Young Folkies Are Out There

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 08:51 AM

I suppose there are two ways of being a folkie - one way is where the company and the social side is the main thing, and the music and the song are the means towards this; and the other is where the music and the songs are more important.

Nothing wrong with either and I suspect that pretty well everyone starts off with the company and the social side being the main thing -but issues like age are likely to be more important than when the music and the songs take over centre stage. Folk clubs dominated by a bunch of friends who are much older aren't the best way through that phase.

I'd imagine that once you really get into it the fact that it's all ages would be one of the attractions.

There's also a tension in folk music between the wish to feel you are part of a continuing tradition, and that you are part of something new and fresh. That can never be resolved, because it is fundamental to the whole genre that it should be both things at the same time.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: VIN
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 07:33 AM

Nicely put Shambles!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: The Shambles
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 06:56 AM

Firecat said: I'm 19! Does that count as young enough, or are we just talking about under 18s?

According to this 'Shooting Roots' event at Towersey Festival - the age limit in order to attend in order to learn to play and participate in folk music appears to be 26!

http://www.mrscasey.co.uk/towersey/tShoot.htm

Are we in danger here - perhaps for the very best reasons - of creating and encouraging a totally bogus devide in our music making?

The idea surely is not to artificially create a situation where the young only feel that they can play with other young people?

-And where the older musicians are seen as only useful to learn from?

-And where younger musicians are seen as only useful to teach?

We can all learn from each other surely - regardless of our age? Perhaps if we have reached a stage where we can't learn anymore - that defines us as being TOO old? Or regardless of age - TOO conceited?

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Leo Condie
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 08:44 AM

dear poetlady: i'm afraid you'll find that's often the case regardless of age group.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: poetlady
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 04:15 AM

I think there are a number of young people who like and sing or play folk music. However, the majority of younger people I know are only interested in such music as can be commonly heard on the radio, and are afraid to try anything too different. Once they open their mind to it, they can enjoy it as thoroughly as anyone.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 03:47 AM

I run an open mike here in Madison, WI, USA and I am always pleased to see the number og young people who show up not only to play but to sit and listen. There are some very talented people coming into the music.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Leo Condie
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 03:49 PM

that's grand. i'll have to give it a shot myself next time. good luck this year! even though i'm sure the panel has probably seen enough guys with guitars to last them a lifetime...

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Shonagh
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 12:25 PM

Aye, twas a finalist last year and a semi this year, its great craic, doesnt feel like a comp at all! Ah right, aye was speakin to anna the other day, shes a fantastic musician!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Leo Condie
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 10:54 AM

Hello Shonagh, are you in the young trad musician competition this year? i'm thinking about putting my name forward next year. anna massie, who won it last year is on the same course as meself in glesca.

leo.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Shonagh
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 10:23 AM

Theres heaps of us up here in Scotland anyway! Hands up for Trad are doing alot with us younger folkies - they organise the Young Trad Musician of the Year competition, just incase anyones interested the semi-finals are in Biggar this year in October. There are 12 semi finalists and from these 6 are chosen to go thru to the final which is held at Celtic Connections. Its great craic. I used to think i was in the minority (18, love folk music) but after going to alot more festivals up around here ive realised theres soooo many more folk like me and its fantastic!! Hands up for Trad website is www.handsupfortrad.co.uk (sorry dunno how to do a blicky!)

Sho

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Ely
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 01:43 PM

You have to corrupt them while they're young. I was lucky enough to have been born at the end of the 1970's old-time revival (High Woods String Band, Red Clay Ramblers, Hazel Dickens, etc) and to have had parents who were into that kind of thing. I was a social misfit in high school--which sounds bad but it probably kept me from getting too wrapped up in pop culture--and I went to a college that encouraged kids to try things (I played in a square-dance band for four years). I'm 26. We're out there if you know where to look.

Does this differ between the US and Europe? I'm sure it depends partly on what you consider folk (and no, I do NOT want to start another discussion on that here) but if you're in the US and want American vernacular music of any sort, there's plenty here in the South.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Leo Condie
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 11:35 AM

I'm 18 at the end of August, and at the rate i'm going just now I'll only be even more obsessed by general things folkielike.

