First of all - don't sing just folksongs. You are there to entertain and and enliven these peoples day. there are a hundred tv channels and a thousand radio stations totally ignoring these people - because of their economic unimportance in todays society. Kids and DINKIES have all the money.

If you go in there saying well folksinging is what I do, you'll just be one more person ignoring them. Think popular music - the popular songs with well known choruses from Jolson to the Beatles. Engelbert is popular - so is some Sinatra.Only the folksongs everybody knows cockles and mussel, Goodnite Irene, you'd think the wild rover - but its not as well known as you'd think - thet generation weren't the folkies.

Approach your local authority for a list of all the homes in your area - tell you're looking for a home for your Dad. They all have them. Make a data base. Name your fee. Say you do an hour - more than that is too much for anyone to concentrate on. Put in a picture with you SMILING - you are not there to be mean moody and magnificent. All that hour - you are ON - you are performing - a live wire!

Small one off places - pay you on the day. Homes that part of a big chain will expect you to leave a bill and they pay you usually within two months.

I used backing tapes on a mini disc, were I starting now I would put them on a i-pod. Start off with something cheerful - I used Zip a de doo dah segueing into Fred Astaire, the beauty of the tapes is that you can shake hands with everyone individually. Also you can use anybacking from an orchestra to brass band. Make conatact and smile and have something to say. The world is ignoring these folk - (the people cleaning up after them and feeding them are generally underpaid, young and pissed off) - you will be amazed at the positive response. I used the guitar for about twenty minutes - stuff like sin to tell alie,, you are my sunshine, bye bye blackbird, someone to watch over me, slowboat to China, Tiperary...

I'm waiting for half a dozen folkies to write back say - what a patronising sod - what they really need is thoughtful stuff that doesn't insult their intelligence like Leonard Cohen and the Dowie Dens of Yarrow ......


To which I can say its nearly two years now since I was well enough to do this job that I loved, and this morning someone phoned up with a gig, and I had to send a booking to one of the few folkies I could trust to do it properly. Most of the buggers were just too arrogant to apply themselves to the job.

Its a wonderful job - try and be worthy of it!