Shepley Spring Festival

Subject: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:21 PM

Whilst we were at Fylde on Saturday we picked up a leaflet for the 1st Shepley Spring Festival - it's being organised by the folk who ran the original Holmfirth Festival, and does look as if it's going to be a really good weekend (May 18, 19 and 20th).

The guests booked so far are Waterson Carthy, John Tams and Barry Coope, Peatbog Faeries, The Devil's Interval, Random, Bedlam, Lisa Knapp and Will Noble.

The extra info on the back of the flier indicates that they're going to have a Folk Train, a Spread the Word competition, a Children's Festival, a Market Place, Youth Works, a Beer Festival - and the majority on a green field site.

More info is available on www.shepleyspringfestival.com (sorry,can't do the blue clicky thing!!)

Looks great so far - good luck to them - it can't be easy to make radical changes to a festival which has been going for so long.

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:15 AM

NIce to hear from you Alio hope you are on the mend

I have to say that a venture of this nature will need lots of support as all facilities tents and amenities will need to be brought onto the site

A great deal of help will be needed to ensure success ~ I think we can assume that the guests will do their bit but lots of manpower will be needed also to cover all the tasks

I do wish the festival success and hope that the new setting will attract lots more people to the area. This should also bring revenue to the immediate area


I believe that Holmfirth F of F will also continue in early May 2007

Ray

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:29 AM

Hi Ray! Yes, I'm slowly getting back to normal - whatever normal is!!!
You're right - they will need lots of support - let's hope they get it. They deserve to do well - they've got some great ideas, and it's in a lovely setting.

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: r.padgett
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 12:14 PM

Alio
Indeed glad you are up and about!

Ray

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 04:50 PM

I too wish the Shepley festival all the best, though I have concerns about two festivals running so close together in both time and space. I also think that the organisers break from the town of Holmfirth could have been handled in a more forthright manner.
The General.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:41 PM

Hi General! What do you mean? "Forthright"?

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:09 PM

I've not heard any more about this festival yet? Has anyone else?

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:16 PM

There is certainly a website and I can confirm there will be a bookseller selling second hand folk books (me!!)

You can find details here

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Soldier boy
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:44 PM

The Holmfirth Festival of Folk is being held on the previous weekend on 11, 12 and 13 May 2007.
I sincerely wish both ventures all the best and every success.
You can't have too much of a good thing but can you have too good of a much thing?

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:54 AM

Hi Alio,
Forthright- up front, without misleading. Start a new festival by all means but without attempts to scupper the existing one.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: nutty
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:07 AM

I would like to know what evidence you base that assertion on, Ned Ludd.

When splits like this happen there are always difficulties and I applaud Soldier Boy for his attitude in the previous post.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 05:02 AM

There is plenty of evidence Nutty, you only have to look back through the threads on here, but I think we should now consider it as water under the bridge.

Holmfirth still has its Folk Festival, even though it has to be called Holmfirth Festival of Folk and Shepley will now have its own festival in a field.

Don't let's pretend that it will be anything like Holmfirth Folk Festival because it will be a totally different animal but we are happy in Holmfirth because we have returned to what the festival is all about with loads going on in the pubs and so many dance sides that we'll be falling over them in the street!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 07:52 AM

As Cath said, water under the bridge. I was just defining what I meant by forthright for Alio. The more festivals the better!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: danensis
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:26 PM

I hope there's not too much water under the bridge - remember what happened in 1852

John

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: r.padgett
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:49 PM

Is this a reference to the Bilberry Dam which over flowed and the river through Holmfirth that also flooded?

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 06:35 PM

The river was so high a week or so back that it wouldn't have needed to be much higher before the football pitch became a water polo pitch. But it won't be like that in May!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 04:34 PM

Am I mistaken, or isn't this the original "existing" festival? Roy Bailey was the patron before, and still is! Or is it just me getting really confused?

Anyway, what a fantastic artists line up! All my favourites - brilliant! And the Folk train sounds good too - I always did enjoy that at Bridgnorth.

