What's your favourite folk reminiscence?

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 03:00 PM

Pete Seeger, Planxty, Steeleye, Willie Scott, Alain Stivell, Albions, Peter Bellamy, Watersons, Heddy West, Carthy & Swarbrick........

.....endless, endless. I guess we old people sound like name droppers. But as folkies we have met and chatted with some of the most exciting musicians in the world and been moved by their music.

The first time I went to the Jug of Punch in Ellesmere Port, Merseyside, 2 young women sang as guests and I couldn't understand why they were not on television. I went to the Grove in Leeds, Hedgehog Pie, wow. On another occasion Peter Bellamy borrowed my guitar.

I have to say though, that one of the many things that makes folk special, is that we could go to a club tonight and here a song, a tune or a person who will be just as exciting as all the stars.

I should be in the Peveril of the Peak, back of the Bridgewater Hall Manchester, tonight because it might happen.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 12:38 AM

Jean Redpath came to Pittsburgh for an outdoor concert at Homewood, once the home of Henry Clay Frick. She was supposed to sing on Friday, and we were all there, with our lawn chairs and blankets, when the rains came, with a vengeance! It poured! Seriously! When the storm ended, there were maybe 15 of us still there.
She came on the stage, and said, "Ye're a' daft!"
We cheered.
"The Scots are different from the English"
We cheered some more.
"Do ye want to start the second Jacobite rebellion?"
We cheered again.
Then she announced that she'd do the concert the next night, and sang five songs, all of them favorites of mine.
I was, of course, at the concert the next night. It did not rain. Ms. Repath autographed my cd, and we got to talk a little, which was also nice. She is one great lady.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 11:36 PM

Several years ago, I took my mom to a Moloney, Egan and O'Donnell concert in Scottsbluff. First, it blew me away that little bitty Scottsbluff, NE (30,000 maybe) had booked them. Very small audience so we all got to sit in front. During the break mom and I went out for a smoke. Who should come out the door but Seamus Egan and Eugene O'Donnell to have a smoke.......visted a bit, and I asked him if he would play Celtic Lament for my mom. He stared at me and said "YOU know Celtic Lament!?" I had to admit to having his tape of it. He was that stunned! So, he introduced it, and did it dedicated to my mom, who died not long after.....needless to say, I bawled during the entire song......many, many more wonderful memories of all sorts of folk jamming and etc (lots of etc) at Stu Mossman's first factory....

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: boldreynard
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 10:17 PM

I was walking with my sons in a local park a day or two after Halloween this year. The boys were wearing remnants of their pirate costumes and accosting passersby. One accostee looked at them and began singing "The Mermaid." It pleased me to hear a Child ballad in so unlikely a spot, far removed from the club or concert hall.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Gurney
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 01:10 AM

Lots of musical ones, but my favourite memory is a piece of repartee at the Ampersand back in the 60's. Both guys were not noted for backwardness or sluggish wits.

Pete was onstage doing his floorspot, and Dave (Dave4Guild) was chatting to someone at the bar, not very quietly.

Pete: "Dave!"
Dave: "What?"
Pete: "Shut Up!"
Dave: "So's mine! Do you think it's the weather?"
(Audience roars with laughter.)
Pete, with wry grin: "Spoken like a true professional: Your mother!"

Great club, great days.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,Bernie
Date: 21 Dec 03 - 08:19 PM

1.    Sitting in the front row of a university auditorium with three high-school and university buddies when the Clancys and Tommy Makem bounded on to the stage for the first time in Atlantic Canada.....gathering around two mikes,Liam lifting up a Goya nylon string guitar almost vertically in the air starting a ferocious strum that lead into "Brennan on the moor";the strenth and power and sheer theatricality of the four voices taking the roof off that old hall...no harmonies,no drum kit or electric bass....just four men with talent,balls and a consummate knowledge and pride in what they were doing......

