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What r festivals like in your country?
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Subject: What r festivals like in your country? From: wilco Date: 28 Mar 03 - 04:44 PM Our Spring festival season is just cranking-up here in Southeast USA, and there will be two or three a weekend on up to October. What are they like in your country? The Nine Mile Festivals are pretty typical for this part of the country. It's held on a private working farm, that is nine miles from the nearest town. There is a stage built at the end of a big equipment shed, where farm tractors are parked. When the festival starts, all of the equipment is moved out, straw is spread on the firt floor. It will seat about 400, and you bring your own chairs. The owner has a concession stand that sells breakfast, lunch, and dinner, usually eggs/biscuits/gravy/sausage/coffee for breakfast. Lunch and dinner are hamburgers, BBQ, hotdogs, pinto beans, fries, etc. Local churches will run the concessions, and they will sell home-made cakes, fried pies, cobblers, etc for dessert. Alcohol is not allowed. Everyone can camp on the property, but there are only a few electrical hook-ups. No sewer or water hook-ups. About 50% tents, and the rest RVS. Many people camp with the same people each year, parking next to each other, with their awnings meeting. Lots af campfires and grilling. There are restrooms. The admission is $4.00 per day (for Friday night and Saturday), and there is sometimes a gospel jam on Sunday morning. Usually there are about 1500 to 2500 people there, with jams everywhere, many of which go all night long. Show lasts five hours Friday night and Saturday morning and night, with one hour shows. Usually six to ten bluegrass bands. Last Summer, at about 2:30 AM, Aubrey Haney (great fiddle player) just showed-up and played til dawn. What are your festival like? |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: CET Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:55 PM My current favourite is the Celtic Roots Festival in August in Goderich, Ontario which concentrates on traditional music. I used to go Summerfolk in Owen Sound, but I now rate Celtic Roots higher. Celtic Roots isn't a camping festival, but it has a nice location in Lions Head Park. There are always some good craft booths. There's some jamming after the concerts, but not widely publicized. The best jamming and song circles actually happen during the Celtic College, which is held in the week immediately before the Festival. Generally, festivals in Ontario seem to be infected with the singer-songwriter virus. The trouble is that singer-songwriters at folk festivals are like the expanded NHL. There just isn't enough talent to go around. CET |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Scotty B Date: 28 Mar 03 - 08:00 PM The Top Half Folk Festival this year is being held out side Alice Springs at the Glen Helen Resort(Northern Territory, Australia). There is camping, motel and bunk bed style accomodation available and the food is available from the resort, but campers can do their own thing. Its held on 6th - 9th June. The weather here in the Centre is usually lovely, clear sunny days and crisp nights with a temperature range of -2 to 23 Celcius (approx). The format, although not yet finalised, goes something like this. Friday evening a welcome BBQ and an informal chat/session/meeting up with old and new friends sort of night. Sat morning will be some sort of workshop/presentation followed by lunch an afternoon concert, dinner then an evening cocert followed by session singing and playing. The Sunday has a similar format and people start packing up and making their way home on the Monday. There are no paid artists but we get people from all over turning up. The Festival rotates between Darwin Folk Club and the Alice Springs Folk Club but should also include Mt Isa and Katherine. This year is the 33rd and although it was once a bigger festival with some big name artists it still is a great weekend. There is always alcohol, but its not compulsory to drink it. I can't imagine a FF without it. See you there! |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Jenny Islander Date: 28 Mar 03 - 08:36 PM Sigh . . . When the Bear Country Music Festival started up some years back on my island, my repressed-folkie heart soared. I imagined being able to camp out and dance and sing for three whole days and nights, with kids running around everywhere and banjos in every backseat. But it got hijacked by people who wanted to get drunk and fight. I don't feel safe there. