As I’ve been lazing around a bit in the peaceful backwater that is post Solfest (along with trying to get all the wedding preparations done with Karen…The day is ten days tomorrow) I’ve been watching some of the stuff I’ve recording on my BT box that I couldn’t watch as I was too busy with other things.
One thing was the documentary on the late Harry Patch who was until his recent death the last surviving participant in World War One, now there are none left. A most moving programme, again saying to me how important it is to keep the stories of your own lives alive, tell your children what it was like for you as a child. It may not be long ago but times are changing fast. Thirty five years ago moving two huge knobs to control flat white lines up and down on the side of a TV screen to stop a white dot from flying off screen was considered shit hot technological entertainment, how the hell can the WII generation understand how good that was at the time. Forty five years ago clipper lighters were a huge excitement to me and my sad crowd of mates and only rich kids had colour tallies, fifty fives and was born into world still rationed and Sputnik and Telstar were still unlaunched.
The other show I watched today pointed this out and perhaps something important too, it was from the Beebs “Blues Britannia” series entitled “Can Blue Men Sing The Whites?” (Borrowing a title from THE BONZO DO DOO DAH BAND) and it told of the rise and influence of the great British Blues Revolution and spawning the likes of FLEETWOOD MAC, JOHN MAYALLS BLUESBREAKERS, CREAM, THE ROLLING STONES, MANFRED MANN and THE YARDBIRDS.
In those days people like the young Mick Fleetwood and Chris Dreja of THE YARDBIRDS could only get the authentic black blues music that excited them in specialist shops. Rock and Roll having been and gone leaving only a watered down copy in it’s wake, but in a few shops off main streets and frequented by somewhat dodgy looking post war proto geeks in Mackintosh’s recordings by MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN WOLF and LEADBELLY could be found.
You heard on the grapevine that “Someone in Ealing has a Champion Jack Dupree LP” so you’d get on the bus and go to an address you’d been, knock on a strange door and timidly ask “Can I see you record please.”
Time and effort were spent seeking out this Wonderstuff that spoke to you.
Today the music ever written is available at the click of a few tiny buttons and can then be played on your mobile phone for pence. Is it a true improvement? If something is so cheap and requires no effort, do we value it less? Does its message have less importance because we choose not to listen long enough to let it speak before we are chasing the next synthesized dragon?
That of course brings me back to Solfest, the community where we can sit as villagers used too. To talk and care about each other as we did all our homes were part of small and tight villages, and where in all likelihood as at Solfest there was live music every night. It is only about one hundred years ago when the only way you could hear music was live. In the century just gone we got recordings, before then you had to make some effort to go and listen.
Solfest rocks doesn’t it.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
WHY I'M DOING WHAT I'M DOING
The Festival Journal of Mr A R Whittaker, "Mr Wizardmarra" Part Two "Tingles"
DISCLAIMER:
The Festival Journal of Mr A R Whittaker, "Mr Wizardmarra" Is not The Festival Journal of Solway Festivals Limited and the opinions and statements below are those entirely of Mr Wizardmarra. Who is as sharp as a pincushion and as mad as cheese.
FROM A VERY UNTIDY DESK
So if you've hit on this page following the link from the Solfest message board here's the crack.
In some ways I've become jaded with Mainstage. Even though believe me standing up there in front of you wonderful people is the biggest buzz in the world (and sometimes the scariest) it is run in such a way…
…and here I pause to commend to you the brilliant and lovely Sam Jelfs who is the finest stage manager that Solfest could wish for, not forgetting Gerard works harder than he should for a volunteer, year long putting together a terrific line up year on year and depending on who is available within the budget he's given. Sometimes it's a harder job than it should be. Finally Anna, who came to us a student studying Festival and Event management and who has now become an indispensible part of Gerards team and the Solfest family and this year has just graduated with first. I spoke to her at the weekend at Stainsby festival and she puts a lot of her success down to Solfest and in particular to Gerard and Simon too for being interviewed for her dissertation.
