Why do dance bands get the jobs? Simple, they have captured the market. Folk musicians will not be able to capture the market by making themselves scarce via charging fees.

There are perhaps many in the audience of a festival but how integrated are they within the culture? How many are simply hangers on being entertained. Why the big stages? Way too many people for a folk setting to work best. We seem content to go with huge crowds of listeners rather than smaller venues where the experience is more real.

So are we creating a folk experience in highly commercialized venues?
Although there are exceptions I find that on average few folk musicians stay at festivals after they play and if they stay they do not mingle with the audience but stay in their own corners. Yes I go to a good number of events in the area.

Again why are musicians and festival organizers so dependant on volunteers. Simple- they want to make more money and slavery is an easy way to do it. No trouble with volunteering but why cant we all do it? Seems simple to me. And the proper sign of success and dedication that one wants to achieve.

It is very widely known, and I listen to commentary on this all the time via the BBC that the deminse of folk clubs is due only to the rise of commercialization the result is huge massive festivals with high ticket prices that infact get sold out. This does not help the music but limits it. It does make the fat cat organizers and musicians a lot of money or they wouldnt be doing it in this way.

Just look at food costs- in festivals rather than a bargain that would keep one coming back it is a rip off at several times market price. It is all about profit taking or else we would not see such high costs.

If I went to the UK I would purposefully avoid all the huge festivals and base any tour around folk clubs that are extremely reasonable if not free. Just listen to the gig guides on the BBC programs. They cover the massive and the tiny. Yet good names appear at the clubs on a regular basis as well. Perhaps it is due to more dedication that the UK at least still has some grass roots club scene left.

Here in the Baltimore Washington area the only venues with a few exceptions are extremely expensive and not only that but those running the things are into costly re-enactment costuming as well. So instead of feeling together one feels being performed at by a bunch of masqueraders drinking beer that you cant afford. There are cheaper places which are just as good if not better food and drink quality but the organizers are seemingly elitists who just dont want just anyone to attend.

Conrad