TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I recently had an e-mail exchange with the creators of one of my all-time favourite wyrdfolk-rock LPs, 'First Utterance'. This of corse being the legendary Comus.

We all know by now that they are back together & gigging & planning new recordings & I for one would love to see them at Cropredy.

I have, of course, come up with numerous other suggestions over the years of artists I'd like to see play Cropredy, as have we all. So why do I particularly feel this one is worth pushing for?

I quote from the e-mail they sent me....

"We actually live about 2 fields away from the Fairport Festival site! And
yes, if enough people ask for Comus to be on at Fairport, maybe they will
have us!! So get all your friends etc., etc.........."

They live practically next door to the site. Peggy, they will be cheap!!!!. LOL

I'm certainly going to mention this to the chaps whenever I get the chance, so if anyone else would love to see them play our festival, I suggest you do the same.

Seconded, I would love to see them live. Their first album is one of my all time favourites.

Well I never...didn't know that!

Looking forward to seeing them at the end of March...would love to see them at Cropredy one year  :)

Definitely.  Would love to see them play.  Throw Circulus on too.  

May that is....not March.  Although I'd look forward to seeing them anytime.

Got an email from them telling me they are playing at the Burntwood Festival 10 Oct, wherever and whatever that is...(haven't investigated yet).

This has my full support.
Twenty years ago when I mentioned Comus I only got blank looks.

Possibly Burntwood by us near Cannock. I know they have a festival attri think It's usually the same week as Cropredy.

Nope...Essex and October...

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=66109

Hi Addie,

The Staffordshire Burtwood festival  finished in 2007 - shame as it was a nice little 2 stage festival .... just not enough people.

Maria

I presume this Burntwood Festival in October is now dead and buried?  There appears to be nothing online about it (beyond the prog archives discussion) and the venue doesn't know anything about it apparently!

Still, its worth bouncing if nothing else to remind people that Comus really should be playing Cropredy next year!

Here, and again, here.

The problem now is, I have not one, but 3 perfectly sensible, practical nominees for the Cropredy stage next year & can't see how I could pick just one to throw my full support behind.

1) Comus: Major cult band & they live close by. Not a headliner, perhaps, but certainly good for the spot before the headliner on Thursday, or Friday. They also have stated that they'd love to do it.

2) Judy Dyble: Jude has a career overview compilation CD coming out sometime & it would seem obvious that it's about time she had her own slot at Cropredy to promote it. Several potential guest musicians who played on some of her recordings might just be there in any case. Jude says she'd love to, but needs to be asked. I think it would just take putting the idea in the right heads.

3) Mary Jane. Storming set 2 years running at the Red Lion. Superb live band & it goes without saying that it would be a dream come true for them to get a spot on the main stage (& if they do a leatherat & still play the fringe, I'd get to see them twice! Although with my luck MJ at the Red Lion would clash with one of the others on the main stage.)

All three would be popular with a lot of people here. All three would be practical & very willing to do it, but I wonder if we could possibly get away with pushing 3 acts. LOL

Can't see a problem, Comus and Jude should definitely play. Hopefully I'll be able to see Mary Jane soon (probably try and put them on at The Musician early next year) and push them as well.

So Dave, go for all three!

Just received from Comus.  Absolutely no surprise whatsoever.

Dear Mailing Listers,

Apologies to you all, but despite Comus's efforts to contact the promoter in the last few weeks to no avail, we are  about to put the information up on our sites saying that the Burntwood Festival in Brentwood, Essex has now been cancelled, through no fault of our own.
This is as disappointing to us as it will be to you all, but unfortunately these things are not in our control.

But the good news is that we have recently been taken on by a very good  agent, Elastic Artists and hope sincerely that we will now get to see more of our fans, and do what we all want - to play for you! So sincere apologies again, and hopefully we won't be disappointing you again.
Keep the faith.

Comus

As sad as that is, maybe it could spur Cropredy appearances for Comus and Trader Horne next year?

From what I hear (from one of the horse's mouths) it has been made known from within that Comus aren't quite what is expected for a family festival.  I can sort of understand that conclusion, if conclusion it indeed is, as disappointing as it may be.  They do have a specialist appeal....still, we can but try...and we shall  :)

Didn't we have the Hamsters a few years back? Family-oriented? doh!