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: BuckMulligan Date: 28 Mar 03 - 09:23 PM Wilco, I've been to exactly one folk festival, about 30 years ago, in Skowhegan Maine (yeah, your country, but only technically). What I remember most fondly was not the stage performances - many local & regional groups with their "15 minutes," all well received & supported by the assembled multitude - but the "after hours" activities. All informal, all spur of the moment: little knots of people (or individuals) wandering about with their instruments slung over their backs (or whatever was appropriate). And they'd find another little knot of folks in the midst of a song they found interesting and they'd stop and listen, and whenever the next tune started up they might join in or they might listen or they might move on. And none of the knots of folks involved in the tunes would think twice about the wanderers stopping to join in or listen, and no one listening took anything amiss, and they felt free to call out the names of tunes they thought the pickup groups of players & singers might know. And there was beer everywhere. Everyplace you stopped had a cooler and if you stood for more than 5 minutes someone offered you one, and if you stood long enough to sing & play you were one of the home team. And then some other person or pair, or group, would wander in, and someone else would wander off to find the next bunch down the line. All well into the night. Had a wonderful time. I figured that was what "festival" meant. I've heard things are not as much fun at some festivals these days, but I don't believe it. I've even heard that folkies tend not to drink anymore. Psshah. What next, vegetarians????? |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Cluin Date: 28 Mar 03 - 09:30 PM Seemingly, dancing on the edge of anarchy... just the way I like `em. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Mr Happy Date: 28 Mar 03 - 10:20 PM the ones i do r nothing like anything described above. for a start - there's no religion involved at all [at all!] if you want to drink- you can.- but its not compulsary! i usually take me own bar along to do's- but if that's impractical at some venues, it can be kept in reserve for after all the pubs & bars have shut.then it can assist vocal lubrication in the night shift sessions & sinarounds. i used to go to 'official' fests- but over the last few years , i've found far more satisfaction from attendance at free do's where there's no 'guests' & everyone- siners, muscans, & audients just have a massive session/sinaround somewhere in a countryside setting, camping 2/3 nights & have a really brill time. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Mr Happy Date: 28 Mar 03 - 10:23 PM also, most do's i enjoy are totally unplugged- no amplification at all, [at all!]. its like an extended version of the weekly one night do's i'm used to- but spread out over 2 to 3 days. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Leadfingers Date: 28 Mar 03 - 10:30 PM There are Festivals right through the summer here in U.K.and they are all different.Some run for a week or so,some for only one day,and everything in between.Some are international,like Sidmouth,or Cambridge,and some dont have 'Super Star' guests,and rely entirly on locals and whoever turns up.Concerts,singarounds,musician sessions and workshops tend ro happen at most of them,with the opportunity for all sorts of informal happenings available.Camp/Caravan facilities are fairly standard,along with indoor camping (lay your sleeping bag in the village hall,or pub skittle alley) at others. Alcohol is freely available,and there is rarely any trouble unless the local hooligans think they can get late night drinking without buying a ticket.All in all a very good scene. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Sandy Mc Lean Date: 29 Mar 03 - 12:10 AM In Cape Breton Celtic Colours is the big festival. see : http://www.celtic-colours.com On the mainland there is Stanfest (Stan Rogers) in Canso and the Hank Snow Festival in Bridgewater. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,bARRIE dAY Date: 29 Mar 03 - 10:20 AM I run a small festival called COTSWOLD CAPERS in the UK,it is mainly a singers event with a sat eve concert. We are fortunately blessed with a fantastic landlord who bends over backwards to accomcdate our every whim. He even reduces the price of apint by 25p(rare to say the least), he also seems to forget that there should be a closing time too, so late night sings are plentiful. The setting is idyllic, set beside the River Thames with everyone having the same idea.....TO HAVE FUN AND SEE OLD FRIENDS AND MAKE NEW ONES. It is a charity based festival ( for childrens charity} and is attended by about 250 folkies, so you see it does not have to be big to be great. Many people say that if they could only go to one festival a year this would be it, . COME AND HAVE FUN!!!!! |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,Mac Tattie Date: 29 Mar 03 - 01:50 PM The best(real)ones in Scotland are like Weekend long parties. The past fiew years have seen a downward trend at most Scotish festivals but things are improving. Newcaselton, Auchtermuchty and Girvan festivals all have found new leases of life and last year's