It is run professionally and efficiently because that's how the big guys like it, and that's how it has to be. But it becomes impersonal; the high rolling bands haven't the time or the inclination to get to know on a personal basis every MC at every gig they play. That's what MySpace is for.
But I need the craic, and every year I book bands and acts for The Drystone and only get to see a third of them.
I book the acts that make the music I hear, who are bright young things who will one day grace stages far bigger than The Drystone or even Mainstage and in locations far more exotic than the wind blasted fields of West Cumbria. I book them and care about them. And every bloody year I miss some of the most fantastic sets the festival gives us all.
I don't get to speak to the people I've built up a relationship with through emails and contracts. I'd like to meet them and talk to them.
There's the other really exiting thing too, the thing that I enjoyed more than anything last year. Using the radio mic to compere from the audience and to actually talk to people, have them introduce a band or shout for more. I can't wait to do that again, to bring you into the show. This year all being well sees a little refinement too, you'll have wait and see what that is.
For bands, well we of course have the brilliant Adrian Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds. I've seen them play twice now at Workington and Dent Festival and both times they rocked. I think some people still think it's a joke, that Adrian is doing another "Bad News" but he's not it's serious stuff this and I think in some ways it's the best thing to happen to Folk Music since Fairport Convention got plugged in. Punk tunes on folk instruments in a folk style, it could oh so easily go down a very smelly pan. But if you surround yourself with some absolutely Stellar Folk Musicians like Fairports Maartin Allcock, the truly amazing Andy Dinan who can play a fucking fiddle let me tell you, and of course Workingtons own Troy Donockley who plays the Ukulele and Pipes like no other man. He also told a very funny story about a local character named "Tucker" and Border Crack and Deekabout doing story about a "loch Ness monster" type sighting in Maryport harbor which I can't possibly repeat here as it's worse than the swearie word above.
Songs like "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight" become tragic tales like Kate Rusby ballads of sorrow and loss, you can hear the poetry and dare I say it the literature of the song. Their version of "Teenage Kicks" a song described by John Peel as the best Pop record ever becomes the best Folk Song ever. Just listen to what Andy and Troy do on the instrumental break, spot what's in there. It's a piece of genius.
Someone who didn't quite see what I saw said.
"Yes, they are good. But they're just a covers band."
But isn't that what folk bands have been doing for years. Other people stuff, keeping it alive, keeping it relevant in a changing world.
More on the other bands to come soon.
Now I need to go bed, it's 2:22 am. I turned fifty five yesterday. I had a bloody stressful year and I'm a knackered old fart.
Love
Wiz
Friday, June 05, 2009
The Festival Journal of Mr A R Whittaker, "Mr Wizardmarra" Part One. "Harumph!
DISCLAIMER:
The Festival Journal of Mr A R Whittaker, "Mr Wizardmarra" Is not The Festival Journal of Solway Festivals Limited and the opinions and statements below are those entirely of Mr Wizardmarra. Who is as sharp as a pincushion and as mad as cheese.
FROM THE VICE CHAIRMANS CUSHION
As I write this the Solfest countdown on www.wizardmarra.com says 83days 08 hours 01 minute 13 seconds and counting
down.
So it's time I sat down using my Vice Chairmans Arse (Worzel Gummidge had a selection of heads which enabled him to multi task. I have a Box of Arses.) and say a bit about how we are doing with putting Solfest together.
Perhaps to try and address some of the concerns that some may have and to chew the fat about what we think is actually going to be a bloody fantastic weekend in weather that personally I think will be exceptionally nice.
The festival is intentionally smaller this year as we aim to achieve the feeling of the festival that we have become. Friendly in the way it was back in the day. When the music business was actually about music and creativity, not the corporate and corpulent monster (in the very worst Clive Barker, Stephen King Ramseycampbellhutson James Herbert Sense.) it is now.
