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06 Dec 99 - 07:40 AM (#145343) Subject: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Ian Stephenson Myself and Sam Pirt, as you'll probably already know, recently won the BBC young folk award, and we are planning on a tour round some uk festivals. Obviously this summer we have the advantage of being in the press etc. because of this award, and festivals are actually asking US this year instead of us begging them! So mudcatters, I ask for your experience and help to answer my question: Which festivals should we play at? We are already booked for mainstage cambridge, and we want to try and play at lots of "big" events all over the country. So which festivals would you consider being the best", the "most populated with festival organisers", or the "biggest audience"? Thankz lots for your help and support. Ian |
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06 Dec 99 - 08:13 AM (#145353) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: karen jonason Every 2 years (next one is 2001) is Raise Your Banners Festival held in Sheffield in November. Organisers have a website for details |
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06 Dec 99 - 08:33 AM (#145371) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: GeorgeH Greatest of them all is Sidmouth! Also it's probably the one with the best age range in its audiences. It's also worth keeping in mind that Cambridge is a world of its own, and somewhat apart from the other UK festivals. Beyond that, I'd say go for a fair geographical spread to put yourselves in front of as many local event organisers as possible. G.
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06 Dec 99 - 10:14 AM (#145404) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Grizzly |
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06 Dec 99 - 10:17 AM (#145409) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Grizzly Damn' return key... Which festivals - the ones where you get PAID. (Coz many organisers seem to have this allergy to parting with money). All the best for 2000
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06 Dec 99 - 10:24 AM (#145413) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Phil Hatton I get to 7 or 8 festivals a year (with a morris side)& appart from those already mentioned I'd suggest Whitby Folk Week as the major northern festival and Warwick is very good. Wimbourne & Beverly are usually pretty good too. If you have the contacts you could try the accoustic tent at Glastonbury, Liza Carthy has played Glastonbury the last 2 years. Phil |
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06 Dec 99 - 10:38 AM (#145420) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Lady McMoo Whitby definitely! mcmoo |
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06 Dec 99 - 11:12 AM (#145441) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Dan Keding I think that Sidmouth is a great festival. The latge, well informed audiences make for great listening.I enjoyed performing at Whitby, Warwick, and Towersey. Good luck. |
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06 Dec 99 - 02:20 PM (#145535) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Eric the Viking Yes, Sidmouth and Cambridge are the tops, but Fylde is also good. But for a real friendly festival, where the "starts"show themselves to be mere mortals like the rest of us, but so much better at what they do, try the Cleckheaton folk festival. It's small, but friendly and the organisers are sound people. End of June, begining of July 2000. Well done, by the way, great news for you. Best wishes. Eric. |
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06 Dec 99 - 02:22 PM (#145537) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Eric the Viking Should say "STARS" not "Starts!" Eric-of clumsy typing |
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06 Dec 99 - 03:03 PM (#145560) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: McGrath of Harlow Sidmouth, Whitby and Fylde. |
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06 Dec 99 - 06:33 PM (#145671) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: poet Ian a thought for you I understand your desire to play the biggest and the best and I wish you all the luck in the world. But maybe you might also play a few of the struggling small festivals (who don't have any money) who desperately need the leg up that a NAME artist on their bill would bring. And it wouldn't do your career any harm. It seems to me that there are too many Artists who forget their roots and their freinds When they reach the top and I find it rather sad. But do wish you well. Grizzly! I ran a small Festival for fourteen years.The deal to Artists was simple. No Fee!! A weeks Holiday in a sunny Isle (travel and accommadation paid) cost to me £400 per head if the festival made a profit it was divided equally between the heads if it lost money which it usually did no charge to the artist. there may be organisers out there who short change the artists but I've never met them, I only see people who beleive in the music and are happy if they break even. there aretwo sides Grizzly Believe me. Graham (Guernsey) |
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06 Dec 99 - 07:21 PM (#145707) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Liz the Squeak Depends what you want really, if you want fame, fortune and an invite to another country, then Sidmouth it is. If you want to be with people who appreciate music for music's sake, then Cambridge,and good luck to you. If you like people joining in, then one of the friendliest is Towersey, but Fylde comes a close second. If it were still going, I would have said Saffron Walden next, but alas, no longer..... If you just want to play, then the odd folk day like Haddenham is good. I must confess to never having heard you play, but both Haddenham and Towersey are great for dancers. Bedworth is another good one and has the merit of being inside in the warm. Where ever you go, just have fun, play because you want to, not because someone is paying you to. Believe me, us punters know the difference.... LTS |
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06 Dec 99 - 08:56 PM (#145758) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: McGrath of Harlow You're right there Liz about Saffron Walden. Don't it always go that way, you don't know what you've got till its gone. |
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07 Dec 99 - 02:45 AM (#145900) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: roopoo Well done 422! Ian, you know that we love Whitby, and would hope to see you up there again this year. That back corner of the Spa wouldn't be the same otherwise! I don't know if the Stainsby festival still runs. That is near Chesterfield and just off the M1. It was on a year or two back, I know. I used to be like a massive Windy B. Now THERE'S a thought... Of course nobody as yet has mentioned other than English festivals, and I know from the listings in "The Living Tradition" mag that there are loads in Scotland. Not all would be appropriate, due to their nature, but I'm sure some would. I'll see if I have any back copies with the lists in. See you soon, if you're not too grand to speak to us now! I will let Alex and Nenna know. mouldy |
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07 Dec 99 - 04:12 AM (#145909) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Liz the Squeak OOOOOh, McGrath of Harlow, does that mean we've "met"? I stewarded Saffron Walden for four years, it was there I first felt my daughter kick, and where we got kissed by an MBE and a knight of the realm..... LTS |
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07 Dec 99 - 07:12 AM (#145925) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: danleighton you could always try the guys at woodworm records for a slot at Cropredy... plenty of people there to get exposed to... dan |
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07 Dec 99 - 02:11 PM (#146076) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: bill\sables There will be a good festival at Windy Bottom next year, If you can contact the organisers it is well worth a try Cheers Bill |
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07 Dec 99 - 02:52 PM (#146091) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Richard Bridge Try Broadstairs. The fringe is not wonderful, but the concert artists do get paid! Skip Cambridge unless you are only doing it for the money. It is no longer anything to do with folk music, and I say that with sorrow not anger for I (long ago) met my wife there. |
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07 Dec 99 - 05:16 PM (#146153) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Little Dorrit whitby, sidmouth and I still really like cambridge although I concede its link with folk are tenuous.warwick is a gorgeous little festival and Beverley will only cost you £1.80 on the train Sam! Otley is still nice and friendly but probably not much exposure -it's all very well these people saying do it for love but money-but a guy's gotta eat don't they???? |
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07 Dec 99 - 05:25 PM (#146159) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: lamarca I got this in my E-mail last month. As I live in the USA, it's not much use to me, but may be to you folks. Don't know why, but my address seems to be creeping onto a lot of folk-related E-mail lists from across the pond...