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 06:05 PM

How can it be Holmfirth Folk Festival? It is in Shepley in a field.
I believe the Folk Train is the Sheffield to Huddersfield train with an extra one or two trips but the station is a long way from the festival site. A little model train running round the field would be fun!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: collierlad
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 06:40 PM

I think I would have to re-mortgage to go to this festival!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: nutty
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 04:06 AM

I hope your optimism regarding the campsite is justified Cath.
I can remember at least one occasion when that football field seemed part of the river when I arrived on site on the Friday evening of the Festival (in May).

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 04:17 AM

How can it be Holmfirth Folk Festival? It is in Shepley in a field

First words on the website says it is a brand new festival in Shepley.

Why should anyone think it has anything to do with Holmfirth?

It looks to me as if the organisers have scrupulously avoided the word!!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 04:31 AM

Did you never go to Bridgnorth Kath? Their Festival Train which travelled across the area, with artists appearing on it (singing in the bar area), and then also performing in pubs at the stops, was the most sought after event of the whole weekend. You couldn't do that in a model train!

And the prices are much the same as many other festivals - once you've paid the full weekend price, you can go anywhere and see whoever you want, without having to pay. You're not having to fork out constantly over the weekend to get into various events. And it is one of the best line ups I've seen this eyar.

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 06:43 AM

I think for the price of a season ticket it is a great line-up too. And I hate faffing about paying here, queueing for a ticket there, queueing to get in over here. Flash my season ticket and that's it.

And there will be the advantage of having a really high quality second-hand bookstall there too.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 09:53 AM

The Festival Train (and I haven't been to Bridgnorth) is the normal Sheffield to Huddersfield train which consists of a couple of carriages. There may be musicians performing on it but it will be stopping at all the stations between Sheffield and Huddersfield, none of which to my knowledge, have pubs at them. That's all I'm trying to say so that people don't think it is a specially comissioned one - or so I am reliably informed byt someone in the train business.
And to Nutty, half an hour ago i found the field to be rather like a quagmire as I think most grassy areas will be but we have ordered the weather and by May it will have dried out, but not too much so that you can't get tent pegs in!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:14 AM

Someone has suggested to me that it looks as if i am criticising the Shepley festival - please be assured that I'm not - I wish them well.
I was just concerned that Alio might have a picture of a Folk Train that wasn't born out in reality.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,local
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 06:26 AM

I'm sure your concern is genuine Cath....we couldn't possibly lead Alio to believe that the folk train is good idea and will be fun and entertaining and does in fact have quite a lot of good pubs nearby and at either end.....could we?

And according to the website there's a real ale bar being put on and the sword teams will be doing a train/pub crawl too.

Sounds brilliant!

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 03:58 AM

There's a ridiculous rumour going round that guests at Shepley are asked to agree not to play within 40 miles of Shepley for two weeks before and two weeks after the festival. Could someone from the organisers confirm that this is or is not the case as this would rule out PLAYING in all of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, most of Derbyshire and large sections of Nottinghamshire, North Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: BB
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 02:15 PM

This is not that unusual, although 40 miles is perhaps a bit steep. Broadstairs, for instance, is 25 miles, but that's 3 months before the festival! Although, this clause may be negotiated with the Artistic Director.

Barbara

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 02:17 PM

Not unusual - indeed some artists have it in their contracts.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 07:09 PM

Maybe it's not unusual - if you think organising a festival is

a)a business
or
b)competitive
or
c)some sort of ego massage.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 07:27 PM

Why not wait until the organisers have spoken rather than believing what someone has posted on Mudcat about the festival?

My comments were limited to what artists put in their contracts. And it happens.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: BB
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 01:40 PM

While I'm sure that festival organisers don't see it as any of the three suggested perceptions, they have to maximise their income, otherwise the festival is liable to failure - so someone has to find the money, possibly from their own pockets, and there's no festival next year.

I believe the same sort of thing applies to clubs that book guests - however much enthusiasm, love and dedication you put into it as an organiser, you have to balance the books.

Barbara

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:13 PM

I put it into the Saddleworth contract - whilst I don't think it really applies to the local artists, if I'm paying a 4 figure sum for the big names, I don't want to find that they're appearing in the Greater Manchester area a month or 2 before our festival! As Barbara says, smaller festivals particularly, like ours, just can't afford to have that happen.