Common ground and National in Scotland festivals hit the groung running and are set to be even bigger this August. Down arround the borders, the,"Both sides the Tweed" festivals have become indespensable. cheers |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Art Thieme Date: 29 Mar 03 - 02:35 PM In our county, festivals are drunken brawls with very little of anything that even smacks a small amount like anything I would ever want to hear. Our county has the highest number of alcoholics per capita of any county in the ENTIRE United States. That dubious honor used to be owned outright by Dade County, Florida. But no longer. Very little of what I have ever heard within the boundaries of our county (LaSalle) could be considered folk music by any stretch of my imagination. Still, some nice people live here. Art |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,Barrie Date: 30 Mar 03 - 04:02 PM Try MISKIN FOLK AT EASTER (find it on the web for more info) run by The Infamous Andy Jackson, it is the most disorganised festival ever, but OH WHAT FUN!!!!! There is an abundance of guests, most of whom come for no fee, they just like being there,the singarounds are memorable, the EASTER PARADE is fabulous, the Bar even better!!!! Unfortunately I can't make it this year due to hospalisation for an op but I'll be back next year. It's like a drug, once you've been you can't stay away. Give it a go , You won't regret it!!!! |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:02 AM here we're heading for one of our biggest festivals - the National in Canberra (Easter) zillions of folks, camping (in Canberra's autumn - pleasant days & sometimes frost at night, but I have a caravan booked!!) Too many stages for me to see everything I want to, lots of concerts, workshops & sessions - the stairwell in the bar is famous for the quality (& quantity) of singing, going till about dawn. Lots of friends, lots of CDs to buy, interesting stalls, yummy food, good company. We also have small festivals with several hundred folks, not much organisation, also lots of fun. Our festival season starts at th New Year with the other big festival, Woodford in Qld's cyclone season, lots of rain, mud, music & great times according to those who go) then goes thru summer to Easter. This is the time when we get an avalanche of overseas & interstate visitors - great! Alison's lovely little festival St Albans is the week after Easter - a favourite of many of Sydney'e folkies (including most of my helpers & half of my audience - my folk club is on the same weekend) I get to 3 festivals a year - at Easter, June & September, I love festivals, I wish I could get to more. sandra |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: My guru always said Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:22 AM GUEST Barry - can you post some more info about Cotswold Capers please? Dates & location would be a fine start! |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Dave Bryant Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:28 AM As Leadfingers has already said, we have quite a variety of festivals over here in the UK, ranging from the very big "Superstar Concerts" to small local ones. Even most of the big ones manage to have a "fringe" consisting of sessions in the local pubs and in some areas the publicans are very keen to have the trade. Recently, though, it has become more noticeable especially in some of the larger towns, that many of the open pub sessions are being replaced by amplified booked bands and that (esp on the Saturday night) many landlords feel that they can make more money out of the young trade. I suppose that this isn't surprising as many town centres are a magnet for all the youngsters for miles around over the weekend. Many smaller festivals, sometimes just a single day, or in other cases a weekend, are being organised by Folk Clubs or Dance Groups and consist mainly of sessions often with only a single (usually a pub) venue. I just hope that the new licensing bill doesn't make these very enjoyable affairs a thing of the past. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Mr Red Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:33 AM My guru always said - Mr Red's Festival page has Barrie's tel no. The location is the Trout Inn Lechlade (on the river Thames near a lock but out of town). The date is early August but might be on the cusp with July. The pub is fantastic and the camping is flat and riverside. If you are into singing rather than session or dance it is an ideal festival. If you walk from the Trout to Lechlade along the right of way you will be treading in Percy Byshe Shelly's footsteps and end up in the churchyard wherein he composed a poem. That end of the walk is called Shelly's Walk. Enjoy |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: My guru always said Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:11 AM Thanks Mr Red :-) |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Dave Bryant Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:25 AM St John's Lock, by the "Trout Inn" at which Cotwold Capers is held, is the highest lock on the River Thames. There is a statue of "Old Father Thames" on the lockside to which I have been (rather rudely) compared. It is a very attractive location. Lechlade is in Wiltshire not far from the Oxfordshire border. The pub has a site here which gives the date of this years Cotswold Capers as Fri 1st - Sun 3rd August. I keep meaning to get my boat up there for the event. