what do you think of morris offspring???

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Duchess of Coventry
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:39 PM

Come on now children... WAKE UP and BE NICE. NYFTE and Morris Offspring are making an effort.

In my opinion, a good one. AND they put up with abuse.

I'm gonna shush now.

x

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,The Viscount Of Oldham
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:40 PM

NYFTE RULE

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,The Warlocks of Halifax
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:42 PM

The Warlock would like the Duchess to suckle on his yak's teet

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:47 PM

I have never seen NYFTE who ever they maybe, but if the are half as good as OEG I would love to see them. Why have I not heard of them then?

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:53 PM

I still don't know what's going on here, but it look like fun. Morris gangs? Is this like the Crips and the Bloods?

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: skipy
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:16 PM

They are underated and are carrying the true tradition forward not this warered down southern crap. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bampton is about 15 miles from here!!!!!!!!!!!
That appears to be in the South.
Skipy

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,another Warlock from Halifax
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:30 PM

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,The Wizard of Warwick
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:53 PM

The Warlock's will never be taken seriously after their initial post. It's a hopeless case boys (and girls?)

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,O'Keefe [ The Duke of Omnium ]
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:13 AM

Isn't Halifax a small town near Sowerby Bridge ?

Well I've never heard of the Walocks of Halifax, so I don't think they really exist, whereas the Riverdance tribute group ' Morriss Offspring ' do.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Peace
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:16 AM

Just the name 'warlock of halifax' is enough to say all that need be said. The rest is commentary.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:58 AM

Well personally I was a bit embarrassed by the whole 'On English Ground' thing at Towersey. It made me feel like I was watching a school play.

I don't think anyone's up in arms about the dances not being done purely 'traditionally' as was suggested above by someone, it's the fact that it looks a bit naff and airy fairy, which is precisely what cotswold morris doesn't need. A lot of the dancing was pretty sloppy and lacked style. Not enough balls to the music either, seemed like yet another stage for Chris Wood to talk bollocks from.

When I was little a woman in our village who used to run the pantomimes, decided a group of us should perform a 'morris' dance at the village fete. She knew a bit about it but not much and we ended up doing choreographed circling with silly coloured costumes and bits of ribbon. I'm afraid that's what it reminded me of.

Although I can appreciate what they're trying to do I just don't think they've quite got the skill or the right audience.

On a more positive side, it would probably go down well in schools, and the beast costumes are well made.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Rusty
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 06:01 AM

What I find really encouraging is when we get young dancers and musicians coming onto the folk scene who ARE'NT the offspring of other folkies, genuine fresh blood from the real world outside. That's when I celebrate.

And as far as offspring are concerned - for me personally they are too arty-farty and precious and NYFTE come over to me as bored looking youths doing the dancing because they've been pushed into it by folky parents rather than it's something that they have genuinely done as their own choice.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,The Yak
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:01 AM

Speaking from the Yaks point of view they havent worked out yet that I am a Male!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:22 AM

During my 'Kevin Turvey investigates Folk Festivals' trip to Whitby this year, I witnessed a group of people performing traditional dance near the Whalebones, and they were all dressed up in black with red bits, with their faces covered, Mohammadan style. Did I witness the Warlocks of Halifax? Or the Morris Offspring? Jolly entertaining stuff, all the same.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Ruston Hornsby
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:33 AM

That sounds like the Flag and Bone Gang who are indeed from Yorkshire.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,A Warlock From Halifax
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:37 AM

Sorry Skipjack K8. . . but you have not had the pleasure of watching the walocks dance!!!!! However you have been lucky in that the Morris Offspring were not at Whitby as a collective!!! instead i beleve you witnessed the Flag and bone gang!!!!!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Brass Monkey
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:03 AM

A breathtaking fusion of theatre, a much scoffed at traditional English dance, which isn't quite as soft as people might think, and music with lyrics that challenge monocultural commercialism that we are being fobbed off with today!

Nationalism, culturalism and crafts don't need to be thought of in terms of negative overtones.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Elsie
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:38 AM

^^ and that means.....

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:53 AM

mpeople are sayin there carryin on a tradition?? hardly!! theyve completely changed the dances and there kit aint wat would be described as traditional.. i no theyre all young n thats gd coz theyre carryin it on but there are other youngsters out there who are carryin it on... tradtionally.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,A Warlock From Halifax
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:56 AM

sorry Brassmonkey. . . . but morris offspring are not dancing "traditional English dance" and are not a part of English culture!!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Rusty
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 11:03 AM

yeah - sorry Brass Monkey, I agree totally with your last comment but I don't see that it really applies to Offspring who to me are theatre/dance/art rather than real morris. As for your initial comment - are you quoting from a publicity brochure or an arts council grant application?