PS the star club is a grand place; okay, so its not a proper club as it's only on once a week, and it's bizarre that it's in a church, but it's full of great people and they let me do a floor spot occasionally so I can't really fault it!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 11:18 AM

Daisy: I dont think I was good or confident when I was sixteen: i think the motivation ws that i liked what i heard and really wanted to part of it, because of that. What I certainly believe is there's not much point in blaming young people if they don't like what they hear in folk clubs. The only way blame can lie is with the folk clubs.
   Mick Jagger observed once, very significantly, that what started the Stones off were songs written by old men. But the old men were probably not the kind who sing in 2003 folk clubs!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Peterr
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 10:52 AM

I agree with so many of the above comments. There are a stack of great young players, (too much emphasis on Irish?), not enough of their non-performing contemporaries, nor enough young singers esp male at clubs or sessions. My daughter (24 now) performs with other people her age, and when two attractive young ladies stand up and sing unaccompanies harmony it can stop a noisy pub. Great to see and hear, but I am biased. So perhaps they aren't 'young' any more, but a lot less years than most one sees around the clubs/sessions

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: vindelis
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 01:31 PM

LTS the Sunray at Osmington was a great venue, before it was revamped by a new landlord. Good bye to singing with your back to a roaring log fire and all that. Other venues were the Kingswood Hotel in Rodwell and finally to the Bridge at Upwey, - probably after you moved away.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 08:26 PM

I suspect that a major factor in the keep-it-under-your-hat approach to publicising folk activites (other than festivals) in England has been the the Public Entertainment Licensing situation.

And also the absence of any equivalent to the two-in-a-bar exemption which pubs have had, for any premises other than pubs, has greatly restricted the places music can happen. Some of the most important folk clubs back in the 60s took place in coffee bars and so forth.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: s&r
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 07:45 PM

Heyfeva are appearing at the Albert Hall London on 4 November.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 12:51 PM

Thank you, Willie. I like to see things like that.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Willie-O
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 12:34 PM

This thread prompted me to post a photo of my daughter Emily and myself performing together at an Ontario festival last month.

As you can see, she dresses a lot better than I do on stage. Also insists we figure out a set list beforehand. What a perfectionist! (although rain and a surprise guest performer had us rearranging the set on the fly).

Sings good too.

W-O

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Daisy
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 05:58 AM

Greg, those of us who are still in the folk scene are the ones who DID join in and DID sing along to the choruses even when we didn't really know them... No doubt you, like me, are both confident enough and good enough to not be intimidated - my point is, shrinking violets (as a lot of teenagers are) will be put off - it's just the same as if you went to a pub with a bunch of people you don't really know and they talked about something that you knew nothing about all evening to the exclusion of all else.
I personally never felt excluded or intimidated because I was always confident in the company of adults. Not all people are. A second factor is that listening to other people joining in on choruses you don't know yourself can also be pretty boring... I've seen a lot of young people who like to perform themselves but don't really enjoy listening to other people - sad but true.
But, that said, there are enough of us to keep things going!
Daisy

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: s&r
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 03:19 PM

Heyfeva are three - Calum, Joe, and Jim. Calum plays fiddle and melodeon, Joe plays fiddle and whistle and bodhran, Jim plays accordian keyboard and bodhran. Average age twelve. Jim performs solo; Calum performs solo and with Roisin as Across the Moss.

They have the same problem as most young performers in that they are largely limited by school, availability of transport, licensing laws etc.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 10:21 AM

Daisy: I'm not totally convinced by your argument that young folkies dont like participating in singarounds because they dont know the chorusses. Now it's a while ago, but I used to be a young folkie once.And of course I didnt know the chorusses either, in 1961. But I soon learnt them when I went to folk clubs in 1962. Whack fol de rido doesnt take that long to get in your head.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: VIN
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 10:12 AM

Hi Mark, ahamed to say i never got to the Star but i believe it was one of the oldest established in the area.

Re young folkies.....there's lot of ex teachers on the 'scene' (& not so ex) who could perhaps encourage the schools to get more involved in folk-based events such as ceilidhs, workshops, singarounds with help from local clubs etc (may be it already happens - not bein a teacher and childless i'm not so in touch wi schools activities).