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: wilco Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:40 AM There are also a great many other kinds of festivals here in the SE USA, that fall into other categories: compettions and seminars. The competittions are usually coupled with local civic organizations, and they are huge, with 50,000 to 100,000 people. Examples would be Smithville (TN) National Fiddlin Championship (50,000 people), Uncle Dave Macon Days (45,000 people), Merlefest (50,000), and Norris (50,000), and National Cornbread (100,000). These will have huge crowds for the crafts, foods, and atmosphere. If you like to jam, getting to know people by playing music all nite, etc., these are no fun. These are affairs to generate local revenue, not for music. Then, there are the "seminars" and schools like Swananona, Mars Hill, and Campbel Folk School. These are usually very small, and very structured. My experience, over thirty years, has been that the ones that promote/allow alcohol don't survive. Lots of people come to just get drunk or high, and they eventually run off all of the musicians who come for the music. In the Spring of the year, it gets warm enough outside to have these camping festivals, and it is just so much fun to meet friends at a cmpground, set-up your RV or tent, and play, play, play, play!! I can't wait!!!! |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: duuuude Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:07 PM The Strawberry Music Festivals, (http://www.strawberrymusic.com) held outside of Yosemite National Park twice a year, are hard to beat. People enjoy them so much they camp on the road heading in for over a week before the fest begins. Kinda like two festivals in one. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:20 PM Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Nova Scotia, usually in August. Fabulous setting in the most beautiful Spot in NS. Lunenburg is a Unesco world Heritage Site. Great gig. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,JohnB Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:59 PM CET try Cambridge FF aka "Millrace" very trad, not your Singer Songwriter stuff at all, see you at Goderich (which ine are you?). Folk Festivals are great though wherever they are. Having been to Fylde UK, Old SOngs USA, too many in Canada although still not enough. JohnB |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Raggytash Date: 31 Mar 03 - 01:04 PM Raggytash, There are many many festivals throughout the UK, they come in all shapes and sizes. If you look up www.frootsmag.com on your search engine Folk Roots magazine has a listing of many of the festivals in the UK with some in Ireland and on Europe |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,Barrie Date: 31 Mar 03 - 03:59 PM In reply to those requesting info about Cotswold Capers Mr Red has the dates and location spot on. ie 1st-- 3rd Aug at The Trout Lechlade ( Which is in Glos Not Wilts ). Admission Inc Camping, singarounds, workshops and concert is £12,Tickets are going fast, if you require either tickets or more info my phone no is 01594 528138 We would be delighted to welcome mudcatters, so don't be shy come and join us. Hope to hear from some of you Baz |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: pattyClink Date: 31 Mar 03 - 04:22 PM CelticFest in Jackson I guess is patterned after the one in Dallas. There are 4 or more stages, one concentrating on dancing and the rest on music. Nobody camps, it's just a 2-day fair, with some food and tents selling cool things. There's beer but nobody really abuses it (there's a sprinkling of security guards and a big cadre of volunteer helpers), despite the big loud ceili in the evening. I was getting jealous of these marvelous campovers you all talk about, I never thought about them getting hijacked by jerks. Wasn't grateful enough for what we have. No wonder the visiting performers compliment us, they're not at a 'drunken brawl'. