Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E

Subject: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Aug 06 - 09:04 AM

My daughter has asked me to announce a beer & folk event in Nottingham town August Bank Holiday Weekend, at the Orange Tree pub in Shakespeare Street.

She says: - Details of the beer festival for you:-

At the orange tree, shakespear st, nottingham. Starts fri 25th - mon 28th aug. 12 noon - 7pm every day. 20 different local ales, and live music everyday. BBQ - sat, sun, mon.

I don't think it will be great for singers, but my bass player is trying to get more people down and to round up musicians... He asked me to ask you if you wanted to come, and if you could shout out on mudcat.


I have replied: -


Is it in a hall or a beer garden? If a beer garden is there a tent to keep rain off musicians?
Is there a PA rig?
Is the folking area separate from the drinking area?
Do musicians get any beer tokens/food tokens?
What other live music is there - ie are folkies supposed to take turn and turn with electric or what?



If I get further info I will post here, and I will send link to daughter to try to get her here to do stuff directly.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Aug 06 - 11:09 AM

Information gradually arrives......

Probably singing/playing in main pub, there is a beer garden but daughter thinks there will be no tent, as it really very titchy garden / yard.

There might well be a PA rig, so turning it from no use to singers to OK for singers who are happy to be amplified, watch for confirmation.

The folking area will be on the main pub with the beer festival which is why it stops at 7pm.

Alas musicians probably get no beer tokens/food tokens? -

No information yet on what other live music is there - ie whether folkies are supposed to take turn and turn with electric or what.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Aug 06 - 11:19 AM

Pub's website says: -

Folk/Acoustic acts to play at the Orange Tree's very first Beer festival on the 25th – 28th of August. Call us on 01159 473 239 or 07733 180 129 for more details.

The 01159 number is the pub and they are not organising the music themselves, that's a guy called James, and his is the mobile number. He is apparently on holiday and will be back Thursday, but he can be reached on teh mobile number.   


pub website

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Aug 06 - 03:27 AM

The details.....

"1.   everything is kept inside the pub with access to the garden

2.   there is a small PA, with eight channel mixer

3.   the beer racks and music will be to the rear of the pub, but essentially the whole pub has access to it

4.   musicians will be paid in beer

5.   there will be local musicians playing throughout the weekend

i hope that these answer the questions, any further queries please do not hesitate to get in touch.

james"

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Aug 06 - 06:18 PM

refresh.

To put you off, I am likely to attend.

But if I can get my daughter to sing, you will be well rewarded

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 09:15 AM

Richard, you may be interested to know that one mudcatter, at least, is following all this - and will try to call in at the Orange Tree some time during the festivities.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 12:08 PM

Thank you Peter.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Sttaw Legend
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 01:14 PM

Sorry can't do it this year because gigging elsewhere but hopes its repeated next year

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 01:50 PM

If anyone local knows Muppitz, can it be passed on?

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,JulieF
Date: 24 Aug 06 - 04:19 AM

Might be a nice little trip from Sheffield on Monday - provided no one wants to view the house ( no one's managed to turn up yet after nearaly 4 weeks !)    Directions from the railways station as I really don't know Nottingham ?   Do you think its suitable for unaccompanied very tradditional - actually scrub that question. I can adapt or listen. It will get me out of the house.

Peter if you are still interested in any of the session's that I'm involved with send me your e-mail address as we've changed some days and started one up in Chesterfield

Julie

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Aug 06 - 05:33 AM

Hi Julie - I'm in Kent so not really fully in the loop but I imagine that with a small PA unaccompanied should be no problem although since it is a beer festival traditional drinking songs would be the safest kind of traditional.

I will probably have left by Monday lunchtime in order to return to Kent.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,JulieF
Date: 24 Aug 06 - 05:40 AM

No Problems Richard - If I get there by Monday lunchtime can do my usual rep and get them all crying into their beer and if that fails I can always sing about happy hippos.
JJ

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,rachel (richards daughter)
Date: 24 Aug 06 - 08:01 AM

For anyone thinking of coming down, I really hope it should be a good weekend, and if all else fails the beer will be worth the trip.
Anything that gets a bit of folk and / or ale into the mainstream / bloodstream is well worth it. :0)
It would be fantastic to see it repeated next year, but that will rely on everyone turning out and getting folked!

Thanks for helping me spread the word. Much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 03:35 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,Mark coyle
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 05:50 AM

Directions from Nottingham train station

come out and turn right, follow road down and crossover. Go either through short tunnel and across lights and go through Broadmarsh centre briefly. Follow signs to Market Square (just keep going onwards).

At market square follow short road up (Market St) with Selectadisc records on your left. You will see theatre ahead of you - follow it's right side onwards past the glass fronted cinema/shopping complex.   At the back of the threatre you are now on Shakespeare Steet.