Really the compliments about Solfest that I have had comparing us not only to Glastonbury, but more wonderfully early Glastonburies. That we are a festival like they were in the seventies, so Old Skool that it's actually a term that's perhaps a little too fashionable for us, and it's spelled SCHOOL anyway.
But those are the nicest things to hear, and thank you.
The problem arises as nothing comes free. Everything must be paid for in one form or another. So we as a festival selling one thousand tickets less correspondingly has less income. As we don't want to be a festival that just bleeds it's customers every year we try and set fair prices for our tickets. We (though this is entirely my personal thought and not that of the Solfest Committee) screwed up last year with the parking fee of 10 quid per car, so we scrapped it. Last year we could have just upped the tickets to ninety quid for everyone and said no more. This year we've gone up a fiver, and around 750 tickets are available to the 12 to 16 year old at sixty quid whereas last year this age group would have paid full price. Blah blah blah blah.
But we try and be fair. If you don't buy tickets we can't do it. No festival without you guys, it's your money that does it.
FULL ON REALITY: #1. That this is what pays for everything.
From the Toilets to the Land and the Security, the generators the fencing the session tent dogs in space cleaning out the proclaimers shit on the roadway stewards dinners and the guy that works the lights.
ALL THE BANDS
And the paper that wipes their arses.
This year we are down on our budget around eighty to one hundred thousand pounds, so it's pretty important we sell the tickets this year. But the downshot of this is that we have to cut our cloth accordingly.
FULL ON REALITY: #2. Most things cost more this year than they did last year.
So all the practical nuts and bolts ( in their various forms holding the fence, drystone stage, site art, and bedlam boudoir together and offering too many other solutions when “...and how? do you say, is it fastened?” is the question asked.) the clean up crew and the mainstage structure itself
all the wires
plugs
amplifiers
ALL THE BANDS
and their roadies and Dave
who's the bloke that sweeps up Big Trees leaves.
But first off is the hard and fast cost of the physical side of the festival. This always is more costly than previous years. So the cuts have to be made to the show, to the sparkle to the open air circus we give you.
FULL ON REALITY: #3. We have less money to spend on bands that cost more now anyway.
This for Gerard, Alec, Tom and myself is the hardest reality. The heaviest weight falling on the mainstage. No one comes to a festival purely on the line up, but if it's not right it's as bloody wrong as it ever could be and you should be ashamed of your mantle of bandmaster.
So we try using our best judgment and (particularly so on mainstage) depending on who is on offer this year and very importantly how much they will cost. One mainstage act can cost more than the Drystone Stages budget. One band last year cost more than has ever been spent on the bar stage since it began.
But we try our best, to try and put on the best show we can with the money we have.
For Solfest it means we cannot afford everybody that everybody wants to come and please everybody at once and all the time.
Sometimes people will think it's crap.
So we'll try our best in the full light of truth that sometimes
some people
won't like
some
of what we do
but if we did what they wanted if we could afford it anyway then...
...somebody else
wouldn't like
it
and
we'd be bastards for even thinking of it.
But we try our best, if you are disappointed in some parts of the festival. Well, we've tried. we can't do any more.
I think that this is going to be an amazing year, come along if you'd like to. If you don't fancy it this year we can't make you come. Lots of people are though and they are up for a damn fine party.
If you're not keen on the mainstage line up, come down to the Drystone where I'm taking up full residence this year, or check out the bar stage, dance, visit Wal in the session tent. Really do the festival, I'm told it's the kind of place where you can talk to your neighbour. There's a lot to be said for just sitting with your family and friends (the family you actually choose) in your camp talking like you never do at home.
Talking to each other.
Completely lost in the craic that you miss the bands you want to see anyway.
Good Craic though, well worth it.
More to follow soon, now I must away and make Karen her tea.