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 18:06:53 +0100
The October edition of the English Folk Festivals Newsletter contains reviews of this years festivals, details of some late festivals, early notification of some of next years festivals and is packed with contacts for Artistes, Festival Organisers and Festival goers.
To subscribe(Free) send a blank Email to
subscribeEFFN@jdalton.easynet.co.uk |
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08 Dec 99 - 06:31 AM (#146445) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Ian Stephenson We played at Windy Bottom festival last year, and it rocked. Cheers Ian |
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08 Dec 99 - 12:11 PM (#146580) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: GeorgeH Funny, Liz, I'd have reversed your comments about Sidmouth and Cambridge; "being with people who love music for music's sake" fits the former much better! I'm with Ian on Cambridge, and IMO Cambridge has the least good natured, most intolerant (of one another and of the difficulties of crowding a lot of people on a very small site) audience of any event it's been my misfortune to attend . . which is one of several reasons we won't be going back (sorry, 422 - have to catch you elsewhere . . ). But are you still in Saffron Walden? That makes us almost physical neighbours (we're in Sawston - now have we managed to persuade you to any of our Sawston Arts Festival events yet??) As for the loss of SWFF - it has to be said that the Hawkesmoor's did look long and hard for someone to take it over when they left the area . . .
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08 Dec 99 - 01:59 PM (#146642) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Jon Freeman I am not saying that the festivals are not good but I can not imagine myself being interested in what I regard as the big 2 (Sidmouth and Cambridge). I tend to prefer smaller more local events and had a great weekend in Ruddlan earlier this year. The highlight of it to me was playing outside a pub in a session with Chris Sherborne and Denny Bartley. Jon |
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08 Dec 99 - 04:53 PM (#146727) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Liz the Squeak Not actually in Saffron Walden, but 45 mins down the M11 (on a good day and if I don't cock up the A406 turnoff as I have done on occasions too numerous to mention.....) Knew Bob and Julia through my SO, and was at their wedding, which was the start of SWFF. LTS |
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08 Dec 99 - 06:20 PM (#146780) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: McGrath of Harlow Cambridge clashes with the weekend at Sidmouth more times than not. When it doesn't Cambridge is a nice warm-up, and makes you appreciate Sidmouth more.
But by now I think the Cambridge definition of folk-music has got so broad it just means anybody who they book. If the Spice Girls hold together I imagine they'll be on Main Stage One in time. But last time I was there there was some good stuff in the club tent and the bars. And it's the only big festival that is relatively local for me.
But remember, Whitby's now got a Mudcat Workshop booked in, so that's got to be a diary fixture.
And Liz, me photie's in bbc's archives up top of the page, so if you like you can see whether you might have had to get me chucked out of somewhere at Saffron. (I heard that the nail in the coffin of the festival was the Eastern Arts Council refusing to provide any help. Bastards.)
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08 Dec 99 - 10:48 PM (#146941) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Joan As a singer from the US, I haven't been part of loads of UK festivals, but in one trip, I was booked at the Dartmoor Festival in Devon, Whitby in Yorkshire, and Wadebridge in Cornwall. Each was good for different reasons: Whitby is BIG! Dartmoor is small and comfy. Wadebridge is middlesized and beautifully organized. Good idea if Americans want to travel to England during festival season is to check out the newsletter lamarca mentions a few posts back. It'll give you an idea of what's going on, where, and who'll be performing, so you can plan to go at the best time. j |
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09 Dec 99 - 09:48 AM (#147059) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: Ringer Yes, Stainsby's still going |
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09 Dec 99 - 12:47 PM (#147131) Subject: RE: Which uk festivals are most important? From: GeorgeH But further to what Joan says, USians (and others) interested in English (and, to a lesser extent, other UK and European) festivals would do better to check the FRoots web site; http://www.frooots.co.uk Updated in March each year (plus any later corrections/additions, IIRC). G. |