I agree with Ali, Heyfeva were excellent, just got up and played, fresh as daisies with a sense of humour - thought their was more than two tho.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Daisy
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 10:08 AM

Thanks for the links Mark, I'll try 'em. I'm from the Northwest mesself (Todmorden), but 6 years in Glasgow now.

Funny story, my Mum went to Stanley Accrington's wedding to Julie, and there were two receptions in the same building, so she asked at the desk.
"What's the bride's name?" said the bloke.
"Er, dunno." said Mum.
"What's the groom's name?"
"Well, I dunno that either. I know his stage name..."
"Hum." said the desk bloke, "I think that in wedding bash number one, the groom is a performer."
"Great" said Mum and marched in, sipping champagne and scoffing vol a vons from trays. So she eventually elbows her way to the front and gets a look at the happy couple. Who, of course, were not the right happy couple!
So she legged it to the other party instead (but finished her glass of bubbly first)!

Daisy

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 09:03 AM

Hi Vin

You go back further than me. I remember Martin and Rick (Pint n' a Half)when they ran the Star Inn folk club in Salford in the eighties. (Martin's sister Julie married Stanley Accrington)I've got a couple of tapes from the Folk on Wheels things. I think I went on one of them but I can't remember where now.
Our club at Rainford has had club swaps where we go lock stock and barrel to another club to entertain them and they return the compliment some time later.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: VIN
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 08:46 AM

Many years ago, in the dear dim past, i used to go to the Ring-O-Bells Sunday night club in Middleton run by 'Pint & Half' and i can remember occasionally they had a night called 'folk on wheels' which meant hiring a coach/mini van and goin off to a pub/venue somewhere like Blackburn. Perhaps the more established clubs could organise more of this type of evening/day - sort of a 'travelling folk club'. That way you are taking the club/session to the people in other areas where there may not usually be a club/session rather than always waiting for the people to come to you (which may usually be mostly regulars). Bit like the edale folk train. Costs may be an inhibitor of course, but i reckon its worth a thought. I too don't drive so getting back from fa-away clubs/gigs is a major problem with our 'way-behind-the-times' transport system.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: ard mhacha
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 08:27 AM

No worries in Ireland, they seem to be getting, more numerous, younger, and better. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 08:15 AM

Hi Daisy

My point exactly! If clubs don't advertise to the general public using the local newspapers or local radio stations that generally have some sort of diary spot every day then it's no wonder they seem to be going out of fashion. Here in the North West we have an association called the North West Federation of Folk Clubs that has about 60 member clubs. It has a website - www.folknorthwest.co.uk - (I'm the webmaster) and it produces a quarterly magazine called Folk North West that lists all the member clubs diary dates (provided they send them in on time!)BUT unless you know about it as a member of the public there isn't much chance of finding out about it.
The Folk Directory was an excellent national publication for finding clubs and festivals- don't know if it's still published. I'll have a surf for it later.

Here are a few sites which may be helpful regarding clubs in Glasgow. There may be other clubs that come to light if you make further enquiries:

http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/4_7.html
http://www.albamusic.freeserve.co.uk/clubs.html
http://www.visitdunkeld.com/folk-clubs.htm
http://www.albafolk.co.uk/folkclubs/clubs.html
http://www.starfolkclub.com/history_live_music.htm

The clubs I go to have a no smoking policy which seems to be getting the norm these days. Anybody who wants a gasper goes into the main bar and has one when they get a drink. Maybe you should put your views to organisers and suggest a no smoking policy. I can't stand smoking either and was glad when they introduced no smoking at my office - much healthier now apart from when you go past the smoking area at the back door.

I had the same problem of transport when I was 16 and going to clubs. Three of us used to get a lift off one of our dad's and my dad used to come to the club later on for the last hour and bring us home. We were fortunate to be able to come to that arrangement I suppose but I see your point.

Drinking to excess and driving is something I wouldn't advocate. I drive to clubs these days and have a couple of pints but I tend to have a couple of pints of tap water as well to keep the clacker going smoothly (it costs nothing as well). This is a growing trend round the clubs - maybe it's a backlash against the ridiculous cost of soft drinks.