The Festival Journal of Mr A R Whittaker, "Mr Wizardmarra" Is not The Festival Journal of Solway Festivals Limited and the opinions and statements below are those entirely of Mr Wizardmarra. Who is as sharp as a pincushion and as mad as cheese.
FROM THE VICE CHAIRMANS CUSHION
As I write this the Solfest countdown on www.wizardmarra.com says 83days 08 hours 01 minute 13 seconds and counting
down.
So it's time I sat down using my Vice Chairmans Arse (Worzel Gummidge had a selection of heads which enabled him to multi task. I have a Box of Arses.) and say a bit about how we are doing with putting Solfest together.
Perhaps to try and address some of the concerns that some may have and to chew the fat about what we think is actually going to be a bloody fantastic weekend in weather that personally I think will be exceptionally nice.
The festival is intentionally smaller this year as we aim to achieve the feeling of the festival that we have become. Friendly in the way it was back in the day. When the music business was actually about music and creativity, not the corporate and corpulent monster (in the very worst Clive Barker, Stephen King Ramseycampbellhutson James Herbert Sense.) it is now.
Really the compliments about Solfest that I have had comparing us not only to Glastonbury, but more wonderfully early Glastonburies. That we are a festival like they were in the seventies, so Old Skool that it's actually a term that's perhaps a little too fashionable for us, and it's spelled SCHOOL anyway.
But those are the nicest things to hear, and thank you.
The problem arises as nothing comes free. Everything must be paid for in one form or another. So we as a festival selling one thousand tickets less correspondingly has less income. As we don't want to be a festival that just bleeds it's customers every year we try and set fair prices for our tickets. We (though this is entirely my personal thought and not that of the Solfest Committee) screwed up last year with the parking fee of 10 quid per car, so we scrapped it. Last year we could have just upped the tickets to ninety quid for everyone and said no more. This year we've gone up a fiver, and around 750 tickets are available to the 12 to 16 year old at sixty quid whereas last year this age group would have paid full price. Blah blah blah blah.
But we try and be fair. If you don't buy tickets we can't do it. No festival without you guys, it's your money that does it.
FULL ON REALITY: #1. That this is what pays for everything.
From the Toilets to the Land and the Security, the generators the fencing the session tent dogs in space cleaning out the proclaimers shit on the roadway stewards dinners and the guy that works the lights.
ALL THE BANDS
And the paper that wipes their arses.
This year we are down on our budget around eighty to one hundred thousand pounds, so it's pretty important we sell the tickets this year. But the downshot of this is that we have to cut our cloth accordingly.
FULL ON REALITY: #2. Most things cost more this year than they did last year.
So all the practical nuts and bolts ( in their various forms holding the fence, drystone stage, site art, and bedlam boudoir together and offering too many other solutions when “...and how? do you say, is it fastened?” is the question asked.) the clean up crew and the mainstage structure itself
all the wires
plugs
amplifiers
ALL THE BANDS
and their roadies and Dave
who's the bloke that sweeps up Big Trees leaves.
But first off is the hard and fast cost of the physical side of the festival. This always is more costly than previous years. So the cuts have to be made to the show, to the sparkle to the open air circus we give you.
FULL ON REALITY: #3. We have less money to spend on bands that cost more now anyway.
This for Gerard, Alec, Tom and myself is the hardest reality. The heaviest weight falling on the mainstage. No one comes to a festival purely on the line up, but if it's not right it's as bloody wrong as it ever could be and you should be ashamed of your mantle of bandmaster.
So we try using our best judgment and (particularly so on mainstage) depending on who is on offer this year and very importantly how much they will cost. One mainstage act can cost more than the Drystone Stages budget. One band last year cost more than has ever been spent on the bar stage since it began.
But we try our best, to try and put on the best show we can with the money we have.
For Solfest it means we cannot afford everybody that everybody wants to come and please everybody at once and all the time.
Sometimes people will think it's crap.
