BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 May 16 - 03:39 AM

my remarks were aimed particulrly at the inclusion of mark knopfler and joan armatrading.
both are maybe at the better end [imo] of popular coomercial music, but thats what they do popular commercial music ,not folk music these are supposed to be folk awards.
jack campin do you seriously think donovan sounds anything like dylan?

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 08 May 16 - 05:00 AM

Speaking of clothes, every time I see Stuart Maconie, it reminds me of the first time I saw my Dad wearing flares.

I enjoy the Folk Awards which has a wider remit that just Folk but celebrates Acoustic and Roots (whatever that is?) music, too, and I believe that anytime the BBC broadcasts musicians playing live (even with the "bums" notes) they should be applauded.

Harry

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 May 16 - 05:18 AM

Just a comment on Mark Knopfler. He may have made his fortune playing electric guitar with Dire Straits, but his roots are definitely in the folk world and he cut his teeth - and guitar fingers - on folk music, playing in pubs like many another of us.

Now he's established and rich enough to do whatever he wants, he's obviously gone back to those roots. Whether you like him or not is up to you, but don't assume that he's always been a "commercial" musician.

I personally couldn't care less - from what I've seen and heard of the man, he seems a genuine guy who really knows about and cares about music. As for being "commercial", I wish I'd written and recorded just one of his songs.

And as for the Folk Awards (as I've said before on other threads) - couldn't give a toss.

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 May 16 - 12:13 PM

Will, he probably is a nice man, but thts not relevant, he may have learned finger picking playing folk music so did Donovan, And their music probably is the better end of pop music, but why in the folk awards?
Mark knopfler has not played many folk clubs or folk festivals,
Will what has playing in pubs got to do with it?, country musicians play in pubs some use finger style or flatpicking guitar does it make them folk music? tribute artists play in pubs, Many performers of different genres play in pubs and have to suffer sometimes as background music,that does not necessarily make their music folk music.
finally, my remarks were not aimed at liza carthy, norma waterson, the unthanks or sam lee, all of whom are very popular performers in a folk style and part of what has become the folk music industry., they are good at what they do, they are well managed and well promoted.
as far as i am concerned it is very sad that the music, i saw in the folk clubs of the sixties, that used to be described as the music of the people has become so commercialised, but i suppose it is inevitable
i am not impressed with the idea of the folk awards,
I prefer to make my judgements on live performances.

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: GUEST
Date: 08 May 16 - 12:35 PM

i am not impressed with the idea of the folk awards,
I prefer to make my judgements on live performances.

I don't often agree with GSS but +1 to that.

Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016
From: Howard Jones
Date: 09 May 16 - 09:25 AM

The reason I've not been back to defend my statement was that I've been away all weekend - playing folk music as it happens.

My comment about Cambridge Folk Festival was probably unfair and I'm not going to defend it, but I will explain it. My impression is that it does tend to book headliners who are not names I would immediately associate with folk. According to Wikipedia these have included Chumbawamba, Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros and The Levellers, while a random dip into the archives turned up Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Now I don't what to start yet another "what is folk" debate, suffice to say that they don't come within my own notion of the term. CFF is hugely successful on its own terms, and I'm not suggesting that its audience doesn't include people with a deep interest in folk music, but at the same time I don't believe it, or some of the artists it books, is representative of the UK folk scene, which is what the Folk Awards should be.

My impression of the Radio 2 folk show may also be unfair, as I don't listen to it very often. Whenever I happen to dip in, it appears to me to lean quite strongly towards Americana, Irish and singer-songwriters. I've nothing against any of these, but I don't think that's a good representation of the UK folk scene either. Perhaps I've just been unlucky.