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 12:41 PM

not a lot

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Trouble
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:53 PM

What a giggle it is reading all this. Hi NYFTE! Hi Morris Offspring if you are reading! I'm afraid I laughed VERY loudly when Offspring were described as a tribute to Riverdance, luckily this hasn't shaken my opinion that Morris Offspring are very good. :) Though I sometimes wish they'd put some bells on :) If I'd had the chance, I would have danced with them.

I'm not at all sure who or what Warlocks of Halifax are, perhaps they can direct me to their website? I'm sure it's stunning seeing how vocal they are about the tradition generally?

Dog Rose are terifically good, it's true. I believe quite a number of them are also in Offspring :) I could be wrong of course....!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,simon
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:55 PM

however much effort teams like morris offspring and NYFTE are putting in to being a "good" morris team sadly its rather ruining the image of cotswold when theyre have been teams like hexham morris and dogrose morris that actually make watching traditional dances entertaining. Even to compare "morris" offspring or NYFTE to the likes off hexham and dogrose would be pointless really having seen all four teams its quite clear that the latter 2 are very much better judging by audience reaction and the fact that they actually do cotswold dancing and are doing a good job of keeping the tradition alive.

If anyone would like to purchase a t-shirt abusing morris offspring or NYFTE then email me at [e-mail]. However if you think either of them are any good book an appointment at the opticians and possibly a psychiatrist.

ps morris offspring are shit and theyre still better than NYFTE lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,simon
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:56 PM

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,simon
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 01:59 PM

morris offspring are not bloody good

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST, Shaman of Sheffield
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:19 PM

I've heard it said that the W of H are in fact a group group of disgruntled lads who were rejected during auditions for Morris Offspring for, (and I quote), "..having two left feet". Is this whole tirade really, infact, a case of sour grapes?

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Viscount Of Oldham
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:32 PM

Nah I have it on good authority that morris offspring are rubbish

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:39 PM

"Dog Rose are terifically good, it's true. I believe quite a number of them are also in Offspring :) I could be wrong of course....! "

Yes you are most definitely wrong! The two are incomparable!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:47 PM

The thing is, you shouldn't have to DO anything to cotswold morris to make it interesting to watch, apart from do it well, and quite a few teams really do do it very very well, it's just unfortunate that a lot don't and that Morris Offspring think that some kind of syncronised swimming morris makes it more appealing. It doesn't, it just makes it look like they're trying to DO something different because they're not actually very good at dancing.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Trouble
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:48 PM

Ah well, I'm often wrong! I don't expect it'll bother me particularly.

I don't think its a good idea to directly compare a team like Dogrose and Offspring anyway..... Offspring are a stage show about tradition, Dogrose ARE the tradition. In a way you guys are kinda ranting about something thats not really an argument. It's like comparing apples and bananas. Both fruit, but intrinsically different... uh-oh. I'm talking rubbish again. And I'm talking about bananas. GAH! I KNEW this would happen lol

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: RB3
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:25 PM

Being morris offspring (no capitalizations here) myself, I think the idea's pretty cool, actually. I hope someday they make it across the water. There are morrisers and morris watchers here, too. I think it's equally important to have "traditional" stuff keep going, whether the people involved are the genetic relations of former morris dancers or not, as well as having people who try to make it slightly more accessible to the general public, especially if they're having a good time in doing so.
Of course, I'm probably less attached to traditional morris anyway, being an Amer-kin myself, because over here instead of doing the traditional dances of our hometown (being that our hometown doesn't have any), we import other people's and futz with it. On the other hand, one could argue that's folk tradition...
-RB3

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Greg B
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:48 PM

I always find it amazing that so many Morris dancers
manage to get around all whilst balancing those great
chips on their shoulders and their spare sticks in the
obvious place.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Trouble
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:52 PM

Hey Simon, isn't this you dancing?
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=646760448&n=2

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: RTim
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:03 PM

To those people who think that Morris Offspring dancing is not very good - I don't know what you think good morris is?
Having been to several of their practices - they danced for 4 and half hours!!! and their dances ARE based on Traditional dances - just expanded and made to fit a stage presentation.
Take it from me, they are all capable of dancing "in the street" and they would look great where ever they dance. The are all fantastic dancers.
I only hope ALL teams have their motivation and commitment.

