Festival Chatter

[davidmjs]

 I love that 'RJ McKendree' album - one of my favourites of the last few years. I didn't know he was playing live - must look out for shows. Thanks Nick!  

I love it too (on cassette, of course)...

[Nick]

How could anyone not like an album that has song titles like "Bog Asphodel" and "Sad Portrait of a Dog"?!

[ColinB]

The Lancaster Music Festival runs from the 12th to the 15th of this month. There don't tend to be many big names playing though The Lovely Eggs are doing a hometown gig at Kanteena on the Friday evening.

https://lancastermusicfestival.com/index.html

[Kevin M]

Anyone looked at Cambridge line up this year? I rarely miss but so many acts this year that I’m not familiar with. Maybe need to be brave and see what they have to offer.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Anyone looked at Cambridge line up this year? I rarely miss but so many acts this year that I’m not familiar with. Maybe need to be brave and see what they have to offer.

Only ones I recognise instantly, from lower down the set lists are K Priddy who supported RT in 2021 and Smith & Brewer who supported Fairport in 2020. Both enjoyable acts.

[Kevin M]

I think there are still some big names to announce, as Robert Plant seems the only one announced so far.

[davidmjs]

I think there are still some big names to announce, as Robert Plant seems the only one announced so far.

Law suits from Transatlantic Sessions, Oysterband, and Capercaillie etc. will be forthcoming...

[Kevin M]

You’re probably right about Transatlantic Sessions but Oysters and Capercaillie didn’t headline in their heyday so can’t see that changing now?

[Mark J Salt]

I think there are still some big names to announce, as Robert Plant seems the only one announced so far.

Ralph McTell has announced Cambridge, Sidmouth and Glastonbury.

[Kevin M]

Sunday headline announced today - Blue Rose Code Scottish Soul - including Steve Knightley, Karine Polwart and Justin Currie - sounds fun.

[ColinB]

The current Rock n Reel magazine has a round-up of (mainly folk) festivals this summer and despite hearing of some being cancelled there is still a serious number of festivals which are going ahead.

Jacqui McShee is on the cover with the interview having taken place before Gerry's passing.

[Chris from Fieldtown]

The current Rock n Reel magazine has a round-up of (mainly folk) festivals this summer and despite hearing of some being cancelled there is still a serious number of festivals which are going ahead.

Jacqui McShee is on the cover with the interview having taken place before Gerry's passing.

Rock n Reel is a wonderful magazine and such a great resource. I've loved the interviews, the editorials, the reviews, all top class and always a great CD to bring to attention so many artists making great music. If you haven't got a subscription, it's little money for a great treat every couple of months.

[dog-nap (Ian)]

Towersey have just put out this impassioned plea.  Depressingly similar to Simon’s message about Cropredy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgHxclhbxC4

[davidmjs]

Towersey have just put out this impassioned plea.  Depressingly similar to Simon’s message about Cropredy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgHxclhbxC4

It echoes almost exactly what Simon said didn't it.  These are existential times for the mid-sized festies...

[Andy]

Breaking down the messages from Towersey, Cropredy, assorted other festivals and artists, it seems there are several main problematic areas:

Costs of Staging & Promoting the festival
 - Infrastructure
 - Artists fees
 - fuel
 - lighting
 - PA

Artists have been mentioning their costs:
 - fuel
 - accommodation
 - equipment

But costs to customers have been going up steadily, too.
 - fuel
 - tickets
 - festival food & drink
 - merch such as t-shirts

So, of the above, what can be ameliorated?
 - Fuel costs will continue to rise, there's little doubt.
 - Artists' costs and thus fees are going through a sea change upwards.
   - Accommodation when touring has gone crazy. £400 a night in a Travelodge is actually cheaper than most other hotels.
     - B&B's don't usually provide safe storage for equipment. Even if they're cheaper, sometimes.
     - Staying with fans works for small bands and individual artists sometimes, but again, safe storage isn't available.

Tickets? Cropredy cost us £386 for two people plus camping this year, in the first tranche. Yes, prices go up, yes, we should expect it. Maybe they don't go up enough to cover costs? Perhaps that time has come.

