Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 09 Feb 13 - 11:04 AM

While I agree with Howard 100% the people who post here are a self selected group to are generally active in the folk scene rather than passive consumers. I generally take the guest list as a guide to the format rather than anything else. If the majority of guests are performers who I like then its probably going to be an event that will suit.

Thinking slightly tangentally, there seems to be more in the way of big name folk acts in top flight concert venues. If I wanted to see Bellowhead or Show of Hands why go and camp in a field at the other end of the country when they will be playing somewhere close enough for a night out within a few months.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Howard Jones
Date: 09 Feb 13 - 06:58 AM

I have to agree that the guest list has always had very little influence on my choice of festivals. It's partly because I put more importance on the "vibe" - the atmosphere, whether friends are going, and side events such as workshops and sessions. The last thing I want to do is sit in a series of concerts all weekend.

The guest list is of even less importance nowadays as most of the artists (the bigger names anyway) are often only there for a single performance before heading off to another gig elsewhere. You used to have the chance to meet the artists around the festival, maybe even play with them in a session but now this doesn't seem to happen very often.

You can't blame the festivals for not wanting to pay someone to hang around all weekend when for the same money they could put three or four additional names on the bill, and you can't blame professional musicians for maximizing their employment opportunities. However it does mean that I mostly disregard who's on the bill - if I get a chance to see a performer I'm interested in so much the better, but I won't base my plans around it.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 09 Feb 13 - 05:07 AM

On the other hand the previous incarnation of Sidmouth depended heavily on people travelling in specifically for the headline concerts.

Of course a panel of "heavy-duty festival organisers" would be people running festivals that had developed a decent momentum and loyal followers. Is it the same for a small one with little track record which is little more than a handful of concerts?

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 09 Feb 13 - 03:59 AM

Thinking about it, I suspect there's more to it than this. At the AFO conference in 2011 there was a discussion re the power of headliners to attract footfall. It was pointed out that people will go to their favourite festivals whether anyone is booked or not. In fact a number of festivals have risen from the ashes of organisers pull-out simply by the determination of the punters to have a festival in that place on that date. At the AFO it was agreed by a panel of fairly heavy-duty festival organisers, that headline acts possibly account for £0% of sales tops. In the case of Whitby Folk Week, there are no headliners and people start queueing on the last day for advance tickets for the following year.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Mr Red
Date: 04 Feb 13 - 09:14 AM

Monster Ceilidh Band would draw a healthy crowd, but not for an afternoon dance with only concerts in the evening. I found the Festival by being in Frome, Nice venue, but it needs profits from the look of it.

As for Bristol FF - it was a commercial venture in a large venue. They didn't even think to contact me for free publicity, So I didn't bother giving them the publicity. They are not Folkies, they are business men. That is not the way of the Folk.

I would, by far, want to support IVFDF - it is organised by Uni students and they learn organisation from it. They will be business people in the future, but still Folkies.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 10:05 AM

I `ad that Johnathan Dough from Frome in my cab the other day. `e was up `ere in the smoke attending a cider festival.
I said, "Morning Acker, you and your lot down in Frome `ave got them Mudcatters going on about not enough people being interested in your Folky Festival."
`e`s like, "Blooming right Jim, and all. `ave you seen the runners and riders they were going to `ave?"
I said, "Yeah. It looked like a decent track list to me. There was some odds on favourites amongst `em".
`e said, "That`s as maybe but everybody knows that Bellow`ead is the flavour of the month!!"

Whaddam I Like??

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 09:22 AM

They could've just reduced the ticket price - simples!!

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 08:49 AM

* Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow,
* O'Hooley & Tidow

I wonder if by any chance they are related?

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Fran
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 08:15 AM

Show of hands were busy.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Vic Smith
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 06:40 AM

Acts that had been announced for the event before it was cancelled includes -
* Jim Moray,
* Amy Wadge,
* Sam Kelly,
* Pete Riley,
* Phil King,
* The Longest Johns,
* The Willows,
* Dave Garner and Alan Doyle,
* Lucy Ward,
* Peter Knight's Gigspanner,
* Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow,
* Johnny Coppin and Mike Silver,
* The Young' Uns,
* Rag Morris,
* Reg Meuross,
* Monster Ceilidh Band,
* O'Hooley & Tidow
* Luke Jackson.

Well, there is no-one there that would draw a crowd, is there?
Funnily enough, I have seen seven of these acts in concert/club/festival in the past year and each time there was a substantial audience.
I wonder if there were any problems with the volume of advance sales.....

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 09:44 PM

I believe Frome had same organiser as Bristol Folk Festival which also isn't happening this year. BFF was a bit of a shambles in 2012. Several quite well known artists who appeared weren't even listed in the programme. I only found out that Wiz Jones had been on when I bumped into him in the bar later.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST,999
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 06:08 PM

It might also reflect what recompense they were offering the performers.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Hawker
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 04:36 PM

Sad reflection of the current economic situation.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: greg stephens
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 04:19 PM

Can't really figure out what they mean by "With the disappointment of a few headliners 2012 availability"

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: greg stephens
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 04:15 PM

Wouldn't have thought there was any great shortage of folkies to play dates in February, and at knock down prices too.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 03:38 PM

Reminds me of the 'Harrow Fiasco' of 1986 - The Song Director was appointed in March to book EIGHT days of artists for mid August !
There was some criticism that all the headliners were people who could be seen regularly at Smaller Folk Clubs , but at least all the spots were filled !

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 02:06 PM

That may be the problem - they may well have left it too late to start booking people on the assumption it would be easier than it is

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 01:00 PM

It all seems a little hard to believe. Surely headline acts are scheduled months, if not a year or more, in advance.

By the way, the woman in the photo has the roundest, saddest, most innocent-seeming eyes I have ever seen.

Subject: RE: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Feb 13 - 12:56 PM

yes, extraordinary.

Subject: Frome Folk Festival in Feb cancelled
From: Vic Smith
Date: 01 Feb 13 - 01:12 PM

The details are here.

Not a reason for cancelling a festival that I have ever heard before.