2. Pete Seeger[at Owen Sound Summerfolk or Toronto's Mariposa back in the seventies--cant recall which]starting his set.....under threatening skies.....two songs into the set,skies broke loose and torrential rain started.....ninety percent of the five or six hundred people on the grass gathered up their blankets,coolers and whatnot and ran madly for the trees......pete stopped his song,switched to "Takes a worried man"..when he came to the line"I'm worried now,but I won't beworried long",changed it to"it's raining now,but it won't be raining long"......entire crowd stopped dead in mid-gallop,turned around with a huge ovation and ran back to the stage area,sitting down in the wet grass...two minutes later,the sun came out      .......

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 21 Dec 03 - 02:10 PM

I have to go back to the late sixties for my favourite moment. It was at the Adelphi Folk Club in Swansea. The guest that night was Alec Campbell. Whilst getting a drink at the bar downstairs, a fella came in wearing a long black overcoat and a greasy banded bowler.
Later in the club (I was the MC that night) This guy asked me if he could sing a song. I was a bit dubious about it, but I agreed. So I put him on just before the guest spot. Tom, was his name and he sang a blues unaccompanied. He performance was simply staggeringly superb. It left me, the audience and Alec Campbell absolutely spellbound. Eventually the applause came from the awe-struck audience. It was long and loud and by the time it had finished, Tom had gone. Alec Campbell requested that he do his first spot after the break as there was no way he could follow that act.
I haven't seen this guy Tom from that day to this.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 09:41 PM

My biggest talent is being in the right place at the right time...

Outstanding memories from way back include seing Margaret Barry and Michael Gorman at the Favourite and magical nights after the Singers Club when Luke Kelly and Louis Killen seemed always to be there.

And the first time I walked into O'Donoghues and met Seamus Ennis plus most of the lineup that would become Planxty.   Then meeting Jeannie Roberson and a teenage Barry Dransfield at the same Keele Festival.

Fast forward 35 years to the Shooting Roots concert at Sidmouth when I saw Jackie Oates fiddlesinging for the first time. And yet it is unfair to single out these seminal moments. There have been and will be so many more as the tradition continues to live.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Amos
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 09:25 PM

Mine all involve singing -- one was walking up the Ridgefield Road with my banjo buddy going house to house for Halloween and singing to folks instead of asking them for treats (we felt we'd outgrown trick or treat, but we were game to sing to the whole town one house at a time!). It was one of those crisp clear autumn nights that New Englanders never forget. Another was sitting on the roof of our house with about four other people just hootenanning away. Washington Square random images of people just showing up and playing. Watching Joannie and Dylan hold hands at Newport.

They do go on!

A

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: wendyg
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 08:24 PM

Hands down, *the* moment came at Fox Hollow 1973, when Sandy and Caroline Paton were on stage at the moment Nixon resigned and sang "Only Remembered for What We Have Done."

Then Evelyne Burnstine sang "Seasons of Peace", noting that the aides had turned the microphones off when they sang it in the Nixon White House. A girl sitting next to me in the audience said to us, "When this is done, start 'America'." "Why?" I said. "BEcause this is an important moment in the history of our country and if we're going to sing about peace we should sing about America." So about three of us started it, and within a few words I think the whole audience had picked it up.

I have lots of other great memories of the folk scene in general and Fox Hollow in particular, but that was really special. And if The Resident can please god get voted out in November, can Sandy and Caroline lead the singing?

wg

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Menolly
Date: 02 Dec 03 - 01:46 PM

My favourite memory, although I did not completely enjoy it at the time, was at a Concert at the Easter festival at Poynton in 1975 when I was 8 months pregnant with my son. The music was lively and my unborn son was dancing to it! Johnny collins sat on one side of me and the last shanty man, Stan Hugill, sat on the other and both had their hands on my tummy holding the dancing down !!!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: johnross
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 11:02 PM

One more. I wasn't there, but I've heard the story from several people who were.

A party in Berkeley. For some reason, it became necessary to move to a different house. Kenny Hall and Doc Watson each thought the other was leading him down the stairs and out the door. They made it without any mishap.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Midchuck
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 09:11 PM

First time I saw Joan Baez on the TV, maybe '59 - singing "Virgin Mary Had a One Son." I was in love with her until I met my present wife...