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:55 PM

Talking to my daughter who works for a big pop type festival - it is standard in their contracts.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,guest selby
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 04:40 AM

They should rename Mudcat cafe into the knocking shop, every time someone does something positve up pops guest to knock it flat, criticise,or try to make fools out of people trying there best genrally for no reward apart from the joy of doing something positive.
Selby

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,John Robinson
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 05:40 AM

I've just signed another arts centre contract. 15 mile exclusion zone for a period of 4 weeks either side of the booking. Distances and durations may vary but this is a common and perfectly acceptable contract clause.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,Derbyshire
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 03:09 PM

I think it's a good thing that we find out what goes on. I'd no idea this happens on such a scale and I used to be a festival organiser !

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: nutty
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 04:12 PM

I'm at a loss to understand why this should be of interest to anyone other than the festival organisers and the artists in question.

It is common practise for both festival and folk club bookings.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 04:35 PM

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave - PM
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 02:17 PM


Not unusual.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 08:09 AM

What I would like to know is who is paying for it all,and who loses out financialy if it fails

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Alio
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 08:43 AM

Who's paying for what?

But let's get back to the festival, which looks brill. Does anyone know if there'll be a clothes stall in the craft Fair - preferably Doldrum's?

Ali

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,local
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 08:58 AM

Why does anyone need to be negative about any of this?! It seems that if you give folkies a chance to see their music in as many places as possible and promote it in a positive way....they all get on their high horses and start slagging everyone off!

What ridiculous questions guest: 'who pays for it?', 'who loses out?'. Why should that be any of your concern anyway? The organisers of the festival are putting on an event that anyone can go to. If you don't want to buy a season ticket, you can buy individual tickets for concerts. If you don't want to spend any money, you can just enjoy free entertainment from dance teams etc around the village....as with most festivals (and dance teams usually do this for no money, but in exchange for festival tickets, and any money they collect goes back to the festival).

Anyone who organises any kind of event is more often than not putting themselves at risk. Ticket sales hopefully cover the event....perhaps a bit of funding to help out, but at the end of the day the organisers take the risk.

I suppose it has to be run as a business, but not a profit-making one. The festival has to cover itself so that it can happen again and any profit would be put back in to doing just that next year, with maybe bigger/more named artists. That's the way folk festivals work. There are barely any festival organisers on the folk scene who make a personal profit from what they do. Most are voluntary and put in an astounding amount of their free time, while also having full-time jobs and families, to putting something on for the community, because they are passinate about it.

Who would anyone go through the stress of organising a festival and having to deal with all the criticism/bad mouthing that goes on in forums like this unless they were 110% committed to making it work?

Why can't you be happy that such a great line-up of guests are on in your area and ENJOY it?! And two festivals in the same area in the same month...well we're being spoilt now. Much better than having to drive miles to another festival to get our folkie fix!

Can we not just try and shed the stereotypical grumpy/pedantic/sad/cliquey folkie image that the rest of the world sees and ENJOY OURSELVES??

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 01:29 PM

I've been reading about the exclusion clause with interest.

I can see the logic of not having your main line guests performing nearby too close to the date but to have it as a blanket exclusion makes no sense.

Surely it can be done with a bit of common sense.

In Holmfirth we considered Shona Kipling and Damien O"Kane but as they were booked for Shepley we didn't pursue it. Craig Morgan Robson were invited to Shepley but couldn't do it and wouldn't have anyway as they are booked for Holmfirth. But we do have some of the same people as Shepley or maybe Shepley has some of the same people as Holmfirth - who decides which way round?

Where it does bother me is where it affects artists who are trying to become better known and are trying to get bookings at festivals and clubs in the area to make the trip worthwhile. By imposing a 40 mile exclusion zone you are limiting their ability to work and making it harder for Folk Clubs to book emerging artists. You are also restricting all the many good clubs in the whole of Yorkshire and much of Lancashire and possibly even further afield.

