Has Mudcat changed its function?

Subject: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Vic Smith
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 07:03 AM

When I joined Mudcat around 15 plus years ago. I seem to remember that a good half of the posts were mentions of coming events. I certainly used it for the weekly folk club that I organised and for my own singing and barn dance gigs. Certainly at this time of the year every other thread would be about an upcoming summer festival on both sides of the pond.
Looking through the long list of current threads, there is one about an event in New Hampshire and one about an event in London.
What has caused this train of thought is that I have been coaxed out of retirement to arrange and organise some events in Sussex this summer and I am looking at where I should be looking to augment posters and flyers with mentions of internet sites.
Is Mudcat still a good place to bring live gigs to poeple's attention? And if not, why not?

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 10:17 AM

with all other aspects of life, things change with time....evolution....I am happy that it has evolved ito what it is today. There is not9ing stopping you from starting a new thread with your advert(s) Happy days.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 11:04 AM

In the last three years, the pandemic meant that there were not that many events to advertise. Also, the Mudcat Facebook page may hold short term information on upcoming events which may not appear on the main site.

Is Mudcat still a good place to bring live gigs to poeple's attention?

Looking at the current 7 day thread listing, those above the line outnumber the BS threads by around 4 to 1. That suggests to me that there are plenty of people here who are interested in music. If you post the info, people will read it.

DC

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 11:49 AM

Mudcat is iffy today, I'll add code later, but there is an annex to Mudcat over on Facebook where events are posted. It's a good compromise - we've kept that page public so anyone reading about an event can easily share it to personal or group pages.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 11:51 AM

There is a Permathread of current online events that Felipa keeps up-to-date (if your event will be "Zoomed" at all).

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 11:52 AM

There is a Mudcat "annex" in the Facebook group page that is where we ask that events be posted (versus trying to start song research). It's perfect because it is a public page and anyone can click on and share an event to other groups or to their personal pages. I've made that link directly to the events page. Here is the main front page where lots of events can be found that were shared but not made into the separate event feature. Gotta love FB.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 11:52 AM

Meanwhile, put the name and date of the event in the Mudcat subject line for your event, and if it doesn't all fit, a moderator will come along and add a few more letters to make it clear.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: DaveRo
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 04:47 PM

Vic Smith wrote: Is Mudcat still a good place to bring live gigs to poeple's attention?

It depends on the event and the target audience. Is Mudcat somewhere that (1) your target audience is likely to visit frequently enough to see your post, or (2) they are likely to come looking for information about gigs in your area.

My guess is no to both, but it's just a guess.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 04:55 PM

Vic, a proportion of viewers would be American, and unable to go, but I think I would use it anyway as well as facebook, it costs nothing, so why not.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 05:19 PM

One request: if you want to start a thread at Mudcat to give information about an event, that's wonderful - but please start only one thread for a particular event (same for most things - as much as possible, it's best to have one item per thread. You can bring that thread to the top of the forum menu as often as you like by posting a new message to the thread. If you have nothing new to say, put "refresh" in the message text.
If you need to have the title of your thread changed, ask a moderator.
You can reach me at [e-mail].

Stilly River Sage has a "PM" link after her name in every message she posts, so you can Send SRS a Personal Message.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 05:42 PM

... a proportion of viewers would be American

A similar proportion would have been American, 15 years ago, so the function should be the same now as then.

DC

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 23 - 05:47 PM

The Facebook page has a lot of UK and US events posted. That's the place to post the finished promotional information. Mudcat is a great place to work on the details and collect information as you do planning and preparation. Once you have it all worked out here, then share it on Facebook, with a link back to the Mudcat page for more information.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: DaveRo
Date: 21 Apr 23 - 02:40 AM

The best place to advertise a gig is obviously where people will go to find whats-ons. I'm not a member of Facebook but I usually go there to find out what's on at a particular venue.

In much of the UK, but no longer in the south east, BBC local radio reads out gig lists. I also find interesting events - and not just folk - in the local free paper.

But if you want to attract younger people - under 50 say - I've no idea what would work. Ask some.

15 years ago I wasn't a member here. I frequented uk.music.folk, which was still active (rec.music.folk seems to have been dying by then.) People announced events there:
ANN: Isambarde at Birdsedge Village Hall
Heads-up for a new trio in the South...

