Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music

Subject: Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music
From:
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 05:19 PM

I just picked up a new issue of a magazine from the UK, called Songlines, the World Music Magazine.

Among the articles is an interesting one called Talkin' 'Bout Regeneration

It likens the resurgence in FOLK to something akin to a Regeneration with The Doctor. Whole different face on a reasonably similar background. The British appear to have added the youth of the land who have a completely different take on the music of the ages.

A quote from Martin Carthy goes: "They [young people now attending the concerts] give off an energy which an audience of the same age didn't have 30 or 40 years ago. They just eat this stuff up. There's a real need for this source music."

Among the young artists they mention are:

Bellowhead
Cara Dillon
Eighteenth Day of May
Tim van Eyken
Seth Lakeman
Pinkie McClure
Jim Moray
Karine Polwart
James Raynard
Lou Rhodes
Alasdair Roberts
Soft Hearted Scientists
Tunng
Chris Wood

They all sound interesting from the short writeup in the article.

Subject: RE: Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 07:38 PM

I think Martin has forgotten the energy there was there in teh 60s and early 70s.

Subject: RE: Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 07:43 PM

Agreed, Richard.
Folk clubs with one hundred plus audience.
In Southampton there were eight folk clubs every week (two on Wednesdays).
Where is that sort of enthusiasm now?
Colyn.

Subject: RE: Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 02:35 AM

But not just the audience - everyone played and sung as well...

Subject: RE: Songlines on Revival in UK Folk Music
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 03:37 AM

I think what Martin is refering to is the way that an audience shows its appreciation these days.

I wasn't around in the 60's & 70's revival days (heck, where I was, we'd only just got Glen Miller), but suspect that the audiences were 'british'.... they clapped politely, tapped a foot quietly, maybe even stood when a song was finished. From what I can tell from various records, the folk revival of the '60's+ was for the more melodic ballady type, accoustic music. The electrification of folk (for a brilliant example try 'New Electric Muse, story of folk into rock, ESBCD416/1-3) turned it into something a bit more vibrant, more appealing to those being brought up to the 3 minute pop song and senseless lyrics. These days (jees, I sound old!) people get so much more involved. Watching an audience is like watching a bucket of worms; they move to the music, sing along, are not afraid to get up and dance in the aisle if they feel that way inclined, you can SEE that they are enjoying it and they are so much more vocal in their appreciation. And I don't mean just youngsters. I've seen teenagers and their parents all dancing and jiving along to a folk band. People appear to be more liberated, more expressive and less self-conscious about enjoying themselves in public. When you have that sort of effect on an audience, when you can see them expressing pleasure, energy and joy, it can only make you feel bloody fantastic.

LTS