Hello,

Well thanks about the advice on nerves - it's helpful to hear that other people get them and not just me. I thought maybe I should start a new thread on this because I find it helps to have a couple of beers to help the nervousness - but then that has its own problems which I will explain in the new thread.

My two daughters are aged 21 and 17 and they hear their mother playing all sorts of old folk songs on banjo. BUT they don't want to go along to the folk club. I'm trying to work out why, when I was their age, the folk club was the in thing and great, but they view it now as a load of old farts and don't want to know.

To me, folk music is about people. Its about how they live and their experiences. For instance, we don't want to kill whales now - and if we sing a song about the people who did kill whales (Blow ye winds in the morning) we are hearing from the sailors who actually did it that they didn't like it one bit! So it has its relevance now, even though its of centuries ago. It wasn't a pleasant job. It shouldn't have been done. And they knew it.

And a lot of the modern songs are also protesting about things people don't like. But they have to say it now in the loudest possible way. It would seem you have to be plugged into amps as loud as possible to get your message across. But yet......Kurt Cobain (the idol of my daughters) actually sang unplugged "In the pines" by Leadbelly.....and groups like GreenDay, R.E.M and other groups that I can't remember the name of, are actually singing folk songs but they produce them in a rock and noisy format.

My daughters can sing these songs only accompanied by acoustic guitar. But would they be welcomed to sing them at a folk club?

It seems to be that folk clubs must, in a way, fill the role of a museum - to keep the old songs of experience ongoing so that people are aware of historical hardships and exploitation of the working class. But they must also look forward to what problems people are experiencing today...whatever that may be.

Young people today have their own protest songs. Folk singing must surely keep evolving to take in the present as well as the past. Can we encourage them to come along and sing to us about what they don't like now? It seems to me that, if we can't, then when you and I are no longer able to go along to a folk club..............well, there won't be anyone else interested.

Anyway, you guys up in Gainsborough sound cool - I should have gone there a few weeks ago for a banjo festival but couldn't get the transport. Sounds like you've got a good scene going.

Regards.
Penny