So we'll try our best in the full light of truth that sometimes
some people
won't like
some
of what we do
but if we did what they wanted if we could afford it anyway then...
...somebody else
wouldn't like
it
and
we'd be bastards for even thinking of it.
But we try our best, if you are disappointed in some parts of the festival. Well, we've tried. we can't do any more.
I think that this is going to be an amazing year, come along if you'd like to. If you don't fancy it this year we can't make you come. Lots of people are though and they are up for a damn fine party.
If you're not keen on the mainstage line up, come down to the Drystone where I'm taking up full residence this year, or check out the bar stage, dance, visit Wal in the session tent. Really do the festival, I'm told it's the kind of place where you can talk to your neighbour. There's a lot to be said for just sitting with your family and friends (the family you actually choose) in your camp talking like you never do at home.
Talking to each other.
Completely lost in the craic that you miss the bands you want to see anyway.
Good Craic though, well worth it.
More to follow soon, now I must away and make Karen her tea.
Monday, February 09, 2009
THE EIGHTY YEAR OLD MAN
To find out what this is about see the fancy dress thread on the Solfest message board.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
WIZARDMARRAS DRYSTONE WIRELESS SHOW REVIEW OF 2008
Yeah I know I should have had this one up a week or two (or three or four) ago. But sometimes life gets in the way of doing what you'd like to do. Anyway it here it is at last
WIZARDMARRAS DRYSTONE WIRELESS SHOW REVIEW OF 2008
Some of the tracks have been on the podcast already but as the casts in question have been taken off line it's good opportunity to play some of my favourites from last year, some of the tracks are new ones but from artists that I really like and in the case of one it's neither been on the cast nor have they appeared at Solfest or my open mic at The Spinners Arms but more of that later first lets get down to business with...
BUSHPLANT
www.bushplant.com/
www.myspace.com/bushplant
GO MAKE SOMEBODY HAPPY HERE
I love this track pulse poundingly good full on celtic boogie with hints of Peatbog Faerie like fiddling from Mary Custy. As I said when I first put this up Bushplant have made this available as free download on the understanding that if you get it you will donate something to a children s charity. Not a bad deal in my book and they will be appearing on the Drystone stage this year.
BILL LLOYD
www.myspace.com/banjobilly
CAREY
Back from podcast number 1 here's my good friend Banjo Bill Lloyd with his wonderful version of Joni Mitchells "Carey” there is something about Bills singing here that just makes me feel so good every time I hear it. Bill who runs the session yurt at Solfest (and about a million other festivals too) is one of those people that seems to bring out the best in others. No one who wishes to play is ever turned away and are encouraged to join in and not hold back. Top man.
MR & MRS
www.myspace.com/mrandmrsmusic
CUT ALL STRINGS
Since I first met Ric and Chez on Preston platform (doing a soft shoe shuffle dance, thanks Jethro) the have performed a cracking set on The Drystone and I'm still in admiration for the sheer quality of songwriting. So much so I emailed Steve Lamacq and said he should check them out. He did and has subsequently played them on two of his shows. Remember you heard them first here.
FLUTATIOUS
www.myspace.com/flutatiousUK
SPACE
Pure good trippy music thats beyond definition, is it folk, is it psychedelic, is it neo classical or something else altogether. Whatever, it's very good. Just let it wash over you and enjoy.
THE MELODICA MELODY AND ME
www.myspace.com/mmmelodic
PLUNGE
There's a strangely haunting quality to MMM's music, and another band the the aforementioned Mr Lamacq likes too. Though he got wind of them before I did. Complication on the journey up to Cumbria meant they arrived late and had to play a truncated set at Solfest but that being said if you flip to the previous blog to this you can see them performing unplugged in the bus that was behind the stage.
DUMB INSTRUMENT
www.dumbinstrument.com/
www.myspace.com/dumbinstrument
EXTERMINATING ANGEL
If this track from Scotlands Dumb Instrument doesn't make you feel a bit spooked, you have something wrong with you. It's an unsettling comment on the time we live in but exceptionally well done.
