 AM

Re Fred McCormick - 08.31 - I WAS That Purist Jazzer !
Until I acquired the old Riverside 12" Vinyl of King Oliver's band , 1923 - Louis Armstrong's first recordings !
    Not only Johnny St Cyr playing a 6 String Banjo , tuned E A D G B E , AND Lil Harding on PIANO , but on three tracks , one Stump Evans playing ALTO Sax ! End of Trad Jazz Purism for THIS Budding Clarinetist !

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Eve Goldberg
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 10:40 AM

Tee hee. "Make me one with everything..." I love it!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: greg stephens
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 11:52 AM

Well, Leadfingers, if we are going to be really really authentic and purist about everything, it was Lil Hardin actually.
Yours pedantically
Greg

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Tootler
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 06:57 PM

Children are great "Authenticity Policemen"

When my elder daughter was a toddler we had a record of nursery rhymes sung by two singers by the names of John Lawrenson and Cynthia Glover (Do any other UK Catters remember them?). She loved that record and it was always on the player. In one of the songs, See Saw Margery Daw, they sang a second verse which you do not normally hear. My daughter once came up to us asking us for that verse with "Sing See Saw Margery Daw; wrong"

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 07:22 PM

Thanks Greg ! I suppose I COULD claim Typo - Instead I will admit to brain fade ! Still a bloody good set of Music !!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Alice
Date: 19 Apr 09 - 08:22 PM

aaahhhh you outed the next lol I had waiting for captions.

one with everything

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 05:46 AM

I was playing in 'Singers' Night' at a club in the North West.

I put the guitar into open C and played a Morris tune, "The Orange in Bloom", Sherborne Tradition.

A worthy of the local Morris (etc.) side came up to tell me

"You can't play Morris on the guitar !"

My response of "Just fucking done it!" did not go down well . . .

A couple of weeks later came the tribute programme to Martin Carthy and his family, which showed him playing guitar for the Bampton men to dance to.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: trevek
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 06:58 AM

Comment overheard after my spot on an open mike... "Why's he singing folk music when he's got Rock'n'Roll tattooed on his arm?"

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: treewind
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 07:20 AM

"You can't play Morris on the guitar !"

I've seen MC do it at Bampton.

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 07:38 AM


"You can't play Morris on the guitar !"

I've seen MC do it at Bampton.


And no doubt a well-meaning visiting Emeritus Professor of Anthropological Folklore took MC on one side afterwards and explained the error of his ways to him ... just don't get me started on the moronic phalanxes of Morris Authenticity Police or we'll be here all day!

Subject: RE: Authenticity Police
From: Peace
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 12:58 PM

"A worthy of the local Morris (etc.) side came up to tell me

"You can't play Morris on the guitar !"

My response of "Just fucking done it!" did not go down well . . ."

Good one, Bryn.