Tim Radford (21 years Adderbury Morris Squire & Foreman, Kirtlington Morris original teacher and later Foreman, and Foreman of The Duns Tew Morris, Pinewoods Morris and Woods Hole Village Morris)

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:37 AM

I think you'll find a great deal of morris teams are just as committed and practice nearly every week of the year - not just when they've got a tour of arts centres. I'm sure they are all committed and motivated, I don't think anyone is suggesting they are not. The point is the dancing is flimsy and tatty compaired with certain other morris teams who have been dancing together for a long time and have learnt and developed a style that means all the dancers are at least attempting to look the same. I just don't think the offspring have that uniformity and frankly some of them are just not very good dances, partly because they haven't been doing it for very long. No-one is saying they are not based on traditional dances, it's just that the traditional dances are generally good enough to perform on a stage, in a theatre, in a street, in a pub etc without needing any tampering if you can do them well enough.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:45 AM

they enjoy it, they have fun, and they're not sitting around slagging off other people's attempts at doing what they enjoy. leave 'em be, poor souls. and get a hobby. weeeeeee!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:21 AM

It's Morris dancing Jim, but not as we know it!
G.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Lord Summerisle
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:39 AM

warlocks of halifax, get ye up to Summerisle and I will show you how we deal with upstarts.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: *Laura*
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:01 AM

well they have a large unicorn head and a large warthog thingy head and good postcards - that's enough for me!
But far as the dancing goes I'll watch Dog Rose over Morris Offspring any day...

xLx

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Ancient Morris dancer
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:01 AM

In the olden days a good old punch up would have settled this. Then, hands would be shaken and ale shared in the local hostelry. Now it's handbags at dawn. And you call yourselves real Morris men?

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:11 AM

Dawn????

You mean that time when all Proper morrismen are settling down to sleep (and not all of them in their coffins or bat caves....)?

LTS

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:43 AM

I have never seen morris off spring but looking at their web site why oh why have has someone decided that we should follow riverdance lets put morris back where it belongs inside, outside pubs & village squares and not an arty farty follow up to someone elses culture

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:14 AM

I feel the same way about what Riverdance did to Irish dancing guest.
All that has done is commercialise an activity that doesn't need it, and provided a vehicle for Michael Flatley's monstrous ego.
Can't quite see Morris dancing going the same way thank goodness, although I don't doubt that some egomaniac will try it.
G.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,A Warlock From Halifax
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:27 AM

The Warlocks are ready and Willing for some sporadic Tag-Team wrestling action!!!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: Brass Monkey
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:36 AM

Without people like Morris Offspring, Morris dancing would be breathing a quiet last sigh of death within the confines of old people's residential homes (slight exaggeration, but you get the picture). It's great to see this traditional dance being interpreted in new and exciting ways. It proves that it's alive and not dying the death of so many other traditions that lose their meaning because they refuse to relate to the people living today!

And no I didn't quote from an Arts Council brochure. I do happen to be educated to degree standard though! And I enjoy experiencing different art forms when I get the chance.

Actually, I used to enjoy techno and put on illegal raves in the forests near Barcelona. However we did clean up after ourselves! Now, I'm older, I've started going to folk festivals and drinking ale instead!

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:03 AM

What a load of tosh. Morris dancing was doing quite well without Morris Offspring no matter how good they are. There are more morris dancers than ever before and Morris Offspring are a sign not a cause of it. Another sign is that young teams like Dog Rose keep springing up.

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,Ruler
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:03 AM

Gotta agree with the Warlocks on this one.

Don't rate them - typical Middle-class bollocks and very airy-fairy.

I do rate Dog Rose - I've been very impressed by them - they give it gusto and oomph, and they get off the ground. Morris as it should be danced.

Must agree with Rusty though that a cause for rejoicing would be the influx of new blood from the real world, and not just those with Folky parents...

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:16 AM

The whole folk scene seems to be enjoying an outbreak of nepotism over the last few years.
G

Subject: RE: what do you think of morris offspring???
From: GUEST,simon
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 10:09 AM

on the comment that the W of H were turned down at auditions from morris offspring that is totally untrue, i am one of them and i'm not being full of myself here at all but i know that i personally am good enough as any of morris offspring and i know many people who would agree with that, i just would never really want to join them because i prefer doing cotswold morris dancing and that certainly isnt what they do
i wouldn't really mind if morris offspring kept doing what they do but they really have to change their name because when i first heard of them i went to see them thinking i'd see some morris dancing but really its like the skipping verion of red arrows so putting the morris in their name is false advertising really, i suggest a name like eye burners, and with that they should keep away from folk festivals too as its basically like riverdance and i'v never seen michael flatley at a folk festival so they shud go on a joint tour with him and let the morris dancers do the performances at folk festivals

ps i'm doing solo cotswold jigs all year raising money for charity check out my page at www.justgiving.com/monkeymcdougal