THE DUPLETS
www.theduplets.com/
www.myspace.com/theduplets
LILLIAN'S
Another band who will be on The Drystone this year and a fresh track from them as I thought to play the Green Set again after it was on the last podcast wasn't a good idea. Gillian Fleetwood and Freya Thompson simply make great music. And here's a jolly good and lighthearted video of the “Queen of All Argyle” another track as is Lillian's from their album “Tree Of Life”
THE CACTUS ROOM
www.myspace.com/thecactusroom
CRAZY RHYTHYM
Another studio recording from Ted Chapman aka “The Cactus Room” He has created a rhythm which he calls “Diddley Reggae” Diddly reggae was born when Ted fastened a bit of a Bo Diddley riff onto half a bar of a reggae 'Skank' - The groove felt good but it had a chopped half a beat off the bar, making it 7/8 time. So when thinking about it, the only other popular tune in sevens is Pink Floyd's 'Money' and you cant dance to that. Invent your own footwork that fits and you can name that dance. Can you do the Diddly reggae? Its 1-2-3-4- - 1-2-3- - 1-2-3-4 - -1-2 ..... Go on have a go.
ROB HERON
www.myspace.com/robheronmusic
LOVE DRUG
A great favourite of me, The Drystone Stage and my open mics at the Spinners Arms. Rob is now studying music over in Newcastle so we don't see him quite as much but I'll take any opportunity I can to play his stuff, so here's a new one from his album “Korsa Floden” which is I believe a river in Norway.
MARY LOUISE MARTIN
www.myspace.com/louisemarymartin
GREENSWEETS
It's just damn good music.
TEN BEARS
www.myspace.com/tenbearsmusic
BRACES
Ten Bears current single is the theme tune for Channel Fours T4 Orange Unsigned band show. They've not been on the podcast before, nor have they been on the Drystone. But when this track arrived via email I simply had to put it up on the podcast. I passed it on to Gerard who runs our mainstage saying that I thought they were worth a slot. So you never know.
Finally a story from me...
THE NIGHT VISITOR.
Being the first part of a larger work that may end up as a print piece rather than a full recording.
And that's it for 2008. Next cast up will feature some of the acts lined up for appearing on the Drystone Stage this this year and believe me I have some TRULY FANTASTIC musicians already booked and more to come.
A word to the wise also, tickets for Solfest 2009 go on sale next Monday, February 9th full details will be on the Solfest website tomorrow Feb 4th .
See you soon
Wiz.
WIZARDMARRAS DRYSTONE WIRELESS SHOW REVIEW OF 2008
Some of the tracks have been on the podcast already but as the casts in question have been taken off line it's good opportunity to play some of my favourites from last year, some of the tracks are new ones but from artists that I really like and in the case of one it's neither been on the cast nor have they appeared at Solfest or my open mic at The Spinners Arms but more of that later first lets get down to business with...
BUSHPLANT
www.bushplant.com/
www.myspace.com/bushplant
GO MAKE SOMEBODY HAPPY HERE
I love this track pulse poundingly good full on celtic boogie with hints of Peatbog Faerie like fiddling from Mary Custy. As I said when I first put this up Bushplant have made this available as free download on the understanding that if you get it you will donate something to a children s charity. Not a bad deal in my book and they will be appearing on the Drystone stage this year.
BILL LLOYD
www.myspace.com/banjobilly
CAREY
Back from podcast number 1 here's my good friend Banjo Bill Lloyd with his wonderful version of Joni Mitchells "Carey” there is something about Bills singing here that just makes me feel so good every time I hear it. Bill who runs the session yurt at Solfest (and about a million other festivals too) is one of those people that seems to bring out the best in others. No one who wishes to play is ever turned away and are encouraged to join in and not hold back. Top man.