Sometime in the mid-sixties, sitting in the front row at the Club 47 in Cambridge. Doc Watson was playing, solo. My face was about 6 feet directly in front of his picking hand. He was singing "Brown's Ferry Blues," and played a break. I forgot what good hearing blind people develop, and muttered "That can't be done!" He just said, "Yes, it can!" and played the same break again.

Tom Russell and Andrew Hardin, at the Mirage Hotel, in Castleford, Yorkshire, October '01. Dennis, the owner, does a lot of Tom's stuff himself, so the whole crowd knew a lot of the songs, and sang like fools. That doesn't happen in the US. There were probably more people in that room who knew the lyrics to a lot of Tom's stuff than in the entire US.

Old Songs '02, when Kris and I had a slightly delayed 35th anniversary party one afternoon. Some of you were there. We had a good quantity of Champagne. An old hippy wandered in, and I spoke to him. Mike Agranoff, at my request, did the whole "Ballad of Jake and Ten Ton Mollie" on the spot. I hadn't heard it for many years; but my kids never had, and were some amazed.

Probably think of more later.

Peter.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 05:42 PM

Cobber, I was young too when Joan Baez came to Melbourne. Dare I say that while I was impressed by her glorious voice I was just a little disappointed that she talked so much - about herself and not the songs. I had my head in Shule Skerry and in the Scottish Border Country and in the American mountains - places she had lead me to. Her songs, on her early records, were a great influence on me and for that I'm really grateful. In Australia we had so little of that material. She was one of the singers who started me off on a journey to find the songs that still affect me most. Perhaps it's best I never have become attached to any particular singer although there are many I admire greatly. That way it's always the songs that are most important and not the singer. I do remember that I separated Joan Baez from the songs she sang on that hot day in Melbourne.
So we are nearly neighbours again Cobber! I live close to the SA border, in Western Victoria.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: RolyH
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 05:42 PM

Being banished to my bedroom to finish my homework.

On the radio came the 'Anthems in Eden' suite by Shirley and Dolly Collins.I became a folk convert and no homework got done.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 05:17 PM

yep...the Cellar Door! I heard Brian Bowers there...got to carry help carry his autoharps back to dressing room...later had him over for supper, and told him about Winfield, Kans...in 2 years he was on the program...

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 05:11 PM

As a performer: X-Roads Coffee House, Richmond, Va. in the mid 70's. Great little venue where folks actually listened to yer music.

As a listener: The Cellar Door on M St. in Georgetown, Wsahington, D.C. This was *the* hot spot for folk in D.C. in the 60'
s and 70's. I loved going down there. Heard Richie Havens, Paul Seibel, Joan Baiz, Leo Kottkee, the Goose Creek Symphony, to name a few folks that I can remmeber. Sat literally fight next to stage for Kottkee. Whew. Took a few notes that night....

Bobert

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Peace
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 03:06 PM

People's Park in Berkeley. It was a demonstration, and I went with some friends amongst whom was a young lass who had stolen my heart. She later decided I wasn't for her, but that's a tale of woe for another time. Anyway, it was a very hot day, and the National Guard had set up its 'concertina wire', half tracks, assorted snipers and troop emplacements. Some kind people had erected speakers on the roof of their apartment building--we're talkin' BIG speakers with sound that could be heard for blocks. As we were in front of the building, someone playing records on the sound system put on--at max volune--Ringo Starr's "Why Don't We du-do it in the Road". A crowd of at least 10,000 people broke into the loudest cheer I have ever heard. Thanks, Ringo. And if the purveyor of said music should read this, thank you, too. You took the 'heat' out of a volatile situation. (And the first person to mention "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" will hit my permanent S-list.)

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: sweetfire
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 09:17 AM

The food tent at night at Beverly folk festival last year. Hopefully it will be just as good next year...

Cheers, Sophia

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: bflat
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 09:09 AM

The night I met Dave Van Ronk and later watched his large hands fly all over his guitar as he performed in a very intimate venue. He was a remarkable raconteur and performer. It was such a memorable evening.

