The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #62143 Message #1004358
Posted By: akenaton
18-Aug-03 - 10:07 PM
Thread Name: Best Folk Club Performers
Subject: RE: Best Folk Club Performers
I have followed this thread with interest,listening to the arguments for Trad or Contemporary. I assisted in the running of a very large Folk club. back in the 60s and I came to the conclusion that the most important ingredient in a folk performance was the"charisma" of the artist. I dont know if charisma is the correct word to use maybe sincerity might be better. Anyway to illustrate what I mean,we had booked Alex Campbell For the main spot ...Second half of the program...The audiance of over 500 were all pissed ...crates of beer under seats ect..and they were giving the other artists a real hard time.Alex was watching this disaster from the side of the stage,and when a young girl left the stage in tears,he said to me "put me on now". One of the most magical moments I ever witnessed happened next,Alex took the stage amidst all the heckling and noise and started to sing "I once loved a lass",a lovely quiet ballad, within ten seconds the hall was in complete silence,and what an ovation Alex received at the end of the song. It was a situation when the hair really did "stand up on the back of my neck"Iv never forgotten the power of that performance and its one of the reasons why Ill always be a folkie...Ake.