And The Buzzcocks...

tell you what mates,
forget the fogey folkies and have both the hamsters and Buzzcocks(jeez Olly, Diggle swore once mebbe twice,that doesnt count as family unfriendly)

Comus don't swear, they're just bloody odd.  I like bloody odd bigtime of course, but, I dunno, maybe small children might be scared or something?   ;D

I clearly remember Nick Harper doing a very odd & very rude Frank Zappa cover one sunny afternoon at Cropredy.

Just put Comus on after dark & we can limit the nightmares to the adults.

What pickle ?

Leatherat, Digance, Levellers, anyone singing  folk songs about death and cross dressing........John Martyn, Hank Wangford,Buzzcocks,Wakeman, Danny Thompson ,3 Daft Monkeys etc family friendly??......and when did it become a family festival?
Will you please welcome onstage , the Wombles, The Ivor the Engine Roadshow(featuring Jones the Steam) the Hoobs and our headliners the Postman Pat Band with surprise guests Jess (triangle and vocals) and Mrs Goggins( sousaphone)........ I thank you.

Family festival? Remember The Bad Shepherds' All Around My Hat? And Ade's comment, "There'll be a few four year olds singing that in the car on the way home"? Effin family festivals!

I've no knowledge of Comus at all, what exactly is their act? On-stage sex with rabbits?

Nice one peter, PMSL!  ;D ;D ;D

I suspect that the main issue is contained within that third sentence there. If as widely-listened a person as Andy (and I say that without a shred of irony) has to ask what these people do on stage, it's hardly a name likely to light up the box office, is it?

I think thats very true, to an extent, but then a fair section of artistes booked for the festival could very easily fit into the same category (or a different specialist appeal sector).  There's only really ever 3 or 4 acts booked over the 3 days who are specifically there to bring in ticket sales I'd suggest...its one of the weird things about Cropredy...probably half the audience would turn up whoever was playing.

Wot David said in the closing part of his last post  ;) ;)

i suspect that 90% of the audience wouldnt be taking any notice whatsoever, what with bar duties, bogs and the need to fill ones face with delicious grub

There's some stuff about Comus in Electric Eden....strange. I had never heard of them nor did I know that their name comes from one of Milton's poems.

Well, it's never too late for good, never too late to discover Comus  ;)

all the best

P

Having just had a listen on Youtube I suspect the fringe artists would welcome Comus on the main stage.

Is that a no to the Wombles then?

I'm sure they'd be wholly welcomed on the field... ::)

Especially Richard,Tomsk's son.

Brilliant!
Sorry. I can only get Uncle BulGerryia so far........... but trust me i am working on it.

Interesting piece in David Tibet's (Current 93) latest Coptic Cat newsletter:

Comus and ‘Malgard’

I wanted to tell all those reading this update that when I was in London last week with Bobbie Watson of Comus, I was immensely privileged to hear their astonishing work ‘Malgard’.

‘Malgard’ was a 16 minute long conceptual suite in several movements and was recorded live on reel to reel at a concert in 1972, and only performed once – or at the very most twice. There was no studio recording made. Very few outside of Comus have ever heard, or even heard of, this work – including myself, and I count myself as one of the ultimate Comus obsessives!

It is a work of staggering power and beauty, capturing all the elements that made ‘First Utterance’ such a masterpiece, and developing them in a most remarkable and unpredictable way. This amazing live recording will form part of Comus’ next release (as yet untitled) and will be released in the next six months or so.

‘Malgard’! I still don’t know what has hit me; I had goosebumps hearing it in a crowded café, and even more when I listened to it at home LOUD. I still haven’t recovered! It is ASTONISHING!

If all 3 of these appeared at the same Fest, I would definitely cross the pond for it. In an airplane, of course.

Hey Mark, it's been too long since I heard from you. Welcome to TAW!

Thanks Dave, indeed it has. I tend to lock in on different interests almost to the exclusion of all others, and it changes without rhyme or reason. My online activity has more loose threads than a textile mill after a major explosion. At any rate, I should contact you via email soon. I don't think I even have ICQ installed on this new PC.

Latest news from Comus:

Comus are pleased to announce that we have just confirmed a date at The Borderline Club in central London for next spring. It's the first headlining London gig since the reformation, and happens on the 2nd April 2011. Tickets will soon be available and are estimated to be £17. Details to follow - watch this space!  

We haven't played that many concerts since we reformed, (two were cancelled on us this summer), so we're really looking forward to this, and hope that our fans around the country and in Europe will have more chance to see us in 2011 due to new (Elastic Artists) agency representation.

And the ticket link for the Borderline show...

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=416111&referral_id=borderline1&interface=borderline&REFID=ED_BORDERLINE_WEB