Ellen

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 08:49 AM

Mostly Brit's and Aussie's memories in here...

Jerry..

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,Rob Parker
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 07:44 AM

Hearing "Four Square Circle" and Malcolm Price on the same BBC programme, "Country Meets Folk". Where are "The `Circle" now?.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 07:30 AM

WONT not won't - I must get back to the excellent habit I had for a while of using spellcheck!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 07:28 AM

1997 Christy Moore at the Seymour Centre - a magic concert!

My Irish friends knew him so he had given us free tickets, and had invited us to the Green room afterwards to sing. Well, they sang, I didn't as I can't hold a tune on my own & I couldn't join the choruses as is my won't cos no-one sang a song I knew!

sandra

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 02:49 AM

The only thing that ever stopped me in my tracks halfway to the bar with an empty guinness glass---Sean Cannon's opening lines of Burns' "Bonnie Doon"; I've been a shameless mimic ever since. Wee Danny Kyle's "Yawning Song" [and the incredible audience reaction] is another vivid recollection; heard it many times, but, sadly, no more. Like most of the gang here, I could write a book; The Furies, Battlefield, Magic Lantern, the Grehan Sisters, Archie Fisher--and all his siblings bar the one in Australia,the High Level Ranters, etc.,--etc-----tons of space , but time has its limits!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Jeri
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 09:04 PM

Would anyone else like to hear what John did to get thrown out of the first Vancouver Folk Music Festival?

I never spent much time in the gazebo at Fox Hollow. I can still remember dancing on the lawn at night, with the moon and lanterns sparkling in the dew like little fairy lights. I remember not wearing any shoes until Sunday the first time I came, despite the mud and the rain. I remember sitting in somebody's camper late at night with Bert Mayne (does anyone remember Bert Mayne?) and a couple other kids. I LOVED his song 'Lady From St. Louis' and I have an album of his here someplace. One year, I slept in my car which was parked right next to Canterbury Country Orchestra. We drove into Brattleborough next morning for breakfast, and I was so tired I was hallucinating dance tunes.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: johnross
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 07:57 PM

Where to start? Joan Baez at the Brookline Public Library in 1960, shortly after her first appearance at Newport. The Young Tradition in a radio studio at MIT. The rainstorms at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and at Fox Hollow. The gazebo at Fox Hollow. Organizing a concert in St. Louis for the Portable Folk Festival. Convincing the Coast Guard to participate in the New York harbor welcome for the Hudson River Sloop.

The Dylan riot at Mariposa in 1972. The young ballad singer at Mountain View in 1971 who made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Peter Johnson's concerts in Cambridge and Izzy Young's in New York. The Shady Oak at Sweets Mill. Singing all night with "The Animals" at the early Northwest Folklife Festivals. Visiting Yosemite with Frankie Armstrong and Brian Pearson. Getting thrown out of the first Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

And the parties. At Bert and Judy Haynes' house in Philadelphia. At Bill and Janet Boyer's place outside St. Louis. At the Monroe Center in Seattle. And in that awful motel in Toronto where everybody at Mariposa stayed.

That's just a few. Was anybody else reading this at any of those places or events?

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Melani
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 04:42 PM

Aladair Fraser, on board Balcutha. Wonderful for a whole bunch of reasons. And pretty much every chantey sing I've ever attended.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 08:36 PM

Back in the winter of 1960, I was newly arrived in New York City. I read an article in the New York Times about Dave Van Ronk and the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. I'd never heard of Dave, and had heard almost no "live" folk music up to that point, so I decided to find my way down to the Gaslight that weekend to hear Dave. As it turned out, New York City had one of the biggest snow storms in the history of the City, and everything was shut down. There was two or three feet of snow on many streets, and people skiing on them. But, I took the subway down to Greenwich Village and waded my way through heavy drifts of snow, and found the Gaslight. When I went it, the place had such a warm glow to it, and everyone was so welcoming, I felt right at home.

