UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 11:46 AM

ok, well I started this thread
and I've not even got round to watching any of these TV shows yet...

..except just to test if our brand new Humax freeview recorder was working properly, or not;
that long drawn out irritatingly trite opening credit sequence
of the mumpsford's train travelog.

If I was the train ticket inspector
I'd have made that bloody silly skipping prancing girly girl sit down
before she tripped and caused an accident....

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 12:31 PM

DtG is partly there.
A small share of the music industry makes people very rich. It's like any industry, the big houses (or famiglia) take it for themselves and force rivals out. I've experienced it for myself, having been warned by a number of friends in the alternative folk scene who've had the same happen to them.
More worrying is that Eliza appointed Katy to tap the Arts Council for subsidies which haven't happened, because Common Purpose are tapping them for their own ends. Every top-level administrator I've come across in the interfaces between the Folk Administrations and the Arts Council are part of that group. Katy is, Carol Main (Live Music Now Scotland) is, I know who in TRAC (Wales) is. Having infiltrated the BBC, they set out to alter the zeitgeist in their favour by infiltrating the Arts Council and setting the agenda.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 12:33 PM

"Was it really punk that showed people that they could attempt music without any musical knowledge or skill? I thought that that happened in the skiffle era."

Suppose it depends on what 'people' you are talking about? ie what generation you are and what context you are talking about! I'm in my early 50s and was 16/17 in 1976/77. I did't really know much about skiffle but punk was there as a basic antidote to the excesses of some of the progrock etc.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 12:46 PM

Total number of times people remembered this happening: none.

I could tell you a few!

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 01:01 PM

"Total number of times people remembered this happening: none."

I certainly remember one occasion, at The Navigation in Bristol, circa 1979/80. Wasn't aimed at me, I was there as a punter, but I never went back.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 01:19 PM

I am sure a lot of people can provide their own anecdotes but I would not see any such evidence as proof that the 'folk police' exist. I and many others can probably relate more anecdotes of being made welcome at folk clubs all over the country and being privileged enough to be able to perform whatever we want. And, for me anyway, that probably is quite far from a lot of definitions of folk or good music! :-)

More to the point, any folk club or organisation that does not move with the times is destined for failure so any that stood still will probably not be around any more. Any performer who stands still will suffer a similar fate and any that find that they are not welcome at the majority of venues are, sadly, probably not performing in the right arena. Neither Ade, Martin nor Ewan, three completely different styles, seem to have suffered from this which should tell us something about how acceptant the general folk audience is.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Dec 13 - 01:19 PM

Just very occasionally over 40 years I've had some disapproving looks from dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists when I've played some of my stuff in a folk club or a singaround. I suppose I could understand their attitude, but I can't say I ever paid any attention to it!

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Dec 13 - 07:06 PM

well its a bit weird really. there are intolerant people at every level of the folk world.

its so sad because the factionalism makes it so easy for our many enemies - and that's not just paranoia. the music business is the most competitive scene in the world - 1st division football included.

our enemies envy the creative opportunities, the platforms, the fame and prestige without mass record sales, the longevity of the performing careers.

the pettiness and factionalism makes us politically unimportant.

every time I see a so called folk music fan with no respect for other artists that have laboured mightily in the English folk club system, my hear sinks. sorry Fred (sneering at coffee bar cowboys) and Lizzie (sneering at the sublimely talented Ewan MacColl). And yes Ewan did piss some people off - but two wrongs don't make a right.

Just because we don't have the same beliefs about the nature of folk music shouldn't blind us to the great confluence of interest inside the artistic movement known as folk music.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 03:40 AM

there are intolerant people at every level of the folk world

I agree with that but, surely, there are intolerant people at every level of the world in general. By intimating it only affects the 'folk world' are we not making a rod for our own backs?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 05:36 AM

Tangentially, but just about 'on thread', I recently visited a well known music shop in London to buy some new mandolin strings. The brand I wanted were out of stock. They had all been purchased by Ade Edmundson! Clearly, he's serious about his mandolin playing (-;

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 06:53 AM

well yes, but we could achieve - our own political lobby - so much more - have our own tv channels - if we were united about the importance of our music.

instead we trash our fellow users of the folk clubs -make derogatory remarks about their artistic importance.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 07:46 AM

Finally caught up with it last night and it certainly didn't tell us anything that we didn't already know. Unfortunately there were the same old clichés, same old stereotypes and same old hype surrounding some of these fresh new faces who are going to turn the folk scene on its head; and in twelve months time we'll be wondering who the hell they were.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 07:55 AM

I didn't like that it made the old guard look like shit. I'm sure Jake Bugg and Newton Faulkner will be around a long time. they can both play.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 08:09 AM

"Tangentially, but just about 'on thread', I recently visited a well known music shop in London to buy some new mandolin strings. The brand I wanted were out of stock. They had all been purchased by Ade Edmundson! Clearly, he's serious about his mandolin playing (-;"

- serious ? or downright selfish seeing as he can easily afford to strip the shop of them all,
plus can no doubt offset the cost against claimable tax allowances ???

Ade Edmundson seems an interstingly oportunistic character.

He rode to fame in the early 80's in an act called "The Dangerous Brothers";
a name [allegedly] 'appropriated' from a Somerset based cult New Wave Band,
with a penchant for on-stage dangerously stupid comical stunts,
which he 'may' have seen at a University gig in Manchester whilst still a student there ???

He was sheepishly silent on this matter when recently questioned
in a friendly non accusatory manner by formative members of the band....

Likewise he seems perfectly happy enough to 'appropriate' a position
as a celebrity serious 'spokesperson' for UK Folk Music
on flimsily cobbled together mainstream TV music programs....

An opportunity handed to him on a plate by lazy media journalists and booking agents.

Oh yeah, and.. it's definitely a fortuitous coincidence one of his daughters
is an up and coming new young folk performer.......

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 07:15 AM

I can't be bothered to read through the bitter, pithy, sarcy cooments that the original info was good enough to put.

All three programmes were excellent in their own way and I'm very glad that I watched them all. Especially Big Easy Express with The OLd Crow Medicine Show in full fiddlin' flow.

Subject: RE: UK TV More 4 folk night on Sat 7th
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 12:41 PM

that famous trad folk song......the bitter pithy