If you don't know the chorus, ask the person who sang the song later on to tell it to you and write it down for future reference. That's the great thing about folkies. Nobody minds you asking anything about the songs they sing. I still mumble away at some choruses that I'm not familiar with or just end up humming the tune. Trying to sing along helps the learning process though even if you just try and learn one line at a time during the course of the song. You can turn the tables by singing songs with choruses that the rest of the room doesn't know!

Finding folk CDs can be a problem as well. Independent record shops are better than the music giants but most of the time you have to get them from the artists themselves at elusive folk clubs.

Hope you manage to get to a club somewhere Daisy. Let us know if you do.

Cheers

Mark

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Daisy
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 06:50 AM

A question for Mark - where are all these folk clubs? I have been trying for years to find one in Glasgow - don't get me wrong, there are a lot of pub sessions here, but actual folk clubs? Can anyone help me out?

I think that a lot of older folkies forget certain things about younger folkies, which I feel qualified to comment on as I got into the folk scene as a singer aged about 11 and I'm still going stong at 25.
Firstly, a lot of young people don't have/can't afford cars. Goodbye any club off a bus route, and even those where the bus doesn't run late. (Also, I don't know a single young person with a car who would even consider driving home drunk, and what's a folk session without the booze? I am, of course, not insinuating that older people do drink drive as a matter of course, but let's be honest here, a lot of people don't take it as seriously as they should).
Secondly, a lot more young folkies tend to vehemently object to smoking. The amount of singers who smoke is a constant surprise to me - I don't like other people's smoke when I'm just sitting having a pint, let alone when I'm trying to sing a haunting ballad! Until sinagarounds become smoke free, it's no wonder people like me stay away.
Lastly I suppose, is the genre itself - I have always found everyone to be really encouraging and friendly when new or young people come to a session, but the fact is, young folkies have a smaller 'folk vocabulary' than most people - this means that whilst they can enjoy performing themselves, all those join-in-on-the-chorus songs are rather isolating if you don't know the song and aren't confident enough to improv a harmony. Not a criticism (after all, nobody can do anything about it), just an observation.

And don't worry about us young uns not buying the CDs, we do (although I have to admit, most of my collection is formed from young-ish performers, dunno why, I just find younger bands more exciting). Try Tarras, bloody brilliant.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 06:48 AM

I would say that Kate & Eliza are no longer young

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: red max
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 05:29 AM

Notice how in response to questions like these you usually get a list of young performers? All very good, but isn't the bigger issue the advancing age of the audience. Although it's a highly participative genre, you do generally need a healthy ratio of punters per performer. People like Kate and Eliza are young, but how young are the people who buy their CDs?

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 03:40 AM

I agree with Alio about the singers situation. I obviously have limited information about what goes on over the country but locally in the folk clubs there are very few new young singers (or even audience) coming to the clubs. At 43 I'm one of the youngest people at the three folk clubs I go on a regular basis. Whilst it's great to see busloads of young fiddlers and accordionists going to Folkworks and other sessions at festivals, where do they go to at other times?
How do we encourage youngsters to come to clubs and get up and sing. The singaround clubs are probably less daunting than the get up to the front and do your bit clubs but where do we find the youngsters in the first place and how do we attract them to the clubs (which for all intents and purposes treat themselves like a secret society with the lack of public advertising they do to make themselves known outside of the folkworld.
Please prove me wrong and tell me about clubs that are thriving with underage drinkers/singers (like I was when I started going to folk clubs)
Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 07:28 PM

Ah, were it were so 20 years ago when I lived in Dorchester Vindelis.... we had the Cornwall Hotel folk club that had started life as the Sunray at Osmington.... and that was it, until that moved to Martinstown.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: vindelis
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 02:54 PM

I was 16 when I first became interested in folk music, thanks to my mum and dad and a Sunday School Anniversary. The trouble is, that now, (with the exeption of Lizabee of course!) as then, it is not unsusal for me to be ONE OF if not THE youngest member(s) of the session.
Sidmouth was a refreshing change.
It is shame a few cannot make their way to Weymouth or Portland. Never mind there is always Dorchester!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Firecat
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 02:13 PM

I'm 19! Does that count as young enough, or are we just talking about under 18s?