That night, many of the Village folkies had dropped by and had no intention of leaving. Or just sitting at a table. That was the first time that I heard Dave Van Ronk, and now 40 years later, I don't remember who else got up to sing. But, it was a long, informal night with many wonderful musicians getting up to do a set. I think I left there about two in the morning, and they were still going strong. Having heard so little live folk music, I felt joyfully overwhelmed. That was the beginning of spending two or three nights a week at the Gaslight. But, nothing could ever touch that first night, feeling snowed in and part of something very rare.

Jerry

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 07:55 PM

August, 1973. Saturday night at the Fox Hollow Festival. I was dead tired and consumed quite a bit of product. I snuggled into my thick down sleeping bag to FINALLY get warm. I was so tired, the ground felt like a feather bed. The rain drizzled down on the roof of my tiny pup tent, and I believed the campsite across from me just MIGHT quiet down. Then they got a new arrival - fresh blood - and things got rowdy again. I found out the next day it had been David Bromberg, accompanied by the rain, singing me to sleep.

Parties and concerts and campsites with remarkable people singing remarkable songs, and sometimes just being silly. It's hard to remember them because after a while, they all tend to blend together. Jean Redpath at a party, John Roberts and Tony Barrand singing 'Barbara Ann' at some ridiculous hour in a campsite, Ali Bain and Utah Phillip having a piss-take war at a campsite because one of them was going to bed, Jane Voss evicting Ali Bain and the guy from Sweet Potato Pie from in front of her tent because she was trying to sleep and they were playing Orange Blossom Special, sitting in a teepee at Fox Hollow with a bunch of other kids and all of us realizing we didn't know any folk songs, so we sang the Eagles, John Denver and the Beatles because, dammit, we wanted to SING. Hearing kids I went to school with singing and thinking "Wow, they're GOOD!" Going to a folkie retreat and having Tony Saletan direct a bunch of us in playing 'Nonesuch' on George and Vaughn Ward's baby son Pete's tuned (with water) pull-apart plastic 'beads'. Finding the Press Room session in August of 1987 and feeling like I was home again. I guess the last big one was Toronto, June '03. Not just getting to play Stan Rogers 12-string - the electricity in the air in Fielding's back yard could have jump-started the space shuttle. Oh - and hearing Elizabeth LaPrelle and her mom at the FSGW Getaway this year.

I make a real effort to realize magic is happening WHILE it's happening these days. Sometimes I don't think there's that much left for me to discover, and I want to notice everything I can.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: cobber
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 06:27 PM

Hi Joybell
I was still relatively young back then. Wasn't Joanie amazing. I still remember bits of it like her singing the third song of a trilogy she had written which had started with Song for David. The last song was called Love is just a pain in the ass. And I thought it was sweet the way she apologised for trying to kill ther flies that were plaguing her. I see on the Mudcat that she's back performing again. I wonder if Australia is out of the question. I live in South Australia now but I can travel.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 06:20 PM

So many of them...

My first would be watching Captain Kangaroo and his puppets performing "hits" of the day such as "Lemon Tree", "Don't Let the Rain Come Down", "Hole in the Bucket", etc. My first taste of the folk revival at a very young age.

My first "folk" radio show - with Marjorie Guthrie, the widow of Woody Guthrie.   She inspired me to continue on the path of presenting folk music on radio.

Singing in the Old Dutch Barn at the Old Songs Festival in an after hours session led by Sandy & Caroline Paton.

The Old Songs Festival in 2000. It was a booster shot that reminded me of exactly why I love this music.

Listening and joining in with the audience at the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club in Paramus, NJ. Voices of angels.

Meeting and getting to know Ed McCurdy. We weren't close friends, but he really meant a lot to me.

My first NERFA (North East Folk Alliance). While the Folk Alliance may be overrun with singer-songwriters, there are more than enough dedicated individuals that keep it alive.

Watching David Massengill at Speakeasy for the first time in the early 80's. Rod MacDonald as well.

My first Eisteddfod Festival - this year. New York Pinewoods did an amazing job and I look forward to next year.