I'm from Nottingham and will try to go myself.

cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,Mark Coyle
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 05:51 AM

Sorry that should have been 'either through tunnel OR across the lights' (they bring you out at the same point).

cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 06:55 AM

Many thanks Mark. My version (it's a very very very long time since I was at Nottingham Uni) would have been "go uphill until you get to a bloody great square, bear right across it and ask again", so I'm glad you've clarified that.

When I was then a mobile DJ I used to buy all my vinyl at Selectadisc.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 07:04 AM

I got this off the website, for your ref:-

The Beers on offer are:

Rock Bitter – 3.8%abv, Rock Mild – 3.8%abv, Legend – 4%abv, EPA – 4.2%abv
Dreadnought – 4.5%abv, Bullion – 4.7%abv, Supreme – 5.2%abv, Sooty Oatmeal Stout – 4.9%abv, Boro brunette – 4%abv, Gone for a burton – 4.6%abv, Sundowner – 4%abv (Tring), Fanny Eb's summer ale – 3.9%abv
Jack 'o' legs – 4.2%abv (Ludlow),Ludlow Gold – 4%abv (Holland)
Golden Blonde – 4%abv (Rugby), Summer Break – 4%abv (Hanby), Cherry Bomb – 6%abv (Hart), Dishy Debbie – 4%abv
S.O.D. – 5%abv, Anchor – 4.1%abv

Westons Ciders
Old Rosie – 7.3%abv
Hertfordshire country perry – 4.8%abv
Traditional scrumpy – 6%abv
Moles Cider
Black Rat cider – 6%abv



Music

The Line up:
Saturday 26th(music starts at 3pm)

Sally Murray
Ocean State
Bruce Myers
Henry Parkinson
Clyde-a-scope
Jum Robin
Manikin
Russ Clark
Sunday 27th (music starts at 7pm)
Audio Massage presents The Bourgeois Four, Fall of Jupiter plus very special guests.

Bank Holiday Monday 28th (music starts at 3pm)

The Four Fishermen
Meg Rowell
Alex Clegg
David Jenkins
Ed Bannard
Jezz Hall

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 07:08 AM

Sorry to have misled you everyone - the website has changed and it's pretty obvious (NOW) that they don't want any folk singers or musicians. Wish they'd told my daughter and me that before asking her to invite me and to scare up some musicians.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,rachel (richards daughter)
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 07:24 AM

hopefully the beer will still be good, and there may be some good guests (?) on so some of you may still want to check it out for listening and drinking purposes.

It is also important to support the celebration of proper beer and ale in pubs, remember!

:0)

I will still be going, just in case it turns out to be fun...
Thanks. x
Rachel

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 09:24 AM

Hmm, I have email from pub and it is looking like two great countries divided by a common language---I am checking but I now think the situation is as described in my follwoing email to the pub...






hanks James.

I had not written previously but had had info passed on by Rachel and read the website as it was.

That now sounds like (trying to speak modern muso not folkie ;) ): -

Friday - No music
Sat PM - stated guests
Sat Eve - open mic (or do you mean session, song session, song circle aka singaround, or jam session - I'll explain below?)
Sun PM - no music
Sum Eve - stated guests introducing open mic (or do you mean session, song session, song circle aka singaround, or jam session - I'll explain below?)
Mon PM - stated guests
Mon Eve - no music

Working Definitions (folkies can argue for years about these):

Open mic - people are free to take turns on the PA and if they invite anyone else to use the other channels on the PA it's up to them. Style of music not usually folk music even if played on instruments that don't have to be amplified.
Session - players (not usually singers) sit around in a rough circle and play diddley all together, usually Irish folk music but sometimes Scottish or English or even Welsh or maybe all four). Singers need a lot of bottle to but in. Usually a designated player leads or invites others to lead the tune played. Also American variants like bluegrass and old timey. Irish and Canadian you are supposed to play the tune in unison, other versions open to chordal accompaniment harmony and variations. Really hard to amplify!
Song Session - similar but more orderly with there being a tendency for the "lead" to go round the circle and if it happens to be a song it's up to the singer to call for people NOT to join in if singer wants to be unaccompanied/unharmonised/etc
Singaround - Definitely goes round in turn, tunes permissible in stead of song, up to the singer to call for people NOT to join in if singer wants to be unaccompanied/unharmonised/etc

All the above, bodhran players and shakey egg players aim to get the nod before playing too loud.

Jam session - usually electric, with guitar amplifiers and maybe full drumkit, one or two leaders, maybe in turn, selected people (maybe in turn) improvise round leaders' tunes/songs.