MR & MRS
www.myspace.com/mrandmrsmusic
CUT ALL STRINGS
Since I first met Ric and Chez on Preston platform (doing a soft shoe shuffle dance, thanks Jethro) the have performed a cracking set on The Drystone and I'm still in admiration for the sheer quality of songwriting. So much so I emailed Steve Lamacq and said he should check them out. He did and has subsequently played them on two of his shows. Remember you heard them first here.
FLUTATIOUS
www.myspace.com/flutatiousUK
SPACE
Pure good trippy music thats beyond definition, is it folk, is it psychedelic, is it neo classical or something else altogether. Whatever, it's very good. Just let it wash over you and enjoy.
THE MELODICA MELODY AND ME
www.myspace.com/mmmelodic
PLUNGE
There's a strangely haunting quality to MMM's music, and another band the the aforementioned Mr Lamacq likes too. Though he got wind of them before I did. Complication on the journey up to Cumbria meant they arrived late and had to play a truncated set at Solfest but that being said if you flip to the previous blog to this you can see them performing unplugged in the bus that was behind the stage.
DUMB INSTRUMENT
www.dumbinstrument.com/
www.myspace.com/dumbinstrument
EXTERMINATING ANGEL
If this track from Scotlands Dumb Instrument doesn't make you feel a bit spooked, you have something wrong with you. It's an unsettling comment on the time we live in but exceptionally well done.
THE DUPLETS
www.theduplets.com/
www.myspace.com/theduplets
LILLIAN'S
Another band who will be on The Drystone this year and a fresh track from them as I thought to play the Green Set again after it was on the last podcast wasn't a good idea. Gillian Fleetwood and Freya Thompson simply make great music. And here's a jolly good and lighthearted video of the “Queen of All Argyle” another track as is Lillian's from their album “Tree Of Life”
THE CACTUS ROOM
www.myspace.com/thecactusroom
CRAZY RHYTHYM
Another studio recording from Ted Chapman aka “The Cactus Room” He has created a rhythm which he calls “Diddley Reggae” Diddly reggae was born when Ted fastened a bit of a Bo Diddley riff onto half a bar of a reggae 'Skank' - The groove felt good but it had a chopped half a beat off the bar, making it 7/8 time. So when thinking about it, the only other popular tune in sevens is Pink Floyd's 'Money' and you cant dance to that. Invent your own footwork that fits and you can name that dance. Can you do the Diddly reggae? Its 1-2-3-4- - 1-2-3- - 1-2-3-4 - -1-2 ..... Go on have a go.
ROB HERON
www.myspace.com/robheronmusic
LOVE DRUG
A great favourite of me, The Drystone Stage and my open mics at the Spinners Arms. Rob is now studying music over in Newcastle so we don't see him quite as much but I'll take any opportunity I can to play his stuff, so here's a new one from his album “Korsa Floden” which is I believe a river in Norway.
MARY LOUISE MARTIN
www.myspace.com/louisemarymartin
GREENSWEETS
It's just damn good music.
TEN BEARS
www.myspace.com/tenbearsmusic
BRACES
Ten Bears current single is the theme tune for Channel Fours T4 Orange Unsigned band show. They've not been on the podcast before, nor have they been on the Drystone. But when this track arrived via email I simply had to put it up on the podcast. I passed it on to Gerard who runs our mainstage saying that I thought they were worth a slot. So you never know.
Finally a story from me...
THE NIGHT VISITOR.
Being the first part of a larger work that may end up as a print piece rather than a full recording.
And that's it for 2008. Next cast up will feature some of the acts lined up for appearing on the Drystone Stage this this year and believe me I have some TRULY FANTASTIC musicians already booked and more to come.
A word to the wise also, tickets for Solfest 2009 go on sale next Monday, February 9th full details will be on the Solfest website tomorrow Feb 4th .
See you soon
Wiz.