Food & Drink at Festivals has increased in price every year too. In part that reflects their additional costs in getting a pitch, but for me, they're on the cusp of being a once-a-festival expenditure, if that. Bring our own? Yup. Maybe much more so now than before.

Merch. CD sales will be well down for all artists, fewer are sold every year. T-shirts for £50 aren't far away at all. Then the festivals *sometimes* take a cut as well as charging for the vendor's pitch. That adds cost too.

Also, artists. Fewer artists seem to be touring now, which can result in festivals having very similar lineups. Difficult choices for the customer.

The last time I heard Simon talking like this was 2004, Wendy and I answered that call. I hope all the festivals get a similar response this time.

By the way, with fewer festivals, the opportunity exists to spread them out a bit. Towersey and Shrewsbury the same weekend is just one example of a choice I'd prefer not to be given.

Anyway, just some random thoughts. Sorry if they're a bit depressive, I don't know any answers.

[davidmjs]

The trouble with keeping chasing the money (£300 a ticket?) is that the customer is ever more likely to demand more (better services, options etc.) and complain loudly and bitterly when there's something they don't like (i.e. the lineup).  This same scenario is being played out in a large number of capitalistic markets.  What tends to happen is you end up with just the big boys (Glasto, Reading/Leeds etc.) and a few tiny niche players.  The vast majority of the middle-sized players will disappear...  I've said this before but my own personal opinion is that if Cropredy is to survive it needs to go small, go folk-rock, go niche. Day and a half.  3-5000 people.  Economies of scale.  Bring it all back round again... [I'm fully aware this will never happen].

[fat Billy(Bill)]

On the bright side small festivals and day events seem to be proliferating all over the place.

[Andy]

More depression, I'm afraid, feel free to skip this.

As mentioned elsewhere, we attended a family wedding on Saturday. Chatting to fellow guests, we mentioned our festival plans for the summer.

A few people of various ages from mid-20s to mid-50s asked who was headlining at each of the four festivals we're going to.

First telling point was that I had to look them up online. Honestly, no-one stuck in my head.

Second telling point was that most people we spoke with had never heard of almost any of the artists. Rick Wakeman caused a raised eyebrow from one older guy, but only because he was convinced Rick died years ago.

One woman looked over my shoulder at the screen showing Cropredy artists and commented that if they're having a special guest and they're not selling enough tickets, you'd think the Special Guest's identity wouldn't be shrouded in secrecy. Unless they're not that special.

Incidentally, it was recently suggested that the Special Guest may well be Joe Brown (again). Nice chap, but not a draw.

I enthused about the New Forest Folk Festival too. Again, no-one had heard of the artists featured except for Oysterband, by one person who thought they'd broken up years ago. When I mentioned this was their farewell tour, he wasn't at all surprised.

Of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival artists this year, The Longest Johns and Josh Burnell were the only artists even vaguely recognised - by two people. Spiers and Boden may be famous in some parts of the world, but not Herefordshire, it seems.

Kate Rusby was recognised by a couple of people as the Beardy Folk Festival headliner, but no-one else seemed to strike a chord.

Now, admittedly, this was not a gathering of folkies. Far from it, some were metalheads, most just the standard British public. Frank Turner was mentioned a few times, for instance.

What this brought home to me was that the folk audience is not enlarging right now - it's shrinking as people stop going to festivals and gigs (for whatever reason, cost, age, illness, death).

Right now, if mostly-folk-based festivals want to survive, I reckon they have to diversify, get some artists that will appeal beyond the folkies and embark on publicity campaigns, perhaps jointly and severally to sell themselves outside of their traditional audience.

[Andy]

By the way, no-one we spoke to thinks that paying out £200 to go to a festival "for the craic" is a good idea.

[PaulT]

Right now, if mostly-folk-based festivals want to survive, I reckon they have to diversify, get some artists that will appeal beyond the folkies and embark on publicity campaigns, perhaps jointly and severally to sell themselves outside of their traditional audience.

Nail. Head.