Pub Singalongs

Subject: Pub Singalongs
From: GUEST,Andy
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 05:19 PM

Does anyone have any ideas for the best way to get a pub singalong started?

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: GUEST,Bridgee
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 05:46 PM

Find a venue, get some like minded singers/musicians the rest is easy. Good luck

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 05:51 PM

But see threads on PEL licensing, and check that the pub has a PEL, otherwise you could have problems ....

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: Gareth
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 07:12 PM

The recipy - at least in SWALES.

Basic ingreadients

A Good home win at Rugby in the National Stadium.

A Piano and player (optional)

Many pints of Bitter (or Lager)

Switch the Bl***y Juke box off !!!

Simmer gently fot a good hour.

And there you have it !!!!!!!

Gareth

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 08:23 PM

There's singalongs and singarounds (or you might call them song circles or whatever). Gareth has the right ingredients for a singalong, which is essentially informal and celebratory, and belongs in the main bar.

A song circle in a pub really needs a separate room, and not that many pubs have them these days. Looking for a pub which does and is willing to welcome a bunch of folkies singing songs at each other could be a long and quite enjoyable process.

As for Public Entertainment Licences, hardly anyone has them. You just needs a pub where there aren't going to be any hassles. So probably in a rural area, preferably where there's just the one pub in the vicinity. That way there won't be a rival landlord lodging a complaint.

Geography can help. For example we've got a session in a pub that is right on a side road off the road that's the border between two counties. Neither police force or district council is in the least interested in what goes on there. Like an independent state almost. Public Entertainment Licences? They've never heard of them. Among other things.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: boglion
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 08:50 PM

Head for County Kerry

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: GUEST,Lynn Koch
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 09:59 PM

It's a much rarer thing in the states to have an actual singalong in a bar. We had something going in Princeton NJ in the mid 80s that came darn close though...which generated some great 'krak' and made me look forward to monday nights. A bouzouki-playing physicist and a bones-playing pianist started a weekly 'Folk Showcase' at the Nassau Inn. Joan and Brad encouraged folks to sign up for 20-30 minute slots ahead of time (by phone). The only stipulation was that it be acoustic and folk-related. We all performed for fun; I think the organizers got a small stipend from the bar. But we gave the place some good business, and many of us would spend the whole evening there. I guess it boils down to having a venue that welcomes that sort of thing (Folkies in the states are generally NOT noted for prodigious consumption of alcoholic beverages), finding some inexpensive ways to publicize (weekly folk shows on the radio seemed to work for this venue), and being willing to stick it out until it becomes an expected and anticipated thing. Good luck with it, lad! It can be great fun!

Lynn

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: 53
Date: 14 Mar 02 - 11:34 PM

Good pickers and singers, and plenty of booze, and pretty soon they'll either be singing or fighting.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Mar 02 - 06:45 AM

"Folkies in the states are generally NOT noted for prodigious consumption of alcoholic beverages" - Yes, that's the impression I've got, though clearly there are exceptions, both ways. I wonder how these differences come about?

I suppose it's a chicken and egg situation. Folk Clubs in England have always tended to be in the function rooms at pubs, which tend to be the only place where you can get a function room (and not many of them left these days), and in the old days they tended to be free, on the understanding that those attending would buy a few drinks.

But in any case those attending would want to buy a few drinks - there's generally no sense that public house's are disreputable places to go to (well, some of them are, of course.) And my impression is that in the States there seems to be that kind of self-fulfilling assumption about bars.

Music sessions in the bar itself is an older tradition here that had virtually died out in most places, but has come back more in recent years, I imagine partly because there aren't the back-rooms any more, and also because of the role model from Irish pubs, where the older tradition had never died out anyway.

And then there are Morris Dancers of course who up the drink consumption of the folk community quite significantly.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From:
Date: 15 Mar 02 - 07:51 AM

"Folkies in the states are generally NOT noted for prodigious consumption of alcoholic beverages" - Yes, that's the impression I've got, though clearly there are exceptions, both ways. I wonder how these differences come about?

It's something like that many of them have low incomes. In my area, it's been my experience, most of them will have one beer, and lots of water over the course of 2 or 3 hours. Myself, I just drink 7-Up/Sprite.

Currently we have a weekly sing-along/around in a non-alcoholic and non-smoking venue, a Bagel shop. They stay open about 3 hours longer, and whatever we buy seems to be enough to pay for the single employee, and they get to sell a few hours more worth of bagels. Everyone seems to be happy. Of course it DOES take a proprietor who is interested in the music. Thanks, Jim and the Great Canadian Bagel in Halifax - Nova Scotia , for having us there every Friday night.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 15 Mar 02 - 10:02 AM

Find a congenial pub, choose a slack night,eg Tuesday. Find anybody who knows any good songs and tunes, and tell them "Its in the Dog and Partridge, Tuesday night". If you know any up and coming song writers who want to try out their new material, tell them its in the Black Lion on Wednesdays.

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: Bullfrog Jones
Date: 15 Mar 02 - 11:46 AM

Greg got in just ahead of me. Do some research (this will involve a pub crawl!) and find a pub that needs some trade on a specific night, making sure that you're not clashing with any established sessions in the area. It might be worth starting it off on a monthly basis. If there are other monthly sessions nearby, pick a night (first Tuesday, third Monday or whatever) and announce it at the other sessions (There'll usually be a 'Parish Notices' opportunity towards the end of the night.) You might even be able to persuade the Landlord to provide a jug or two for the performers (but watch that it comes from the pump and not the slops!)If you're ever in the Stony Stratford area drop in at the Vaults on a Sunday lunchtime, or the Fox & Hounds on the first Tuesday and pick the brains of the organizer (Matt at the Vaults, me at the F&H) Incidentally, George, most British landlords would be perfectly happy for you to drink 7 Up all night --- pint for pint it costs more than beer!

Subject: RE: Pub Singalongs
From: GUEST,jmrnky
Date: 15 Mar 02 - 11:50 AM

Part of the trouble in the states is that the folkies are getting old and can't hold as much beer as they used to. Folk music hasn't attracted the young, beer drinking age, crowd that it should have.