New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:23 PM

That's because, Spinachy, I felt your comments about Jim Causley were a nasty, bad-tempered strop,

In which case your feelings were wrong, Joan - as I was simply expressing an opinion within the context of an already over-heated discussion, in which I was trying to deal with all sorts of issues & misunderstandings arising instead of just leaving it to fester. My opinion of Jim Causeley's music was not in the least bit mean spirited, but a fair & good humoured assessment of the sort of remove Folk now operates from the Tradition it supposedly derives. It was not a nasty, bad-tempered strop, but a fair and respectful assessment of a musical approach which is, I feel, entirely at odds with the nature of Traditional Music as I've experienced & loved it these past 48 years.

If you like such music, which is your right & entitlement, then it doesn't surprise me that you don't like what I do, and only in the fact that you dismiss what you clearly have no understanding of as being self-regarding bollocks does it bother me. You are, of course, entitled to hold that opinion (however inaccurate & malicious as it might be) but for a person in your elevated position to thus publicly (and privately) denounce me is, I feel, an abuse of influence. After all, it was not you who I criticised, but the nature of a musical approach embodied in the work of a successful artist in the light of which your response was, in two words, somewhat worrying.

*

This is a young man who revived wassailing in his home village of Whimple

To quote by erstwhile buddy Joan Crump: Why does every aspect of that sentence depress me so much? (from HERE, to give it context, which chimes in quite nicely, I feel, with the above).

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:36 PM

Spinachy, Would that be before or after you said it made you want to throw up?

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: the Folk Police
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:43 PM

Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks

Joan, can we have your permission to use that quote on the publicity material for Sean & Rachel's forthcoming album, please?

Best,

The Folk Police

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:49 PM

I couldn't care less. But wouldn't it be nice if all the smart-arse guests had the bollocks (self-regarding or otherwise) to use their names?

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:53 PM

I go out of the front door, I walk to the pub, I get a drink and sing some songs, so do other people. We drink some more beer and sing some more songs. Then we go home revived.

Is this the third ir fourth revival?

L in C

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:59 PM

"but for a person in your elevated position"

I thought we were all equal on here?

Just a thought

Pete.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,JM
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:59 PM

"As one "isolated" from the scene for some time now I have , nevertheless, been reading some "mutterings" in the media about the beginnings of a "New" Revival of interest in Folk Music in the UK."

By "mutterings", I think the OP might be referring to some of the publicity for the "Looking for a New England" trip to New York and SXSW festival.

For the uninitiated, the line-up includes The Unthanks, Jim Moray, Jackie Oates, Gaderene (with Laurel Swift, Nick Wyke and Matt Norman), Olivia Chaney and The Trembling Bells, i.e representatives from most strands of what could be called "folk music", whatever you're into. So while its not a new thing to people in the UK, this is showcasing in US what has been building up in England for 10-15 years.

Only a fool (implication deliberate) could deny that theres something happening at the moment, whether you approve of it or not.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:01 PM

"This is a young man who revived wassailing in his home village of Whimple

To quote by erstwhile buddy Joan Crump: Why does every aspect of that sentence depress me so much? (from HERE, to give it context, which chimes in quite nicely, I feel, with the above)."

In my always humble opinion, the two things are not the same. It's all about context. One is about the resident of a village reviving a local custom. Personally, I don't really have a problem with that. The other is about people who have nothing to do with a particular place taking its local custom, turning into something else completely, and performing it in another location.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:05 PM

Me too, Burton Coggles. And I don't see why me saying what I did, in response to Spinachy saying that Jim Causley's music made him want to throw up, is out of order. After all, Sean: maybe you simply "have no understanding of" what Jim does.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Goose Gander
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:11 PM

Folk, like love, is a many-splintered thing.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,cardboard cutout
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:33 PM

Before this thread degenerates into a "Jim Causley defence-fest", I'd re-iterate what Guest JM posted a few posts above : was the original poster prompted to make the post by U.S. coverage of the "Looking for a New England" tour to SXSW Festival in Texas, and New York?

