TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

No news on artists yet but this could be really interesting (and expensive!).

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/10/100223c.shtml

The news is in the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/feb/23/richard-thompson-meltdown-2010) too.  The Observer is a 'media partner'.

Interesting.  :o

Press Release from South Bank Centre

Richard Thompson has been announced as Director of the 2010 Meltdown festival.

Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 guitarists of all time and the recipient of both an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting and the 2006 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, Thompson first emerged in 1967 as a founding member of British folk-rock innovators Fairport Convention before carving out an extremely successful solo career and establishing himself as one of the leading singer-songwriters of his generation. Over his career he has collaborated with Linda and Teddy Thompson, Nick Drake, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Loudon Wainwright III, David Byrne and director Werner Herzog amongst others.

He follows in the footsteps of past Meltdown directors Ornette Coleman, David Bowie, Morrissey and other luminaries, curating a festival that will take place across the 21-acre Southbank Centre site and reflecting the diversity of his career and enduring influence.

Richard Thompson's Meltdown takes place in June. The full line-up will be announced shortly

It clashes in part with Big Session. Damn!

Also clashes in part with the Le Mans 24hrs, and then with my planned recovery phase from the race!

DC

Now that will be good! Might have to make a trip down to London.

Hurrah! This might be my festival of choice for this summer. It's bound to be stimulating, esoteric and extremely well-curated. I can't wait for the line up.  :)

Dates are 11th to 20th June

The Southbank Centre always reticent to announce dates on their own site for some reason....

Steady...........very dangerous down Lunnon you know.

And the various gigs are never announced all together, but will appear in batches if previous is to go by.

Hopefully he'll squeeze in his "Cabaret Of Souls"  :)

Great news !!! Can't wait for the lineup to be announced. Have always been curious about the Meltdown festivals, and am now even curiouser.

One word of warning - these gigs sell out very quickly - often to the membership which receive early-bird booking. So if you really want to go, I suggest joining them, at least as a 'junior' member....or just ensure you have funds available so that you can book the minute they open booking to everyone.

BBC News


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8529951.stm

Excellent news.  I do hope that he doesn't 'just' wheel out the usual suspects though.  

My dream for a full on mid 70's Richard & Linda gig will probably still have to continue in my head alone, I imagine...  :)  

I wouldn't mind seeing him put together French Frith Kaiser Thompson for the night though.

Trader Horne anyone?   ;)

I think that would be really unlikely - being given carte blanche at something like meltdown will give Thommo the chance share and promote the huge variety of music he likes and has been involved with.

as always with the beret wearer expect the unexpected.

When I excitedly relayed the news to Mrs. Skirky last night she replied that Joe Boyd had been on the radio making some very similar points.

How commercial does Meltdown have to be? I doubt he can just pick obscure bands and people.

There's bound to be some kind of Fairport reunion, at least you'd hope so.

Just an idea but would it be the sort of event that Excalibur would work in?

No. Meltdown tends to be quite intimate and slightly left field. Excalibur is huge, bombastic and requires a venue the size of a field!

Eclecticism appears to be the only common denominator across the previous curators, e.g. 2008's line-up courtesy of Massive Attack:
http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/meltdown/2008/

The Five Blind Boys of Alabama. I'd stake my beret on it.

As Liege & Lief was given it's first public airing at RFH I wonder if there might be another outing for that?

I rather hope not.  Its been done....something new (old) please!

Do you realise that this rather neatly covers the World Cup?.....something for those non-fooie nuts to get into!

I think Meltdown is about looking forward, not back. And it's largely about commissioning others, and bringing artists together in unexpected and adventurous collaborations. Very exciting.

I doubt it. That's not the kind of festival it is. There's already one of those every year at Cropredy.

Spoiler:

Bones of all men, anyone?

How about a Firth, French, Kaiser and Thompson reunion?  Or the Golden Palaminos..?

I mentioned the former above...the latter would also be fun, but surely unlikely....but stranger things have happened (including on that same stage)!

I'll take Mr Nicol's suggestion too, please  :)

Yes, yes, yes, yes, definatly, yes, yes, yes,  ;D

just been to look for my copy and i can't find it anywhere and the boy has promised that its not anywhere in the depths of his bedroom.  I will not rest until I've found it....

I need to find my copy too...it's around here somewhere! Haven't listened to it in about 4 years and I can't think why.  Funny how that happens, isn't it? When I first heard it (about a year after it came out) I didn't play anything else for about a month.  My then girlfriend hated it I should point out!

Btw I love this description of the album which appears on wiki..The sound is something like being transported to the sixteenth century and the 1970s, simultaneously  ;D

Since you're asking. . .

Bones of All Men eh! Excellent.  I was rather hoping that skeleton would emerge from the closet, so to speak. Great album, don't think it has ever been done live, has it?

I seem to recall suggesting this a few weeks ago, I think wrt Cropredy - but Meltdown would be an even better opportunity!

DC