"Listen out for Coope Boyce and Simpson.They are a brilliant acapella folk band with soaring harmonies .The songs are superb too..often politically charged and committed.Great stuff!!"


As Richard said above, a small folk club cannot even consider booking them. My own club struggles to get 15 to 20 bums on seats in a town where two music venues folded after trying to charge £12 for BIG name acts. If the punters won't pay more than £5 it is they who live in the past, not the organisers.

We lose money on every guest night, but we manage to cover using the money from singers nights. Should we then give up and let the whole thing die?

I DON'T THINK SO!

We can continue as long as SOME of the "names" remember where they started their careers.

Martin Carthy is a very good example. He fervently believes that he owes a debt of gratitude to the folk club scene, and is always willing to negotiate on fees with the smaller venues. If you were to tell him it doesn't make business sense, I think you would get a very interesting answer.

It is very likely that the fact that his popularity has never waned has a great deal to do with this attitude.

Other acts, who are currently riding high, might do well to give this serious consideration, because cutting themselves off from the grass routes may prove costly when the next big name pushes them down the list.

Don T.