Catch that, if you're in the vicinity and you'll know where U.K. folk /traditional music has been going for the last 10 years and see a representative sample.

And there are lots more of these young exponents at home here in the UK

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: glueman
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:38 PM

Quite like Jim Causely and his music me'sen and Jackie Oates, Spiers and Boden and find Rachel Unthank's voice interesting. I could listen to Liza Carthy all day. There's a disparity between the Guardian friendly way they're presented, as young, gifted and folk without the flatulence and body odour, and the reality. They have all entertained me at different times.

If there is a modern revival the engine of it may well be Newcastle's University course. We need more like it, folk removed from vested interests and strong opinions and delivered in an intelligent way.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,cardboard cutout
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:47 PM

"If there is a modern revival the engine of it may well be Newcastle's University course."

Well no, I don't think so. It is much wider than that, and pre-dates the Newcastle course, by a small time.

Of the people you mention above, it is only one who attended the Newcastle course, too

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 02:57 PM

It is of course good to take the opportunity to big up "Looking For A New England but this was apparently not the inspiration for the original post since it states "it is music of the genre "Americana" or "Old Time American" that is in question". Whatever that means. If USAans are expecting pale imitations of the Garth Wotsit version of country pop it is to be hoped that they will be surprised if not amazed.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: glueman
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 03:00 PM

Beachcomber, the OP, wrote about recent mutterings in the media. I take it he's referring to the new wave of folk artists that appear to be interesting the chatterati, rather than Odetta or Walter Pardon. I don't think there's been a decade since the romantic era that has lacked a folk revival of some kind, there was certainly one on the back of the Pogues popularity and bands like Steeleye Span. The tradition scrubs up rather well in a nice frock or a handsome face. Whether it'll break through into mass media who can say?

Given the plethora of academic course subjects and the accepted role of education in classical music it's surprising there aren't more in traditional music. There are plenty in other traditional other craft subjects.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 03:08 PM

so this new revival has nothing to do with the EFDSS.or does it?
am I allowed to mention the EFDSS?

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Folknacious
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 03:18 PM

It is of course good to take the opportunity to big up "Looking For A New England"

Yes, I'd have thought that was exactly what some people would have equated with a "new folk revival of folk music in england" as per the thread title and said "mutterings in the media", rather than a couple of indie band with banjos. Except that I'm also rather in agreement with what Ms Borchester wrote somewhere up above about it being a continuing process rather than a staged, stop-start one with number signs. I never liked the term "revival" anyway as it implied that the old tradition was a stiff, clearly patent nonsense. I always thought the term "revival was a bit of self-aggrandisement by MacColl and co, to make themselves seem more important in the schemes and tides of history. Looking back now, they seem more like a log jam in the stream.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 03:22 PM

Spinachy, Would that be before or after you said it made you want to throw up?

Before - in the same post in fact - see HERE - although if you are going quote me, kindly do so without twisting my words. What I actually said was though I had to switch off at the instrumental break at 1.35 on account of consequent nausea. More spinach I think... . Good humoured as I say.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 03:58 PM

Folknacious, I'm with you on not liking the term 'revival.'

Media people need to create the impression that they know everything that's going on. Therefore, when they suddenly realize that somebody has been making fine music without their awareness and their permission, they label it a revival.

They don't want to admit that the music has been going on quietly and constantly while they were focussing attention on pop stars.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 05:31 PM

Except that I'm also rather in agreement with what Ms Borchester wrote somewhere up above about it being a continuing process rather than a staged, stop-start one with number signs. I never liked the term "revival" anyway as it implied that the old tradition was a stiff, clearly patent nonsense. I always thought the term "revival was a bit of self-aggrandisement by MacColl and co, to make themselves seem more important in the schemes and tides of history. Looking back now, they seem more like a log jam in the stream.
MacColl, acheived much more than you ever will.
log jam in a stream,what a way to dismiss someone who has written sonme of our finest songs, who played amajor part in the production of the radio ballads,and who was an excellent performer,
put a sock in it[your gob] folknacious you are an insignificant speck of dust compared to MacColl .

