Folk club organisers - I salute you!

Subject: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Will Fly
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 03:53 PM

I've put up one or two posts over the last 12 weeks or so to advertise a concert I was promoting - featuring guitarist Duck Baker. The concert took place last Saturday (4th April) and was a great success. Not quite a sellout, but very nearly so. I even made a modest profit.

I have to say that I did this as a labour of love because I love Duck Baker's playing and his musical breadth. Having spent the weeks producing publicity, hustling tickets, organising theatre hire, sound, Duck, etc., I'm now thoroughly knackered - happy, but knackered.

When I consider that club organisers do much of this over and over again on a regular basis, all I can say is how much admiration I have for you all - and salute you. I know that putting on a one-off show is different in many respects from having a regular venue and regular set of patrons but, nevertheless, respect is due.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:26 PM

Some do it for more than one club. Some do it while gigging. Some do both.

Girl Friday
Growler
LanFranc

consider yourselves saluted.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:28 PM

What about Festivals Will ?? They are usually well into booking NEXT years acts before this years fest has started !

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Will Fly
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:30 PM

Uuugh... I couldn't contemplate it. Mind you, the organisers wouldn't be totally single-handed, would they?

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:33 PM

As the chairman of The Borderline Folk Music Club of Rockland County, NY I do it as a labor of love and do not make any profit on it. In fact, it costs me between $100 and $300 per concert out of my pocket so that people should have a venue to hear this kind of music.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Will Fly
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:35 PM

Rabbi-Sol - respect to you and those like you as well. Do you have time for anything else...? :-)

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Rasener
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:57 PM

Thanks Will we doit for the love or becuase we are nuts.

Even if festivals have a lot of people working to make it happen, I know that the directors of each Festival spend days and nights getting it all arranged. I can asuire you they work extremely hard and are lucky they are not divorced. Maybe they are, or in the dog house.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:58 PM

I am retired now. I was in charter bus and tour sales for 46 years and I now spend full time working on my hobby, which is folk music.
With the exception of my Sabbath and Jewish Holidays I spend 8 to 10 hours a day working on The Borderline. 70% of that time is spent responding to requests from musicians who are looking to play my venue. I make it a point to respond to everyone no matter how unknown they are. Who knows. Today's unknown can turn out to be tomorrow's Pete Seeger. I get on the average of 5 CD submissions a week, most of them unsolicited.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Folkiedave
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 04:11 AM

I know that the directors of each Festival spend days and nights getting it all arranged. I can asuire you they work extremely hard and are lucky they are not divorced.

Well said Les.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 08:19 AM

A couple of years ago I retired from organising folk clubs after forty seven years, on and off, but mostly on.

I was holding down a part time job, and recoverin from a heart problem, and it was too tiring.

Now I'm completely retired, though not from choice, and the possibility of a new venue has just prsented itself. If it all works out I will soon be up to me neck in it again, but with no worries about the "day job" it'll be a doddle for a youngster like me.

I'm really stoked at the prospect.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 09:36 AM

I'm delighted to hear that the Duck Baker event went well. A good piece of work finding a new venue and making it work, too.

Like you, most organisers do it for love, not for glory and certainly not for money. There is huge satisfaction to be gained from putting in all the advance effort and then seeing it bear fruit on the day.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Rasener
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 09:48 AM

Well said Valmia

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 10:12 AM

Do we still need to stick pieces of paper up on noticeboards or can we do just as well or better with e-mail?

Cheers

L in C

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: peregrina
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 10:21 AM

Last time I went to get some shoes repaired I saw the programme for my local excellent folk club posted in the shoe repair shop.
I've seen it many other places, but never expected to see it there. That's dedication! I'm sure it pulls on people who wouldn't hear of events otherwise.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 10:34 AM

"I'm sure it pulls on people who wouldn't hear of events otherwise. "

Does this assume that either people who go to cobblers go nowhere else or that some of us are only impressed when we see a poster some where unusual?

Cheers

L in C

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: peregrina
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 11:07 AM

Or that people actually read a poster where they don't expect to see it, where it's not crammed in amongst many others, and where they have a few minutes waiting time?

The posters appear in lots of more obvious places too. Actually, I think it's more an indication of the organizer's incredible dedication.

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Banjiman
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 11:11 AM

..... and that's why the club won Radio 2 Folk Club of the Year 2009!

Now, Roland is a folk club organiser I would like to salute!

Paul

Subject: RE: Folk club organisers - I salute you!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 11:58 AM

Sorry peregrina, I was clearly being childishly smart or clearly not.

I must admit my posters look lost amongst all the others at the bars that put on music.

Cheers

L in C