Trans Sessions on Tour

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 08:38 PM

The thread title is potentially somewhat open to misinterpretation.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: Barb'ry
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 11:11 AM

I went to the same concert at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and was really disappointed. The sound wasn't great but it was mainly the lack of 'sparkle' that I missed. Some of the singers and musicians were great and seemed to be enjoying themselves - Teddy Thompson, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, Jerry Douglas and Karen Matheson in particular but I found some performers a bit, well, limp. I know it's a very subjective thing but I felt a bit let down by it. Plus, I had wanted to see Paul Brady and Eddi Reader and neither were there.
I've spoken to a few people at that concert, some who don't agree but many who do. I wonder if they are just fed up with touring?

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 08:04 AM

I agree with Guest about last years Symphony Hall gig, sound and musicianship was great - would have gone again this year, but left it too late, and it was sold out!
Of course I would have liked a bit more from this side of the pond, but I did know what to expect

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 07:50 AM

I attended the transatlantic sessions at symphony hall birmingham last night &th feb 2013 and the sound was great, and also so where the artists, and being a music fan , i knew that the style of music would be celtic folk as the Transatlantic sessions are always the same format . Why would you go to a gig put on by celtic connections call trans atlantic sessions and expect anything different ?. I love listening to good musicians from all styles of music and also play guitar myself , and attend folk clubs, blues clubs and acoustic clubs, and know what transatlantic music is, so i thought the night was fantastic.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 02:02 PM

I attended the equivalent concert by the Trans. Sess. artists (Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Michael McGoldrick, Eddie Reeder, Russ Barenberg, Tim O'Brien, Bruce Molsky, et al) at this same time last year. And I knew what to expect, so no complaints about the lack of English content - though I also wish the emphasis was different.

I had no complaints about the acoustic quality of the evening - though I have to say I preferred the solo and small group spots to the whole ensemble on the whole. Jerry Douglas's post-interval solo spot was tedious - Michael McGoldrick's solo spot was entrancing and enthralling. A mixed evening, but enjoyable on the whole.

I can understand your irritation with the mix of performers. I wonder why the acoustics should have deteriorated so much from last year's acoustics. But to complain there was no English music is to misunderstand the purpose of the Sessions. Yes - I would like to see the English equivalent of the T.R. as well, but that's another story...

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 10:49 AM

They were in the wrong venue. They might have been in the Queen Elizabeth Hall where at least they would have had better acoustics, closer contact with the audience and maybe a sound technician who could tell the difference between micing up a bunch of folk musicians differently from the needs of the Halle Philharmonic. But the folk musicians disdain for their London audience was clear. And I will say it again they mumbled their intros. and words. We didn't get an encore either.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 10:41 AM

I love the series and would like to see Canadian (mainly the excellent East Coast performers)content, BUT even I in my limited faculties understand this is not what the program is about. It's about the diversity of the Scot/Irish and American Country (Nashville)and how they can play together.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST,Lavengro
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 10:34 AM

I know exactly what you mean CJB. Me and my family went to a local restaurant the other night (The Bengal Balti I think it was called?) and all they had was curry dishes, rice poppadoms and ice cream inside empty orange skins! Of course we were outraged at this blatant false advertising, as I wanted a beef dinner and my wife fancied a lasagne. It was a restaurant, operating in England with no English food. The sheer impertinence of it all dulled our appetites I can tell you. I won't even mention the background music!!!

I'm no big fan of the Beeb, but from memory (and without resorting to Google)I have seen on their channels in about the last 12 months -A Songwriters Circle on English Folk with Martin Simpson; An hour long documentary on Kathryn Tickell; Cambridge Folk Festival with plenty of English acts (Okay we had the annoying Zoe "I don't know nothing about Folk music me" Ball); two, count 'em, two documentaries presented by the Unthanks- one on Folk dance, and one on music and traditions and a documentary about Cecil Sharp house and how folkies of today are using its resources.

Speaking as a Romany I know a bit about being on the receiving end of racism. Trust me when I tell you that this isn't it :)

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 08:53 AM

If CJB is still annoyed about the lack of English singers on the TS then get in touch with the BBC, but don't play the racist card, it is neither needed or required here.

But rather than just writing to the BBC saying 'No English folk in the TS, it's not fair, racist, boo hoo', someone should perhaps get a programme proposal together to take to the BBC, complete with well-known names from the English scene signed up to participate.

I suspect a decent well-thought-out proposal, backed by some English folk music names familiar outside the immediate folk circuit (and yes I probably do mean the likes of the Radio 2 audience), would actually be pushing at a half-open door at the moment, with the rise of the EFDSS, the recent Unthanks programmes about traditions, the Folk Awards, the new impetus and commitment to the Radio 2 programme given by the replacement of MH by MR, etc. etc.

Have the Carthys and Bodens and Morays and Knightleys and Rusbys and Cuttings etc. involved, partly to get the programme commissioned but also to get the casual viewer to tune in - but with those names on board the opportunity would then be there to bring in new faces, unfamiliar performers and acts, new rising names, alongside the established performers. Which, incidentally, is one thing that the TS do every season.

Of course if the programmes did actually get screened they would get completely ripped to shreds on Mudcat for involving 'The Same Old Names' rather than Fred Fanakapan who plays a mean set of Ralph McTell cover versions to 3 people in the back room of the Curmudgeon & Ostrich every Thursday night in Penge, but there you go.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST,Wee Jock
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 07:25 AM

I cannot understand CJB comments re the performers who perform at the Transalantic Sessions, has he/she not seen the various television series that has been shown for a number of years.? To quote a TV commercial "It does what is says on the tin".