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:09 PM

Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks

Before this passes into 'catlore, can I point out that what RA actually said was

much of your posturing about Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks

which is a bit different. (Of course, RA may have misspoken - she may in fact believe that Suibhne's "feral" music is self-regarding bollocks in its own right, or indeed that all of Suibhne's posturing about his own "feral" music (and not merely much of it) falls into that category. But she didn't say so.)

yz aye,

Pedant O'Radish

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Folknacious
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:32 PM

put a sock in it[your gob] folknacious you are an insignificant speck of dust compared to MacColl

Dick by name . . .

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:53 PM

Cheers, Pip.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,beachcomber
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 07:09 PM

Seeing that my original query has "sparked" a good old debate (incl not a little unpleasantness here and there) I have unearthed the source. Luckily I still had my copy of the Sunday Times Supplement "CULTURE" for the 7th Mar 2010. Unfortunately I am not able to reproduce it for this forum but the article , a report, is headlined   "Hoedown is hot, man" with a sub heading reading "A new breed of country bands is giving authentic Americana music a British spin. Tim Cooper reports : "
I hope that many of you will be able to access the report and then, ....."have at it sirs/madams".

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 07:22 PM

Oh dear, that depresses me far more.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Folknacious
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 08:34 PM

I'm now confused, guest beachcomber. . Your topic subject line was "New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England" but now it seems to be about country music/ Americana. This sounds more like the mid-80s "cowpunk" thing, the Boothill Foot-Tappers, Men They Couldn't Hang, Yip Yip Coyote and so on around the time of the launch of the Pogues. It was great fun but fizzled out as quickly as it came and was nothing to do with any so-called folk revivals. It looks like history is repeating itself right now then.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,beachcomber
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 08:46 PM

Well I am sorry for the confusion caused. I had no idea that I was putting my head in a hornets nest like this. I had thought that informality was the way of the Mudcat but I will obviously need to make sure of my definitions in future.
The article confused me also but I used only the "terms" that Mr Cooper used and I hoped that I would get clarification from Mudcatters.
I have absolutely no axe to grind as to the various definitions of "Folk", "Americana", "Old Time" "Pop" , "revival" or what you will. I merely sought the opinion of Mudcatters on this latest musical phenomenon in the UK.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: brezhnev
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:14 PM

Cheers for the info about the article, beachcomber. I'm sure the confusion gave quite a lot of people a jolly interlude in what otherwise might have been a dreary weekend. And it won't make any difference that it was all about Brit country. They'll carry on abusing each other anyway.

In any case, you just prompted me to check out some of the offending alt-anglicana acts on myspace. So thanks for that. Pretty uninspiring, I thought.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:43 PM

""and the introduction of the absurd, divisive term "traddies" which is generally interpreted as a term of abuse for the out-of-touch.""

My apologies, Diane, for offending your all too sensitive feelings. The word was shorthand, used to make more concise and understandable, the message which you, in your righteous indignation, failed to notice.

No change there then?

Don T.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 12:35 AM

"Traddie" is an absurd and divisive expression, generally interpreted as a term of abuse for the out-of-touch. Its use fails to make anything either concise or understandable.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 03:31 AM

beachcomber: as I remarked earlier in the thread, there is a bit of a phenomenon at the moment, the most successful examples being Mumford and Sons and Noah and the Whale. Both of these bands have a distinctly American acoustic vibe (Mumford being, in my opinion, more influenced by alt-country and Americana, while Noah and the Whale seem more influenced by things like early Poi Dog Pondering).