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 12:55 PM

These young 'uns can play great, but I'm buggered if they can spel

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: old git
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 05:30 PM

I saw Heyfeva at Sadleworth
they were great!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: running.hare
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 03:04 PM

YES WE ARE

you don't need to keep exclaming over us like some strange outcross

even if we diddn't quite mannage to sort things out for a young grownups session @ sidders... but I'm heading down tomorrow, & wil hopefully bump into some others in the unorganised way I do best *grin*

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 07:20 AM

THE YOUTH IS OUT THERE!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 08:07 AM

Not only that, there are a fair few in here too.

And Bratling is shaping up quite nicely in certain areas too.

LTS

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 07:43 AM

Just got back from the Appalachian String Band Festival (Clfftop WV).

The kids were there in droves.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Alio
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 07:27 AM

2 young men (Heyfeva) performed at the openeing concert at Saddleworth, and were tremendously received - they were just superb, and so confident!
When they asked me if they could come to the fewstival, they hadn't got a CD to send, so one of them played the accordion over the phone for me!!
I know they'll go a long way, but we don't seem to be getting many young singers coming through.
Ali

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Bloke in the Corner
Date: 04 Aug 03 - 04:57 PM

You want to see astounding music from young performers? Just go to any Fleadh Cheol. I went to the English Fleadh in Nottingham several years ago, and was astonished to see dozens of under 18's - some under 8's! - playing traditional music of the highest quality. A particular memory is of a 15 or so year old old girl in full Goth apparel - leathers, virulent red hair, piercings etc - leading an under 18 Ceilidh band in rehearsal on some grass, fiddle in hand, utterly lost in the music and on getting it right!
Us old ones really have to keep encouraging youngsters to enjoy traditional music, it's often so much more accessible than today's manufactured pop - and the young ones so often agree with me - and with work and a little money (how much does a penny whistle cost?) they can get and give so much enjoyment.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 11:58 PM

Most of the "Old Folkies" I know today began their interest in music with some other genre (mainly rock/contemporary/avante garde) and then moved into folk when they were a bit more mature. If you can't find any young folkies now, it doesn't mean that there won't be enough people to carry on the tradition later. I think what is more important is that enough of them have some interest in music, whatever the kind.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Helen
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 05:53 PM

Two young folkies will be singing at Herga tomorrow. If our voices recover from the hours of practice we put in today...
see you there. we'll be the young uns!

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Folkiedave
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 05:18 PM

There is a young flute player called sarah (wright?) who has been in the final of folk musician of the year three times and not yet won it. Mind she is fourteen.

There is a band that are at Sidmouth at the moment - Kerfuffle - they and the fiddle and accordion player Hannah are really special - not because they are pyrotechnic players - to be honest here are a fair number of those about, but because they have such mature arrangements. That does take talent.

And finally there are two other young folkies that deserve a mention. Harriet Bartlett is a stunning singer and accordion player, 17 or 18 years of age, and here is a name for the future - remember you heard it here first (!!) Ruth Notman.

Regards,

Dave
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 04:14 PM

Hey, any idea when Mafeking will be relieved? There has been a steady stream of second generation folkies for ages. Some of the "youngsters" even have kids of their own now.

The exciting bit will be when their non performing mates start turning up at folk clubs.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 11:55 AM

I've seen some young folkies who are out there, and how!

:-)

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From:
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 11:55 AM

Anyone ever see those Wrigley Sisters from the Orkneys? They're about 28 and have been releasing recordings for over 10 years together.

Does that class well enough as young?

In Maritimes, we have people like Andrea Beaton and Cynthia MacLeod, who are either just out of their teens or still in them. Many young fiddlers are showcased in shows in the region. There are lots of young singers as well, both in Gaelic, French and English. We're so lucky in our region. I'm sure everyone has up and coming young talent whereever they live. It's a matter of searching them out.

I remember last year at Celtic Colours, two young performers, singers, harpist and celloist, were over from Scotland. They were skipping out on the first few weeks of their third year at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. I think they were 19 and 21.

Subject: RE: Young Folkies Are Out There
From: Willa
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 11:06 AM

I was at Folkworks, too; a wonderful week.
Yesterday we had music from noon until long past midnight, with just a few short breaks for food.
At the evening concert you could tell which were the young folkworks players in the audience; heads were nodding and no wonder, as they'd been sessioning until about 4am.
I saw some of them buking in the shopping precinct too.

You're quite right, Keith. Awesome is the only word for it.