"Just exactly what would you like to see happen in British Folk Clubs?"
Wind back about thirty years and you find it there Steve
A mix of traditional and new songs being created on traditional models were the norm throughout the scene
The scene I know were made up of my age who already had families and were looking around for ideas of how to get them involved - the Campbell sprogs ormed a pop group I seem to remember
The mass of people walked away because of declining standards and the shortage of folk songs in the clubs - the period was recorded in detail by an article entitled 'Crap Begets Crap, and a long series of responses in Folk Review
Your claim of young people turning to traditional folk song is contradicted by virtually everything agued here and your own circular definition that folk is what happens in folk clubs
One wonders where young people would go for traditional material and encouragement to sing it - certainly not the clubs represented here on hate fests like this one
If the above definition is your idea of what folk song is I have little doubt that there is no difficulty in finding it - plenty of karaoke venues around
"I'm not sure if that's true. It all depends on how we define "folk music"."
It's not "how we define it" Johnny it's whether we do - not much of that here
Nobody is insisting that we confine the clubs to traditional song - which really doesn't cover a "multitude of sins" and is quite unique among all other vocal forms - the aim was that we use the old songs to create new ones to provide a comfortable mix of old and new.
That is what has been ousted and replaced by "a multitude of sins and styles"
Folk and traditional when applied to song are synonymous terms - not separate ones
"Iains merely acknowledged the work you have done."
Iains has made clear where he stands on who should and should not have a say on these matters, just as he has on what he thinks of those who disagree with him
I consider praise from such people unnecessary and unwelcome just as I would if it came from somebady who had to ask "I wonder if you ever actually enjoy folk music, "
Jim Carroll