There was an article in the Guardian only a few weeks ago which focused on Trevor and Hannah Lou (who run The Lantern Society folk club at the Betsy Trotwood pub in London). This article noted the current trend of village hall gigs, but again focused on alt-folk. This is a club that's cropped up in a village hall near me: The Sunday Saloon, Quorn

I'm not really sure why any of this should be depressing. It's something that's happening amongst largely young people, and they're making their own acoustic, folk-influenced music. It may not be the folk music that some UK mudcatters would listen to or wish that young people were emulating, but that's what happens when you hand over the means of production to the workers. :) Fair play to them.

I would still emphasise that I don't think this more recent phenomenon is particularly related or relevant to the English resurgence of the past 10 - 15 years. It seems to be something that's happening in parallel, will achieve a certain level of BBC radio airplay, and may well not endure in the same way.

The only thing I would object to in the Sunday Times article is the inclusion of the gloriously bonkers Mr Plow with the rest of the current alt-country lot. This guy belongs to no fashionable music trend - he is a true one-off.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 04:38 AM

Pedant O'Radish

Sycophant O' Radish more like, Phil; an apple for Miss Umbrage which has not only earned you a nice little merit badge but the enduring contempt of at least one of your classmates. Tosser.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 04:56 AM

Sean, have I missunderstood this?

"Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks

Before this passes into 'catlore, can I point out that what RA actually said was

much of your posturing about Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks

which is a bit different. (Of course, RA may have misspoken - she may in fact believe that Suibhne's "feral" music is self-regarding bollocks in its own right, or indeed that all of Suibhne's posturing about his own "feral" music (and not merely much of it) falls into that category. But she didn't say so.)

yz aye,

Pedant O'Radish "

Isn't Mr Radish making a claer point in the middle of the usual pile of old tripe that passes for discussion in ths place?

best wishes

Les

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 05:15 AM

Suibhne - that was completely out of order imho.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 05:49 AM

Back to this revival thing. I have the general impression of more people and groups of people singing and playing mostly but not exclusively traditional songs and tunes.

Quite a lot of these have a high level of musicianship and groups or bands are playing lots of instruments in interesting combinations. They often sing old songs in fresh ways and dig up versions of songs I have not heard before.

Their are a lot of festivals, and sill clubs, where these people can be seen. Lots of recorded music is available and in the last few years thousands and thousands of old tunes have been published by all sorts of people like John Adams at the Village Music Project, Matt Seattle Great Northern Tune Book, students from Newcastle and The EFDSS.

Call it what you like but it seems easier to hear and be involved in "mostly but not exclusively traditional songs and tunes". And , since you ask, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, Songs, Last Tuesday, Tunes, The Beech, Beech Road, Chorlton, Manchester

Best wishes

L in C

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: the Folk Police
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 05:50 AM

Re my post of 15 Mar 10 - 01:43 PM.

A case of engaging the typewriter before engaging the brain and letting the heat of passion get in the way of a more reasoned response. Apologies to Joan/Ruth for any offence caused.

Now can we all get back to loving one another? Please?

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:11 AM

Suibhne - that was completely out of order imho.

Whatever spin one chooses to put Joan Crump's pronouncement that much of your posturing about Your own "feral" music is a lot of self-regarding bollocks it only serves to justify her having said it in the first place. That Pip decided to do so on a point of pure pedantry is only to add insult the injury already suffered, thus might I question his motives in so doing, especially in the light of Joan's response & her evident feelings on the matter as articulated elsewhere.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:15 AM

Funny that. The Betsey Trotwood is almost next door to where the Guardian used to be and the Sunday Times was just round the corner before the Dirty Digger uprooted it to Fortress Wapping. When I went there recently I found its dreary alt shambolism depressing and underwhelming and I'm appalled that the OP should be propagating a wicked rumour that this is all that's happening in the English "acoustic" field. But as I remarked previously, it's not all horrendous: Mumford & Sons is quite nice but fairly irrelevant. What's sad though is that just over the Farringdon Road is where the Metropolitan, home of a fabulous English session, used to stand but, hey-ho, there are plenty of vibrant others arising from the resurgance since the mid-90s which is entirely unrelated to and indeed preceded the current ripple of pseudo-Americana.

