UK Folk Fests: How many you go?

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 07:05 AM

Well, except that there isn't much participative fringe, and what there is is rammed or ends dead on time, and the only way to camp is to buy a season ticket for the concerts you don't want to go to.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: banjoman
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 05:59 AM

So nobody going to Broadstairs then??
I overheard a comment recently about Broadstairs
Quote " Its become a pop festival with a folkie fringe"

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Little Robyn
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 09:44 PM

We don't go to as many these days and NZ is much more limited for choice than US or UK.
Only Auckland in January and Wellington in October for us now.
There are also festivals down south but we haven't attended those - too far to travel for just a couple of days.
But we used to include Hamilton at Easter and Hawke's Bay had it's own until the organisers got tired of being the only ones doing all the work. I've also joined an occasional Morris Tour plus the Northumbrian Piper's Tour a couple of times.
Robyn

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: skipy
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 08:16 PM

Not saying this as an advert, but White horse folk festival is only £25-00 for the weekend including camping & 24 hour loos & showers, we think keeping the price down & providing venues is the way to go. (What do we know it is only year 25, so early yet)
Check us out on the web. very sing & very joiner innner, but we try to bring you good artists & ceilidh as well.
Your call, we are here if you want to try us.
Skipy

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 07:34 PM

""I agree with the suggestion that decent price reductions for OAP's would be nice. After all I am one!

I also agree that the loss of income for many festivals would be catastrophic!""

Nothing like as catastrophic as the loss of income should all those pensioners be financially unable to attend at all.

Unpleasant, but in an ageing population, a fact of life.

Don T.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 09:44 AM

To LDT.

May I suggest playing for a Morris side may be your way forward.
You can get invites to Festivals that may give you access to the events for free or for a reduced price (you won't be able to go tothose that clash with your performances of course), and you may be able to scrounge a lift with another side member.
Also an intense weekend of playing the same tunes with other muscians will improve your own confidence and playing!

All good advice (and enormous fun in its own right of course) ... but you're not going to get to see many of the booked acts if you're on at a festival with a morris side.

If you're primarily going to a festival for the sessions, the singarounds and the general festival atmosphere you'll be fine - but by the time you've done your side's spots you're always either too late to get in the queue, or at the other side of town, or just plain knackered / hungry / well-refreshed / involved in the general malarkey of the morris side to get to any of the main concerts.

Which is as it should be, punters who've paid full price for their ticket should definitely get priority over the people who get reduced / free tickets as performers. But it's only human nature to be a little peeved that one of your favourite acts might be on three separate spots during the festival, and you miss every single one because your own commitments get in the way ... or even worse, as I had a couple of years back, the same act (Mike McGoldrick for what's it's worth) was at three festivals we were dancing at, and I didn't hear or see him play a note all Summer ...

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 09:08 AM

It's rather like an artist saying that he's going into "the" studio!!

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 08 Jun 11 - 07:30 AM

To LDT.

May I suggest playing for a Morris side may be your way forward.
You can get invites to Festivals that may give you access to the events for free or for a reduced price (you won't be able to go tothose that clash with your performances of course), and you may be able to scrounge a lift with another side member.
Also an intense weekend of playing the same tunes with other muscians will improve your own confidence and playing!

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Tootler
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 05:43 PM

I only go to local festivals so I can go home at night. Money that I might otherwise spend on festivals goes on a holiday with Mrs. T who, although she likes folk music is not really into clubs and festivals so I have to ration myself.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Big Al Whittle (closed)
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 05:29 PM

I seem to go to a lot of festivals that aren't folk festivals - but at which there is folk music or something similar going on. There seems to be a lot of festivals these days - lots more than i ever remember there being.

