Party Gate crasher ?

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: GUEST,essex girl
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 10:11 AM

thank you Rafflesbear.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Rafflesbear
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 09:03 AM

Essex Girl, you'd be made very welcome at the Seven Stars in Foots Cray and could play and sing along as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Alan Day
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 08:21 AM

Thinking about this subject in a bit more depth ,it would be far better if a "Come All Ye" was arranged as a Sing around where Singers or Musicians get a song or a tune around the room in turn and perhaps one brilliant performer or even the organiser just finishes off the evening. It is a much fairer system, no one player or singer gets priority, all get a fairer distribution of providing the evenings entertainment and finally it gives young performers an equal opportunity to perform in public.
It would revert back to a normal Folk Club evening where a guest has been booked or the guests just get a longer floor spot within the circle of performers.
Al

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Will Fly
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 07:00 AM

It's a mixed bag. I think there are two issues here: allocation of singer spots, and attitude to strangers.

As far as allocation of songs/tunes is concerned, newcomers or occasional visitors have to accept that the club's residents and regulars are the people who keep the club going, through thick and thin. I would say that part of the quid pro quo of doing that - one of the perks of being in that position, is that the residents get the chance to be the mainspring of singers' nights. I wouldn't do that myself (when I ran the BBC Folk Club "Clanfolk" for a spell in the late '60s, I introduced the evening with one song, and then did just one more song after the interval), but every club has its own policy, and newcomers have to accept it.

However, there's no excuse for an unwelcoming attitude to newcomers or cliqu'ishness which, unfortunately, you do find in one or two clubs. It's often the case, I think, that the more unwelcoming the club, the poorer the standard of performance, but that's just my personal view. I'm only an irregular and peripatetic performer at folk clubs because I'm out making money from gigs elsewhere, and I prefer sessions and singarounds for musical relaxation, on the whole, but I've been lucky in that the ones I do go to are extremely welcoming places, run by very experienced and knowledgeable musicians.

As it happens, I know the venue referred to by Al in his original post, and he's not exaggerating in this instance.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: GUEST,essex girl
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 06:45 AM

Glad to know you were welcomed somewhere else as I to have felt sometimes I am a party crasher. This tends to be clubs that have a few people perform before the evenings guest & instead of saying sorry full they try & squeeze everybody in. I don't mind this to much but when at an open mic evening with only 4 other people willing to perform I felt 1 song each half from me was unfair, possibly because i'm only young & new they wanted to hear me before offering me, but then when I asked if I could attened another week I got told yes but not to expect to play as they would probably be full up!!! I may try again in the autunm sessions- have to think about it. I know I am learning but if they don't give me a chance how can I improve & they thought I was that bad why let me on in the second half at all.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 06:32 AM

Went to a guest evening at a club that I had not attended before & got cold shouldered- tried to speak to the organisers to see if any help was required, have over 30 years experiance of clubs & folk music but can not get to many evenings now due to were I live & not driving- this one once a month could have been possible. Any way they hardly bothered to answer my questions with grunts. The rest of the audiance/guests never even bothered to speak when spoken to to other than one other lady whom said she felt the club very "clicky" & both of us said we would not try again. I have not as I definatly felt I "crashed the party". Since then have found another local club in another direction & have been made to feel most welcome as a spectator & contributor to ideas as well as playing.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Alan Day
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 04:13 AM

Foolstroupe
It is something I often wondered about, but never put it in writing.
Surely an organiser putting on an event weekly or monthly should encourage good performances ,he is booking acts to perform at his club and are appreciated for their hard work.
Al

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 11:31 PM

"reluctantly granted a small slot"

Happens a lot - these people are 'B-graders' - afraid of competition, mainly because they FEAR they are 'not very good' themselves.... :-)

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 08:45 PM

And there is the choice , if only given a short spot , to do the LONGEST song you know , with several instrumental breaks , or the way I did it once - Complained about only One song , and got a Very Long Intro , did one of my shortest humourous numbers and was off stage BEFORE the MC ! Packed my gear and left straight away ! Much more effective !

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 07:32 PM

I think we have ALL been to events like that - I find that that they dont last long !!

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 10:08 AM

I attended a "folk" singer songwriter open mike night here in Portland a while back. The organizer banged away on bongo drums while others performed. When he wasn't screwing around with the drums, he was at the bar chatting up the ladies (loudly) with his back to the stage. Very rude. I never went back.

Subject: RE: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 09:51 AM

A shame Alan...their loss, though :-)

Subject: Party Gate crasher ?
From: Alan Day
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 09:48 AM

I attended a Folk Club recently some distance away (a one hour drive) "Come all Ye "and I thought almost reluctantly granted a small slot. We have a number of artists so we shall have to restrict you to two numbers. Fair enough quite acceptable and understood. The organiser then started the evening with three numbers, also started the second half with another two and finished the evening with three. I felt I was gatecrashing a party.
Al