"Traddie" is absurd and divisive and "f*lkie" (yuk) even worse. Labelling participants is just as bad as strict delineation of genres. And it doesn't stop the unwashed from sometimes turning up for a ceilidh in checked shirt, cowboy boots and shrieking "yee-ha".

The OP complained earlier that I shouldn't be talking about just English music but music played in England, as though it was me that was being exclusive. Not so, I was once in an Old Timey band and will always seek out authentic visiting mountain musicians. And we do have our resident treasure, Tom Paley. What is at stake is excellence of execution and performance and an understanding of where the music is coming from. And there's plenty of that.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: theleveller
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:41 AM

Personal animosities aside, "self-regarding bollocks" could also be couched as "an individualistic, unconventional and enthusiastic approach". Hopefully dodging the sycophant tag, I like that and I like much of what I've heard of S O'P's music – it fits my own approach to music (which, I have to admit, I sometimes worry is perhaps self-regarding bollocks - but, if so, it's MY self-regarding bollocks).

As regards the relevance to this thread, maybe it's this way of approaching folk music that is leading to the over-engrandising tag of a new "revival". More likely, though, it's just individuals interpreting and playing the music in a way that they enjoy and perhaps others do as well. Hope so.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:43 AM

"Traddie" is absurd and divisive and "f*lkie" (yuk) even worse. Labelling participants is just as bad as strict delineation of genres.

There is a photo which you'll find in the booklet of your cherished copy of the Free Reed Peter Bellamy anthology Wake the Vaulted Echoes in which our hirsute hero sits beside a scrabble board on which are the words BORING BLEATING OLD TRADDY. Whilst MtheGM has recently revealed that the photograph was taken by his late wife, we know nothing of the source of this pejorative appellation spelled out with such evident glee - much less the word score. Was it a review? Or else a disgruntled folkie entirely unimpressed by our hero's masterful vocal stylings much less his choice of repertoire? God knows there were plenty of those, in the light of which TRADDY strikes as being somehow triumphant, working on any number of levels, often out of pure irony given the breadth of musical appreciation which one invariably finds is the lifeblood of any Traddy thus called. Of course Bellamy's musical eclecticism is the stuff of legend, and, like any True Traddy, he contextualised English Speaking Traditional Song relative to all Great Musics of Planet Earth and strove passionately for its wider acceptance without compromising one jot on either its musical integrity or that of its singers, Traditional or otherwise. If this is what it means to be called a TRADDY, then by all means count me in!

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:52 AM

"""Traddie" is an absurd and divisive expression, generally interpreted as a term of abuse for the out-of-touch. Its use fails to make anything either concise or understandable.""

Fine!....Whatever!

The message of course still ignored.

Don T

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Hamish
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:02 AM

About this time last year, May 2009, FRoots had a front page cover with a title very like that. It was called "New English Folk" and featured: Ian King, Nancy Wallace, Mary Epworth, Olivia Chaney. Ian King is fabulous, whereas I'm not convinced from the one short gig I saw of Mary Epworth. Many of them were quoting Shirely Collins and suhlike as being major influences.

(With apologies for not having trawled through all previous posts on this thread.)

--
Hamish

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:16 AM

"an individualistic, unconventional and enthusiastic approach"

Right on! Thanks for pointing that out, theleveller. Actually I should accept such criticisms as compliments especially given my TRADDY reputation in most quarters of the folk scene where all I do is Traditional Song. Hell, I've lately switched from Black Sea Fiddle to Normal Fiddle (pretty much) just to avoid the questions, although one fiddler was surprised that I used the normal tuning given my use of drones, which you don't hear too much of these days. That said, with respect of the individualistic, unconventional and enthusiastic approach I'm using one of those weird looking Chinese repro Baroque 5-strings off ebay - looks and sounds amazing - this one here but we got it for under £100 including postage...