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: DMcG
Date: 21 Apr 23 - 03:35 AM

Personally, I never used Mudcat to learn about about upcoming events, (with one or two exceptions where someone was arranging a meet up in their garden.)

I rarely post to it at all, but use it and the DT mainly for lyrics and other information on songs.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Felipa
Date: 21 Apr 23 - 02:22 PM

I've participated in Mudcat for over 20 years, and I would say that the primary function of Mudcat is to share lyrics and background information about songs.

Because participation in Mudcat is international, I think it doesn't work as well as a way to announce events as it does as a repository of information about songs and related folk traditions.

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 12:06 PM

Don't they say that 99% of the advertising budget is wasted; but nobody knows which 99%? ;)

Subject wise Mudcat is spot on but surely geographically the hit rate must be low?

I hear on the wireless that youngsters use Instagram and tictoc and twitter but I haven't a clue how they work. Nobody that I know uses them.

Facebook seems pretty good to me especially when the organiser has created it as an 'event' - though its functionality seems to have changed in recent months.
I'm sure I get fewer reminders popping up these days.

Local Facebook diary pages like yours(https://facebook.com/groups/folkdiary/) look excellent but I'm disappointed at how few folkies seem to click a 'like' or post a comment or question. Are they mainly inhabited by organisers!?

I'm guessing you know
Sussex Folk Musicians
https://facebook.com/groups/346307468778646

&
Around Kent Folk (AKF)
,,, the independent folk magazine for Kent, Sussex, Surrey and beyond and is published six times a year.
online versions from here:
www.tenterdenfolkfestival.com/Around-Kent-Folk/

&
FASH
"Folk Assoc of South Hants"
but actually covers a much bigger area.   
South Coast Map :
Find a dance club / folk club / Morris side / informal folk session
http://www.fash.org.uk/locate.htm
&
"Other Events"
www.fash.org.uk/other.htm
& map
(open in a browser)
<www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=174MnIgnsuW2MleVFCgOEzr-1JMIuWCOm&ll=51.234%2C-1.234&z=9

---

The national listing pages I've seen seem a bit vague on what they call folk.   I wonder how many folkies use them?
Ents24 was free to add gigs to; I don't know about the others.

Bandsintown      
www.bandsintown.com/all-dates/genre/folk?city_id=2648767   

'Ents24'
An excellent gig listing search
(This works differently on pc/android/… )
London : https://www.ents24.com/whatson/near/london/radius/11/genres/folk,celtic/order/date
Ents24 Backstage
Add your own club’s events to this UK gig guide
(if the artist hasn’t done so already)
https://backstage.ents24.com/

Folk & Honey
Split in to large areas :
Ireland(N&S) / Scotland / London / Bristol & Bath / rest of UK
http://www.folkandhoney.co.uk/all-our-uk-gigs/

Tradfolk - events calendar
mostly gigs but some clubs & sessions   
https://tradfolk.co/events

---

^ from UK Folk Links
www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1rbjACkYXU4E37kDuzQYwzWvDQcg
NB open in a browser

Freddy

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: DaveRo
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 05:44 PM

GUEST wrote: I hear on the wireless that youngsters use Instagram and tictoc and twitter but I haven't a clue how they work. Nobody that I know uses them.

Twitter is good for advertising events - even after Musk's recent shenanigans. Easier to access, as a non-member, than Facebook IMO.

You could use Instagram
Folk Archive

I don't think you could use tictoc to advertise a gig, but I may be wrong. Unless you create a 'viral' video.

GUEST wrote: Local Facebook diary pages like yours ... look excellent but I'm disappointed at how few folkies seem to click a 'like' or post a comment or question.

Perhaps because many users are, like me, not Facebook members and use it only for information. (I do know some Facebook members, though.)

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 05:56 PM

Thanks Dave.
With Instagram is there a way of seeing the date and text of all the posts on one screen or do I need to click every photo individually?
I'm on an android tablet.
Thanks
Freddy

Subject: RE: Has Mudcat changed its function?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 05:59 PM

Go to the bold name of the Instagram account and click there - it should take you to the page with all of the photos in a grid. Click on the first one then scroll down through them. Many accounts now have a secondary account set up on their Instagram bio - that is one of the places where you can place a hot link. Sites like Campsite, Ecosia, and Linktree have a grid with the photo or name of the topic and the link to the page.