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: JudeL Date: 01 Apr 03 - 04:38 AM I haven't noticed much evidence of drunken brawls at folk festvals, over here. I believe it does tend to be that way at some rock and pop fectivals but for some reason, the folk crowd over here although they do drink copious amounts (usually of real ale) mostly tend to be "I'm going to sleep now" type drunks or "happy, hug the world" type drunk. In big festivals there does tend to be camp security - but that's more to keep the unsavoury element out as there can be a problem with thieves thinking it's a good opportunity to steal things out of tents. Another reason that may impact on the lack of discurteous behaviour is that groups of folkies tend to make it very clear to a member of the group that starts to behave badly that that type of behavious just isn't acceptable. If support in this view is needed there's usually a side or 2 of morris dancers about, some of whom except for the costume, resemble rugby players in their build. Few people argue with a morris team, well not more than once. |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: Dave Bryant Date: 01 Apr 03 - 07:26 AM Does a drunken "Horses Brawl" count ? - I've danced a few of them ? |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: GUEST,Barrie Date: 01 Apr 03 - 05:42 PM I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned Upton On Severn, May Day Bank Holiday Weekend. This is agreat fstival , virtually encompassing the entire town. A selection of superb concerts , workshops, pub sessions and singarounds. A magnificent Morris Parade on Sunday which results in all town centre roads being closed to allow it to go through safely,much to the disgust of a small number of ignorant motorists who seem to have neither any knowledge or respect for tradition, but for once the folkies have the winning hand. Seriously though it is well worth a visit, try The White Lion For a great selection of real ales and superb singing. Baz |
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Subject: RE: What r festivals like in your country? From: JohnInKansas Date: 02 Apr 03 - 05:00 AM Our biggest festival in the area is the "Walnut Valley Acoustic Music Festival," commonly called "Winfield." The festival is held at the county fairgrounds just outside Winfield KS (US). Performances and workshops at four separate stages within the fairground proper, with two additional (legal) stages in the camping areas. The festival makes claims of including National, International, etc championship competitions in guitar, fiddle, h-dulcimer, lap dulcimer, banjo, mandolin, etc, although the "level" of competition varies with the instrument, and for some of them from year to year. Scheduled (and many are paid) performers have included some pretty "big acts." A regular event for the last few (5 or 6?) years has been "Doc Watson's Final Performance," and we're hoping the tradition continues. The Dixie Chicks originals were there for a couple of years before they reorganized and "went Nashville." Some guy by the name of Art Thieme used to show up fairly regularly, but we don't know what's happened to him. John McCutcheon and Tom Chapin have been regulars. Beppe Gambetta, Carlo Aonzo, and Tommy Emmanuel are recent names. Mike Cross is well known there. Camping in the regular RV park (the Walnut Grove) adjacent to the fairground is pretty much taken by "old time regulars" and the camps have remained much the same for some years. A "primitive" camping area (the Pecan Grove) has two 1" water pipes and about 200 electrical outlets - shared by about 2,000 camp units. In recent years, there has been "overflow" camping in about every level(?) space around, with no facilities of any kind except what you bring with you in the overflow areas - and no campfires permitted. Quite a few "camp groups" set up rather elaborate "pickin' parlors" and there is a lot of enjoyable music at almost any time - day or night - throughout the campgrounds (although the wimps in the Walnut Grove do tend to retire early). Most of the groups welcome "walk-by" pickers to join in, although there are a few known "exclusive" (clique) groups. Roving bands of "street stompers" do play in the streets regularly, with some excellent musicians at times "out on a wander" - and some drunken wanna-be's at other times. (The drunken ones are great sources for The biggest difficulty with the festival is that in order to get a group campsite, you must be in line for the "Landrush" when they empty the campgrounds and then let everybody in, in order of arrival - which happens a week in advance of the 3-day festival. The real difficulty is that to get a good spot in the Landrush lineup, you have to go sit in the RV park for a week or more before the Landrush. Since you can't really set up camp while you're just waiting in line, it means that you must have some people in your group with fully self-contained camp units to "get your spot," or you camp in the boonies with no facilities (insulin needs refrigeration). We go for the campground. In the past 8 years, I think I've only attended 3 stage performances (although I've listened around the edges to several more.) But it's almost gotten too big to be worth it. I just hate to break a 25 year habit. John |
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