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: matt milton
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:17 AM

revival always struck me as a silly term, much like other silly terms like 'hiring fair' etc etc

i like the tongue-in-cheek term 'folk scare' that one wag coined. Both Utah Philips and Dave van Ronk had a great attitude to the revival, I reckon: both simultaneously deeply involved in it, appreciative of it and yet viewing it with a rather bemused, ironical detachment.

Ultimately, you can say what you like about the 50s/60s folk revival, but it enabled and fostered a lot of good art - not just traditional music - that I love and always will. Music by musicians such as: Martin Carthy, Shirley Collins, Watersons, Jansch, Renbourn, MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Davy Graham, Anne Briggs, Sweeney's Men, and then fed into decent 70s songwriters and guitarists like Nick Drake and Dave Evans.

It also brought to light an awful lot of old traditional singers who we might not otherwise be listening to. It was all part of the same wave.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Banjiman
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:21 AM

"self-regarding bollocks"

I want a pair!

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: matt milton
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:21 AM

As for today? There does seem to be more interesting folk, and related, music being made, more often, and in more places, than there was in, say, the 1980s and 1990s. But that might simply be that it's easier to find the stuff now, thanks to myspace, youTube etc.

Just don't call it a revival - it does nobody any favours.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: GUEST,beachcomber
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:25 AM

It's funny, Borchester Echo, how you seem to imply that I am trying to "propagate" any particular rumour by asking a question about it.
In fact I have given you that opportunity that you have so vigourusly grabbed to refute it.
The article clearly refers to " a new wave of bands and singers..." and this was the phrase that aroused my curiosity. There is no more to my question. But maybe you have not read the piece ? If so there is little more I can say to allay your suspicions. I would really appreciate an unconfused answer rather than unsubtle hints that some dark "anti-traditional music" agenda is being pursued.
I did say that I have no axe to grind in the matter, my query was purely an attempt to get the opinions of Mudcatters whom I know to have their fingers on the pulse of the music scene in the UK (All of it).
My Thanks, again, to those people who have answered my question completely.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: matt milton
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:41 AM

"When I went there recently (the Betsey Trotwood) I found its dreary alt shambolism depressing and underwhelming and I'm appalled that the OP should be propagating a wicked rumour that this is all that's happening in the English "acoustic" field. But as I remarked previously, it's not all horrendous: Mumford & Sons is quite nice but fairly irrelevant."

I've mentioned this before, but Lantern Society at the Betsey is an OPEN MIC club. It therefore is de facto going to be a bit hit and miss, depending on who's there on any given night. As an OPEN MIC night, performers aren't going to have had soundchecks etc. So it will be a tad shambolic, yes. Have I mentioned that it's an OPEN MIC night? (still, gimme alt.shambolism over a Smooth Operations type folk act gig any day of the week)

If you are interested in some of the musicians associated with it, I'd recommend checking out their myspace pages: Trent Miller, Boycott Coca Cola Experience, Pepe Belmonte, Jack Day, Sunnie Dae (no relation), the Hanging Ropes, Harrisburg, Andy Hankdog, Emily C Smith, Dan Raza.

The Betsey Trotwood has a country/bluegrass/old-timey loving manager, so he inevitably programmes a lot of americana-leaning acts. so it's not that representative in that respect. Other London venues & clubs are also available : Windmill Brixton, Green Note, the Gladstone, the Local Crouch End, Slaughtered Lamb, the Old Nuns Head, Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, the Deptford Arms, the Magnolia East Dulwich, and of course the Oscar-winning Magpie's Nest.

I'd prefer it if the above listed names were a little more traddy and a little less singer-songwriter, to be absolutely honest, but then I tend to share S O'P's attitudes towards the majority of the young folk acts performing traditional material these days: I find them too middle of the road and well-groomed. They just sound like the Corrs or something.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: theleveller
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:52 AM

""self-regarding bollocks"

I want a pair! "

That would give you a whole new outlook.

Subject: RE: New 'Revival' of Folk Music in England.
From: Banjiman
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 07:56 AM

That's Pants Leveller.