Folk Music - songs and tunes of unknown authorship handed down and modifed by the oral tradition.
Contemporary Folk - stuff that sounds like folk music but is not within the definition.
Contemporary acoustic - stuff played on instruments that don't need to be amplified.

I'll confer with daughter and am now dithering whether to come or not....

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 09:26 AM

Hmm - pub website now leaves Sun eve unclarified, and says there is a session/jam on Monday night......

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge on Rachel's computer
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 03:11 PM

I am in Nottingham and will try to get the truth from the horse's mouth (and drink beer) by the minute

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge on Rachel's computer
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 06:12 PM

Well, there was a lot of beer and I eventually found one I liked.

One of the scheduled artists no-showed so I got a slot.

Apart from me there was no folk music or contemporary folk music.

There was no singaround or session after the scheduled artists.

The next scheduled "jam session" is Monday not Sunday. I exect it not to be one such.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 09:36 AM

I think this event has potential if people help James at the pub out - he is not a folkie, even if he is a tree-hugging hippie, and he does not know our little ways. I gather the pub sold shedloads of beer Saturday night so it might repeat the event.

I found that if I sat down and made a nuisance of myself playing and singing when there was no music on other than the pub's background electric stuff (an interestingly wide range, from Nina Simone, Robert Johnson to Ewan MacColl to the White Stripes (and Jack White's new band) and rather a lot of modern electric stuff, but not too much "boom-chick") the speakers would get turned off and some people would listen. This made quite a nice Sunday afternoon. This approach could be played up bigtimee next year if there is a next year.

So James needs nagging to go himself (he plays) to all the local folk clubs and invite them in person (a free beer for every three songs sung, and maybe a contribution to club funds might be a suitable bribe).

He needs nagging to get some Morris sides along - there is a pedestrian route alongside - a blocked off road, ideal to dance in - which would seed the singing (and some diddling) too.

He needs to get people designated to start the singing/playing in appropriate places (with drinking songs) when the open mic stuff ends.

He might well actually be nagged to book and pay for one or two good pro or semi-pro folk singers or musicians to do transition slots into or out of the "open mic" stuff.

Maybe he should audition those wanting to play open mic and prune some (I hate to say so but there was one who drove me out of the pub to walk round the block).

He could buy a stock of tankards at second-hand shops and hire them out to drinkers, with stick-on beards, to make the locals look like folkies....

A "real barbecue" would be good - the "barbecue" was (nice) kitchen food and not cheap although not radically expensive.

Publicity in the local folk mags might help.

Don't let this event die!


I got invited up to the Hotel Deux in Sherwood Rise which has an open mic every Sunday - and again I was the only folkie (there was a good blues player called Doc something with a Martin D-35 - but the rest was some almost jazz, some singer songwhiner followed by bad pop, and quite a lot of country (some country/cum-rock'n'roll).   That too could do with invading by folk rentamob: a range of real beers alas served too cold, and a nice clean PA rig sound.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: GUEST,Mr Grumpy
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 08:10 AM

I seem to remember threads bewailing the lack of folk in Nottingham. I am accordingly surprised that no-one from Nottingham has risen to this thread. Use it or lose it!

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 03:07 PM

The Nottingham Evening Post has carried a weekly Folk column for the last twenty years (Roy Harris for the first seven years and me thereafter).For all that I appealed for any new dates/events as recently as a month ago, the first I knew about the Folk/Beer festival was when I returned home from holiday on Friday(25th)and saw that it had been added to the Folk listings that I supply to the Post. Afraid that I might be guilty of some glaring omission I checked the pub's website only to view a list of names that I certainly didn't recognise from any folk club, session, acoustic club or open mic(folkish)in Nottingham or anywhere else in the East Midlands. Checking further it would seem that the pub had not sent any publicity that I could use or that The Post could send on to me. There is precious little folk in Nottingham these days (except on the very periphery of the county)so if the organiser's of this festival want it to be a "folk" event they only have to ask and there are plenty of people who, I'm sure, would be only too pleased to offer assistance.
Dave Sutherland

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 03:16 PM

there is in our house

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 05:58 PM

Hi Dave

I'll send the link to James. With mutual co-operation I'm sure something can be made of this. I think my folk went down fairly well.

Maybe your more commercial folk people can take advantage of the open mic nights too.

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 06:18 PM

Rock beers were presumably from the Castle Rock brewery adjoining the Vat and Fiddle. Castle Rock (excellent) beers are also available at the Swan in Rushes, Loughborough, which I understand is the venue for a folk club too.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Beer & Folk, Notting'm, Aug Bank Hol W/E
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:41 AM

Refresh specifically so that Muppitz who has been folking elsewhere can contribute......