Date: 01 Apr 04 - 06:19 AM
Keep Mr Harding away from Whitby Folk Week He'll kill it.
It merely shows what a knob head you are.
Mike was one of the Main Stays of all the early Whitby Festivals .
Together with Bob Spray (and in true pantomime spirit)they were forever dividing audiences into Yorkshire and Lancashire and their respective sympathisers to get the best out of any chorus song.
Also they gathered their respective mobs for loads of other civilised but rauchous activities when the music and song were quiet i.e. cricket on the sands at 10 in the morning.
Besides owt else - I bet you can't sing/play a traditional song/tune from GB / Ireland of which Mike doesn't at least few lines / notes.
He's now an elder statesmen of Folk and like all elder statesmen he's seen most of it ,and more poignant - doesn't really give a toss, just so long as he is doing what he's being asked to do and to the very best of his ability.
To those who have wrote expressing more GB/UK Trad - I agree, but it probably goes down on the BBC Budget as International Music or something - there'll be a reason - but I honestly don't think Mike's the problem here.