The Woody Guthrie Tribute concert at the Ryman Auditorium. Held early this year, I had the honor of sitting in the third row as a parade of country & folk stars paid tribute to Woody in the "shrine".

So many more. I'm glad I do not have to pick just one!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,Andytwodogs
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 06:04 PM

Place, Cheltenham folk Festival
Music session in a side room with Floss Headford, when he walked into the main hall where Baltshazzars Feast were doing a sound check and told them to make less noise as we were playing serious music. He came back to the session and played every tune that they played, with our assistance and as loud as possible. incredible and an honour to be there.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Joybell
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 05:20 PM

Hello cobber, I was there too! I got sunburnt as well.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Peter T.
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 04:13 PM

Seeing Tim Hardin in Cambridge just before he died. Sad, horrible, sweet, amazing.


yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Padre
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 02:56 PM

* Recording the BP album at the Folk Legacy 'studio' and waiting for the school buses to go by

* working the 'stage in the woods' at the National Folk Festival at Wolf Trap (90+ degrees and the Ring Shouters in black suits and long-sleeved dresses just burn up the stage)

* a concert at Nettlebed in 1982 that was the most wonderful night of singing

and about 1000 more

Padre

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 08:17 AM

The first time I saw Gary and Vera Aspey at the Topic when it was at the Star, Westgate, Bradford.
My sides start to hurt again just thinking about it.
Pure Magic, Eric

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: kendall
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 07:14 AM

Way too many to list, but at the top, spending an evening with Pete Seeger and Gordon Bok in Gordon's living room. Pete gave me my first banjo lesson.
Picking with Rick Fielding in Sandy Paton's living room.
Being asked to sing by Tom Paxton.
Having dinner with Utah Phillips.
Doing an evening at the Cecil Sharpe folk club in London.
Jean Redpath at Fox Hollow.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: fogie
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 05:19 AM

1) watching how Archie Fisher played the guitar, three times in all.I learned everything I've ever needed to know about open tuning.
2)First time I saw the Kippers live in Shrewsbury, I nearly died laughing.
3) Seeing Bob Pegg knock Dave Swarbrick out with his bass guitar at the Shrewsbury Music Hall.
4) Meeting Shirley Collins as a student in Bristol, after she had performed solo, and Anthems hadn't been released yet.
5) First time I chanced to arrive at a LNE dance at Sidmouth, and Blowzabella completely blew me away.
It's fun to be able to reminisce isnt it!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,Wa Ban Zhou
Date: 28 Nov 03 - 01:57 PM

I taught my Chinese students(in China) some Woody Guthrie songs( Roll on Columbia, This Land is your Land, Send Myself to You. They really loved them. One day I came to class and they had re-worked the songs and sang them back to me in Chinese and about China (Hainan Island works as well as "New York Island")
Wa Ban Zhou

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: GUEST,susanne (skw) abroad
Date: 28 Nov 03 - 03:52 AM

Pete Seeger came over to Denmark for the 1990 (1991?) Tonder Festival. That was the only time the festival didn't end with 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken', for the crowd (2000+) started singing 'We Shall Overcome' and everybody came back on stage to finish it.
However, the really magic moment for me was the afternoon before, when the stage was cleared after a great concert, and here, too, the crowd started singing. Nobody came back on stage, so we sang four verses through on our own, as a homage to Pete.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Nov 03 - 02:21 AM

I remember when the Downs and Out Folk Club was running at The Waterloo in Cholsey in the mid seventies. One Friday, after a series of funny men, two musicians walked in carrying armfuls of instruments. They were charming young men. I remember thinking, "Oh dear! These guys are real musicians - they'll struggle here." Indeed they were musicans and they started out playing excellent arrangements using their guitars, mandolines, dulcimers, fiddle and not least of all their wonderful voices. They absolutely blew the place apart. After an evening of stunning musicianship and vitality, they came into the lounge bar, which my Mum had kept open after hours, and played some hilarious songs for her. I have been a huge fan of Paul Downes and Phil Beer ever since. That night was pretty special though. I don't think anyone who was there will forget it.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: cobber
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 11:29 PM