I go to these cos i get asked to sing and nobody seems to be paying much.

nearly everybody who i used to love in the top flight of folk musicians is either dead or retired. I neither understand or feel comfortable with a lot of the current crop.   Consequently I rarely see a bill of a bona fide folk festival, which tempts me. I should have loved to have seen Scott Ainslie play - but the only times he's been in Britain - he was in Scotland , then he did a weeks tutorials in Northampton and that cost six hundred quid - which is a sum I could never have afforded.

I went to see Steve Tilston last year at Wimbourne and that cost more than it would have done to see him at the most expensive folk club - and he didn't play for as long as he would at a folk club, and he was in big hall - so you couldn't see him very well.Plus the streets of Wimbourne were full of young kids pissed as rats. Police cars everywhere.

Folk clubs are nicer really. Folk festivals are allright, cos you see a lot of old mates, but the music's not as good as at a folk club.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 02:17 PM

That last Guest post was from Diva

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 02:16 PM

Poster is "Diva."

---

Only two so far this year. Girvan and Moniaive. Coming up are Newcastleton and Cullerlie in July. Whitby in August and Frank Harte in Dublin in September. The time is taken out of my annual leave

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 01:32 PM

Apologies for double post - it didn't go the first time so I clicked on submit message again! Could a Mudelf delete, please...?

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 01:31 PM

For 10 years I saved up most of my leave allowance from work so that I could go to both Sidmouth and Whitby in August. As well as Chippenham, Crediton, Wimborne, Alcester, Dartmoor, White Horse, the Wail, Swanage, Banbury, Bedworth and Haddenham.

But I found several years ago that I was hardly using my ticket for concerts at festivals any more, at least, not the amplified ones, especially not concerts with fold-up seats, even when I was booked and didn't have to pay. Now that I'm going to have a lot more free time (but less money), I hope to get to more song & ale type weekends....

Kitty

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 01:31 PM

For 10 years I saved up most of my leave allowance from work so that I could go to both Sidmouth and Whitby in August. As well as Chippenham, Crediton, Wimborne, Alcester, Dartmoor, White Horse, the Wail, Swanage, Banbury, Bedworth and Haddenham.

But I found several years ago that I was hardly using my ticket for concerts at festivals any more, at least, not the amplified ones, especially not concerts with fold-up seats, even when I was booked and didn't have to pay. Now that I'm going to have a lot more free time (but less money), I hope to get to more song & ale type weekends....

Kitty

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,Folkiedave
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 01:07 PM

I agree with the suggestion that decent price reductions for OAP's would be nice. After all I am one!

I also agree that the loss of income for many festivals would be catastrophic!

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 12:44 PM

Tell 'em you're 70 and they get nasty mental images of you collapsing and then sueing them.

Besides which my walking limit is about half a mile till I get my knee replacement, and standing still is not much better if at all.

I had the perfect job, driving a minibus for a disabled charity 20 hours a week. I dis the driving, and the carers did the physical work, but the recession came and drivers were the most expendable asset.

That's life I guess, but as I just said, if I can't go to Folk, I'll find a venue and bring Folk to me.

Don T.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 11:49 AM

Don...what about a paper round, or greeter in Asda? ;)

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 11:45 AM

None this year! We're in a financial death spiral, with the cost of everything going up by the day, and a miserable pension due to my wife having decided that she wanted to bring up her own kids, rather than farm them out.

Her punishment for taking on that full time job for ten years is a state pension just 54% of the basic. And it doesn't help to know that my sister-in-law did the same thing, but gets the full whack because she did it three years later. How's that for age discrimination?

The only way I can make any festivals is to get a job, and at the moment that's a no-no because 70year olds are a drug on the market.

A few folk club gigs would ease the path, but there is so much competition and so few venues.

No festivals! So I'm occupying my time by looking for suitable premises so that I can add one guest booking proper folk club to the scene.