This program (ie the TV series) does deliver excellent music and song showing the similarity between Scottish/Irish and our Transatlantic cousins, so the naming of the series was spot on.

If CJB is still annoyed about the lack of English singers on the TS then get in touch with the BBC, but don't play the racist card, it is neither needed or required here.

Our music (ie Folk Music ) gets very little TV coverage,so let us be thankfull that we have this program.

PS When was the last time a Jazz program was on telly?

Wee Jock

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 07:15 AM

[i]Well we are currently half-way through one of the WORST folk concerts that I have ever been to - at a ticket price of £20 (I'm glad we didn't pay more). We are in the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank.

The noise was so loud it was like there was a thick glass wall between the audience and the musicians (14 in number). The sound was so muffled that even the verbal introductions were indistinct, let alone the words to the songs. I have resisted going to folk concerts for years because most sound engineers are so incompetent in balancing individual musicians playing a variety of instruments. The attitude here seemed to be "let's drown the echoes by turning up the volume." It doesn't work.

Then there was the repertoire. Typical Trans Atlantic Sessions al la Beeb. All Yank, Scotch, and Irish with a smattering of French-Canadian. BUT TYPICALLY NO ENGLISH WHATSOEVER. The word English-phobic suddenly occurred to me. Yes - I think that the Transatlantic Sessions ARE racist against the English. The Beeb has a lot to answer for in not promoting ENGLISH folk music on this series. And the leading artists obviously support this attitude. So does that make them racist / English-phobic too? IMHO I would deem that to be so.

So this is a concert that I DO NOT recommend wasting money on and certainly NOT in the RFH. We'll see how the second half fares.[/i]

HUH - the second half was marginally better sound-wise. The artists split up into small groups of musicians / singers so at least the instruments could be heard even if the words to the songs could not.

But during the mass playing it was so dire that most of the instruments and musicians might as well not have been there. They had a full drum kit but the drummer was apparently miming - he simply could not be heard.

The whole impression was one of a complete lack of any form of engagement with the audience. It was as though they were in a mass session in an isolated croft cottage in the Highlands with the audience in Inverness. And they didn't even bother to have any props to pretend that they might have been in a croft cottage.

The audience was certainly not carried away by the music - but sat still simply listening to the wall of noise. Indeed it was hard to tell if the musicians were playing jigs or reels or whatever. From the There was no foot stomping, clapping, or audience participation. The vibes were dead.

So this concert was ruined by:

* Appalling acoustics at the Royal Festival Hall

* The incompetent sound - engineer and equipment)

* Disinterested musicians in engaging the audience

* Mumbled introductions to tunes / songs - including mumbled words (don't professional musicians ever learn or know to articulate?) * A complete lack of anything English - almost a complete lack of anything British even - most of it was Americana

* Was grossly over-priced for such an appalling show

Never again will I go to a folk concert at the RFH or elsewhere. BTW there is a better group session at Camden Irish Centre on Sunday afternoons and that is free.

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 06:37 AM

The awful sound mix I can really sympathise with - you need to be a really good sound engineer to get a decent amplified sound in high-culture palaces built for orchestras like the RFH or Manchester's Bridgewater Hall; the desk jockey you've got clearly isn't, so that's a real shame. (The only half-decent amplified sound I've ever heard in the Bridgewater was the wonderful Penguin Cafe, and they take a lot of care on their sound balance, and are experienced in playing in all sorts of non-standard venues).

But as to your 'The BBC is racist' stuff - you went, presumably of your own volition, to a concert of the Transatlantic Sessions - and you're really *that* surprised and outraged by the Celtic and American content?

The publicity all hinges on the fact that it's a touring show of the television TS, and the artist choices made by the lead musicians (one Scottish e.g. Aly Bain, one American e.g. Jerry Douglas) have been endlessly and pointlessly bitched about on MudCat for years ...

Whether you personally agree with the TS artist booking policy or not, you can hardly be shocked to find that the content and artists on the tour are, oh no, much the same as the TV programmes ...

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: Uncle Tone
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 04:35 AM

The Trans sessions are mostly Celtic/American. Would you say English folk music is Celtic?

But I do agree that the Beeb should do far more for English Folk music and song than just Radcliffise it.

Tone

Subject: RE: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 03:57 AM

Who are ther performers?

Subject: Trans Sessions on Tour
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 03:58 PM

Well we are currently half-way through none of the WORST folk concerts that I have ever been to - at a ticket price of £20 (I'm glad we didn't pay more). We are in the Royal festival Hall on the South Bank.

The noise was so loud it was like there was a thick glass wall between the audience and the musicians (14 in number). The sound was so muffled that even the verbal introductions were indistinct, let alone the words to the songs. I have resisted going to folk concerts for years because most sound engineers are so incompetent in balancing individual musicians playing a variety of instruments. The attitude here seemed to be "let's drown the echoes by turning up the volume." It doesn't work.

Then there was the repertoire. Typical Trans Atlantic Sessions al la Beeb. All Yank, Scotch, and Irish with a smattering of French-Canadian. BUT TYPICALLY NO ENGLISH WHATSOEVER. The word English-phonic racist suddenly occurred to me. Yes - I think that the Transatlantic Sessions ARE racist. The Beeb has a lot to answer for in not promoting ENGLISH folk music. And the artists obviously support this attitude. So does that make them racist too? IMHO I would deem that to be so.

So this is a concert that I DO NOT recommend wasting money on and certainly NOT in the RFH. We'll see how the second half fares.