But how do you enforce it? I've just had a look at a couple of festival sites and see that it has already been broken, big time in one case. Is someone sitting looking through the latest copies of Tykes and Stirrings to check the gig list? And what do you do about it?

For the vast majority of artists I really don't think it makes a ha'porth of difference - after all many folkies travel to many festivals and I'm prepared to bet that the guest lists are all pretty similar.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,local
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 08:06 PM

I'm sure most artists would agree that gigging close together on time scale and geographically is not a good idea most of the time anyway, so it's generally not a problem. None of these norms are set in stone though - festivals, artists and agents freely discuss such things, so there's really no cause for concern. It's just the way things work and should not be seen as any negative reflection on the Shepley organisers, if indeed the above request was even made to artists at the festival.

(And Cath, while you may think it looks like you are taking part in a discussion, it actually just comes across as if you are stirring, and given your own interests expressed in other threads, it might be wiser for you to steer clear of this thread if you are not going to comment on Shepley Spring Festival itself.
If you can't let the proverbial water go under the bridge......)

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: GUEST,dave the jug
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 03:28 AM

I'm glad you feel that way Cath, cos the Ugly mug jug band are booked at a local folk club and now at the holmfirth festival of folk!
I think your last comment was relevant and in no way 'stirring'.
( but some will always think the worst)

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 04:12 AM

I'm sorry Local but I thought I was taking part in a general discussion on exclusion clauses which came up in your thread.
My comments were directed at all who said it was the normal thing to do. Maybe I should have been clearer - I was talking of the 'you' in general terms rather than the particular, after all using 'one' does sound a bit pompous.
I made my identity and interests quite clear although I confess I did use Holmfirth and Shepley as examples.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 04:35 AM

Looks great so far - good luck to them - it can't be easy to make radical changes to a festival which has been going for so long.

Well I have a bias in that I will be a stall holder. And if the organisers were calling it anything to do with Holmfirth then people might have a grievance.

But it looks to me as if the organisers are not doing anything to associate the festival with Holmfirth and if you didn't know from elsewhere that the organisers were people who were involved in the old Holmfirth Festival then there is nothing to connect the two.

For obvious reasons I wish anyone who organises a festival every success they wish themselves and everyone to live in peace and harmony, in order that they feel happy purchasing my previously cherished books and spending money with the other stall holders.

And enjoying the music, atmosphere and all the associated things along with it.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 08:08 AM

Cath, have you seen the exclusion clause?

Are are you writing about that which you actually when it comes down to the nitty grittys really have not seen and are just guessing about or have heard about?

About four years ago Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson and Peggy Seeger were booked to appear in Sheffield. Martin had appeared in Worksop two weeks earlier - a long standing booking. So Peggy appeared on her own.

It is not unusual, and any festival organiser knows about it. As "Guest local" says these things are often negotiable anyway. That is usually up to the artist - or possibly their agent as in the case above.

But with the danger of repetition - what does the clause say? Or have you just heard about it?

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Cath
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 01:11 PM

Folkie Dave, I didn't start this story and I don't know who did but nobody has yet denied that this clause exists, in fact many people have said that it is quite normal.
My concern is as I have already outlined in terms of how it affects many artists who may be trying to tie in other gigs with their festival bookings. Also Shepley have some of the same guests on their list as we have at Holmfirth so what happens now?
If there is such a clause it isn't much use if no notice is taken of it - it might as well not be there in that case.

Subject: RE: Shepley Spring Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 02:43 PM

So, let me get this correct in my own mind so I understand what you are saying.

Someone starts a rumour - you don't know who - and because no-one denies it you are happy for people to keep repeating it as if it is true. And you are worried by it. That strikes me as strange behaviour.

My first post on this subject was to advise people to check this story before repeating it. You and they are free to ignore this advice Cath but you can hardly blame me if I point out it is just a rumour at the moment.

I have pointed out in this thread along with others including a professional singer, that even if it were true it would not be unusual. I have given chapter and verse of an example of this. If the rumour is true then all those artists were free to turn down such a contract if they felt it was not in their interests and their agents would have advised them to do so too.

I cannot see the problem.