I have two. The first was seeing Joan Baez in the 70s at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia and getting so sunburnt, I was almost hospitalised but the concert was worth it. The second happened to me. I was in England in 1979 with the Cobbers and the Dubliners invited us up to their concert at a working men's club about 60 miles from London. We were all sitting in the dressing room before the show when Barney McKenna grabbed Christy and myself by the arm and dragged us outside. We thought he was going to show us something but he took us through a curtain and the roar of applause made us realise that we were on stage. After a fast retreat, we found out that Barney was almost blind without his glasses and too proud to wear them on stage and had grabbed on to the wrong people. It was quickly sorted out and the real Dubliners went on stage and brought the house down.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 10:55 PM

being asked/allowed to help carry Bob Beers' psaltry into & out of and elevator and onstage in 1965 or so...and standing over his shoulder as he warmed up..and THEN hearing the concert.

Hearing Pete Seeger live in 1963 or '64 and watching people who had never heard of him singing along and being as mezmerized as I was...

Seeing Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Dan Crary the first year of the Nationl Flatpicking contest(1971?) at Winfield, Kans.(joined the next year by Tony Rice)...and watching Doc & Merle Travis play together for the first time the NEXT year!)

Hearing Jean Redpath live in a little club 3 nights in a row...and having her look down at me the 3rd night and say.."..and you're a glutton for punishment, aren't you.." ...and being able to ask her to sing "The Twa Corbies"...3 feet from me..

seeing the Copper family live, their first American concert, and watching Bob Copper with something close to tears in his eyes as he discovered much of the audience could sing the Copper family songs along with them...and getting one of 7-8 of his books that they had scoured bookshops for before coming over-'hoping' they could sell a couple..(the books lasted about 2 minutes)...

getting to nod and give Tom Paley a fiddle break on "The Storms Are On the Ocean" while I played autoharp, when he just 'happened' to drop by a local song circle.

...and more....
........and then all the wonderful local stuff by 'mostly' unknown musicians that would mean little to many, but filled my life with friends and music for the last 35-40 years...

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 07:55 PM

There are so many going back forty years - The first Folk Club I joined (by accident-Joint membership with Jazz Club) - Run By Louis Killen and Redd Sullivan the guest my first visit,Jamming with Dis Disley on a number of occasions, Gary Davis at the Troubadour,being
offered six month's work in Bermuda as a total unknown !! Even being introduced to Mudcat !!!!!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 07:51 PM

First time I saw Planxty.....was at the Watersons come back concert......Blind Institute Beverley Rd Hull............

Joe Heaney singing in the bar of O'Donoghue's in Dublin: Finbar Furey the first time; Kerfuffle to come up to date; you know I could take up the whole of this thread.........Blue Murder at Holmfirth two years ago........how long do you have?

Dave
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 07:42 PM

Margret Roadknight - Live at Woodford! with all the other performers on that all female bill that day, that year...

:-)

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Joybell
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 06:56 PM

Back in the 1960s listening to Danny Spooner sing at "Frank Traynor's" in Melbourne. Hearing the same man sing "Bringing in the Sheaves" accompanied by his concertina, at a Gospel session recently. It's always the song you hear with Danny - he lets it work it's magic without vocal tricks or afectation.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 06:32 PM

Hearing Aubrey Cantwell sing the Nightingale in the Bell in Standlake, c1964/65. The knowledge that there we were, hearing the undiluted Real Thing, in a world surrounded by Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bert Jansch and Martin Carthy, Bob Dylan and all that wonderful stuff. And there were us young lads and lasses hearing the old codgers still blasting it out in the old way. Great days, and it's meant I've seen it done and can tell the youngsters how it used to be done. Course, they might be bored rigid, but there you go....

Subject: RE: What's your favourite folk reminiscence?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 01:18 PM

Elliott Family, Chester, about 28 years ago, when Nadine was 15. Harmony to kill for. And teh really spare, understated, guitar. Not flash at all. Always a bit less than you'd have been tempted to put on, so left you wanting more.