Subject: RE: BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
From:
Howard Jones
Date: 04 May 16 - 08:42 AM
Well I've finally got around to watching this on catch-up. What a monumental bore!
Mark Radcliffe proved what an irritating and self-important broadcaster he is, second only to Chris Evans, imo. Dear old Mike Harding was not without his faults, but as a professional comedian he at least knew how to write, and deliver, a joke. Thank God for Julie Fowlis, who simply got on with the job in a thoroughly professional and likeable manner.
Then to present the awards there was the parade of C-list BBC types, who seem to have discovered a life-long interest in folk after remembering that their brother once owned a Pentangle LP. Is the folk world supposed to feel honoured that these 'celebrities' are willing to appear? The only presenter I saw who had any right to be there was Phil Cunningham.
I don't doubt that Joan Armatrading is thoroughly deserving of a lifetime award, but for folk? Really?
Most disappointing of all was that the live performances simply failed to engage me. This was partly due to the sound production, which made everything sound a bit bland. The John McCusker Band appeared to be led by a flautist, at least that was the dominant sound in the mix that I heard. There was a fiddler on stage as well, but I didn't hear much from him. The performance which made me sit up and listen was an archive clip of Sandy Denny, but Rufus Wainwright's rendition of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" which followed was just dull. It seemed to receive a fairly muted reception from the live audience, and Radcliffe's attempt to whip up some enthusiasm fell flat.
Apart from wondering why Ms Armatrading was there I don't have any complaints about the awards themselves, but I didn't hear much from any actual award winners. When my connection crashed, during Sam Lee's performance, I couldn't be bothered to try to restore it. Perhaps I missed some later gems, but nothing I'd seen up to then led me to expect it.
People say this is the "folk industry" rewarding itself, but I don't think it's even that. This is the BBC's view of folk, stuff they feel they can safely broadcast which ticks the box of catering to minority interests but won't frighten the horses and won't lose too much of the audience before they can get back to broadcasting proper popular music. It doesn't have much to do with the exciting and vibrant music I listen to and participate in.
And who designed that trophy? I was fond of Morph when I was young, but as a model for a serious music award it seems to lack a certain gravitas.
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sj