Friday, January 30, 2009
THE TILTON SESSIONS
This is what went on in the bus referred to by Gaz Coombes as "The Space Bus" at the back of the Drystone Stage. For you, a collection of DRYSTONE SETS.
Jodi Watson & Ali Rigg
TONGUE TIDE
Paul Harrison
The Casual Terrorist
Laura James
Fiona Clayton
Three
from
The Wierdstring Band
The Melodica, Melody and Me
Jodi Watson & Ali Rigg
TONGUE TIDE
Paul Harrison
The Casual Terrorist
Laura James
Fiona Clayton
Three
from
The Wierdstring Band
The Melodica, Melody and Me
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE CHAIRMAN
Right here it is Ladies and Gentlemen, the information you have been waiting for (well some of it anyway) oh before I get onto that if you are looking for podcast information it's on the blog entry prior to this.
SOLFEST 2009 TICKET PRICES
Adult tickets: 85 pounds
Child tickets (6 – 11yrs) 25 “
Young peoples tickets (12 – 16) 60 “
So there you have it, and believe me these prices are the product of THREE committee meetings that were long and hard. It was not an easy thing this year, but we have listened to what you have said about our pricing last year and that is why we now have the new ticket bracket for young people of 60 pounds, yes we have put up the adult and child tickets as well but this has been off set by the reduction for in young peoples tickets.
But look NO CAR PARKING CHARGE we realize that this was a very unpopular decision last year so we've ditched it. We are now one of the increasingly few festivals not to charge for cars and even with the five pound increase on adult tickets our prices are very competitive to just about every other comparable festival. We did try to see if we could keep it at eighty quid but with all our “overheads” costing us more this year we just couldn't and still make the festival viable this year
In a year when it's going to be hard on everybody with the “Credit Crunch” we are trying to make Solfest as accessible as we can. We have also reduced the numbers that we shall be putting on sale to try and get back to the more intimate Solfest that so many of you have said you missed. This year only 6.500 adult tickets and 750 of both the child and young peoples tickets will be on sale.
This won't be easy for us, we will have to tighten our belts while still trying to put on the quality event that has won us so much praise and loyalty from you our supporters.
Here's something else that should cheer you up, NO TIXMOB. We will again be selling all tickets through a locally based outlet. The arrangement has not yet been finalized so I can't say who it is just yet nor when the tickets will be on sale, though we may be selling them earlier in the year than we have in previous years. Once we have got Christmas and New Year over with and we get stuck into business then I will let you know, it will of course be on the Solfest website too.
http://www.solwayfestival.co.uk/
I can promise you too that we should have a superb display of site art for Solfest 2009, the much loved and iconic emblem of Solfest “The Steel Wizard” will be back as we have bought this from Abbott though sad to say I fear the “Wicker Women” have now seen better days and it is doubtful that they will be back. We have already booked some of the bands (and no I'm not telling you yet but I know that one will please an awful lot of you as you have asked for them).
Other more mundane things to consider, last Solfest you don't need me to tell you that the traffic problems for you getting on site were a nightmare. Although it has to be said that when you get a mass of people turning up in cars for an event (whatever it may be) it is inevitable that you will have a traffic queue, we will however be working really hard to minimize this and get you onsite as quickly and efficiently as we can so you can get your tents up and getting down to the serious business of enjoying the festival. We will also try and ensure that all of the camping fields are well lit and have adequate toilet facilities. This was a virtually impossible task this year as we had to hire three extra fields on the Friday and we just couldn't get the infrastructure in place to fulfill these needs.
In closing for now. I hope that all of the above meets with your approval and as the New Year rolls out you'll find that we will have some fantastic acts lined up (I'm really excited about The Drystone, though I have set myself a hard act to follow on from the last one, where I felt I had the strongest line up I've ever had.)
Don't forget you can mail me with your feedback on
wizardmarratalk@googlemail.com
HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
Alan
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