Don T.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 09:17 AM

they can always steward if they want to save money. I do wish festivals would give decent price reductions for retired people.
Noticing the amount of retired people (V's young people/children) at festivals/folk music events...I think that might not be financially viable as 90% of the tickets would be discounted. ;)

I may be biased.....as I say this as a sulky 25 year old who neither qualifies for a youth ticket in most festivals nor any older persons ticket...and can't get any kind of reduction despite being on a low income.

I will be stewarding (of a sort) for the first time this month....

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Joe Nicholson
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 09:07 AM

Now we don't camp anymore (too old and anyway the mice got our tent) the big cost is accomodation plus petrol if you combine this with cost of tickets then unless we are working the big festivals are a no-no for us.

Joe Nicolson

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Carol
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 08:26 AM

Been to 10 festival/song weekends so far this year.
Definately don't go to the big/expensive ones, especially as I spend all my time in the singarounds.
Saying that it's people's choice and as been said earlier they can always steward if they want to save money. I do wish festivals would give decent price reductions for retired people.
The thought of being stuck stewarding a concert when I could be in a singaround just doesn't appeal to me!

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 07:57 AM

Festivals as such - none - as I don't like crowds any more. The Bradfield Traditional Music Weekend is where I shall be in July, and it's more of a small gathering than a festival. And that's my lot for the year.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 07:24 AM

Should I include stuff that aren't called 'folk festivals' but are like them?

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 07:20 AM

That earlier guest going abroad was me.

Some festivals are reachable by public transport. And volunteering as a steward helps people who can't afford a ticket.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 07:11 AM

Life should be frivolous or else you can get into a cycle of taking things too seriously. You are allowed to enjoy yourself!

We tend to go to 3-4 a year, with enough time between them to try and let the subconcious absorb new material and tunes before having a second batch to process.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 06:56 AM

I'm quite amazed...I thought going to 2 festivals was being frivolous.
Not being able to drive and being on a low wage doesn't help.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 06:48 AM

No transport now , so far fewer opportunities ! Might go to Wallingford this year , as I / we can get there by 'bus from Henley ,and our accomodation is booked for Bideford ,so there's that to look forward to , at least !! Haven't found anything near Oxted yet , unless anyone knows of someone who might give us a lift to Lewes ??? (which would be nice !).

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 06:30 AM

0.5? I just go into town for fringe bits of the local one.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 11 - 06:06 AM

I usually manage a number - three so far this year. But I am going to expand my horizons this summer - taking a long trip around Europe starting at Ortigueira then Quimper, Lorient and Paimpol. Then Whitby. Somehow it doesn't sound the same. Finishing with Edale.

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 02:21 PM

My Festival going has been drastically curtailed in the last twenty years - IF I blagged a freebie to do a couple of spots , or a workshop it was almost guaranteed (Until the Recession hit) that Music in Theme would be offered a well paid Saturday the other end of the country . And now its the Cost as much a anything else - Fuel is an 'Orrid price now .

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Dave Earl
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 01:56 PM

I usually manage 9 or 10 festivals ea\ch year

Dave

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: My guru always said
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 11:19 AM

We've cut ours down a bit due to fuel prices, only doing 20 weekend festivals this year. May pop a few more in the diary nearer the time though.....

Subject: RE: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 10:24 AM

Ermm...each year I go to the local (free) one, then I have choice of two small/cheap festivals (or one day of an expensive one) or one big/expensive one.
I tend to alternate each year. This year all of Shrewsbury.
Last year was all Oxford.
Year before all Cheltenham and one day of Shrewsbury.

Was gonna do Sidmouth next year (1 or two days) but its looking less and less likely I can afford accomodation/transport food costs let alone the cost of tickets. So postponed yet again. Probably go for a smaller festival in a cheaper area/time of year.

Subject: UK Folk Fests: How many you go?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 10:09 AM

I recently overheard some people discussing the local folk festival, exclaiming 'Are you going to the folk festival?'

Seemed they thought was only one!

Set me thinking.

Me & chums do at least a dozen during the season, & will be at our 5th this year next weekend.

How about you?