[quote="firehazard"]Folk music by definition is music of the people, so yeah, punk, rave, reggae, all in a way could be so described. But hey, there's a whole thesis waiting to be written here.[/quote]
I totally agree. To me, it’s a shame that folk is being so often and so unjustly identified with sentimental crap full of bellyaching emotions.

Anyway, this is quite funny: To me, folk EQUALED protest music for most of my life. In fact, under communists it was like that here in Czechia. Folk festivals and songwriters were probably the most audible opposition against the regime – and treated as such. (Strange to remeber that being investigated by the police immediately at the location or after coming home was an inseparable part of participating at some of these events, sthg like additional price - or bonus?:)) It seems such a long time ago – and with the Czech folk scene changing, I now understand that some people can consider folk substandard when listening only to songs presented under this label on radios.

[quote="duncan disorderly"]Folk music ,if you think about it.
Music made py the people -For the people ?
Abotu stuff that matters.Right?So Punk was Folk music of its day.?Right.
And so was Rave music in the late 80s?
Comment.[/quote]

Yeah, Dunc, that's about right. I never thought I liked folk music much, just reminded me of the sort of thing they make you sing at school. (Back then I'd never have thought, for example, that I'd ever be listening to the Dubliners...)
But then had some contact with folk clubs in South Yorkshire pit villages in the 80s (days of the miners' strike), and realised it could be protest music - the people's music.
Folk music by definition is music of the people, so yeah, punk, rave, reggae, all in a way could be so described. But hey, there's a whole thesis waiting to be written here.
At Cambridge (like most festivals) you have the good and the bad (and the ugly too :) ). But it's always been a broad definition of "folk", so there's usually some new and interesting stuff to discover too. And in the end you can always just sit in the sun (hopefully) and drink the guinness. :)

[quote="duncan disorderly"]Why are they always on the same weekend ??
I dont mind the weather.Its quite often shit in thew summer anyway :shock: [/quote]

I guess there's a limited number of available summer weekends for festivals, but it would be good if there was some kind of coordination of dates, at least for festivals in the same area. Cambridge used to be one week earlier, but the date changed a few weeks back when the local education authority shortened the school summer hols. :roll:
As they use the local schools for parking etc they had to change the festival date too.
I have sat in mud, rain, hail, thunder and lightning at summer festivals, but not sure about an outdoor fest in the winter. Danger of frostbite!!

Why are they always on the same weekend ??
I dont mind the weather.Its quite often shit in thew summer anyway :shock:
My mates might be playing at Womad that weekend aswell.New Groove Formation.(And I will be on a freebie there if i carry a plectrum :D Cambridge has always been a funny place to me .The Folk Festival sounded a bit shite to me when I was going to free festivals all summer in the 80s and early 90s .Yuo had to Pay to see a load of old shit that i didnt like.Then suddenly they got the likes of The Levellers and Joe Strummer playimng there.
Its a bit like radio 2 innit .One day you suddenly stop calling it old folks music and fantastic music. :?
Folk music........

Folk music ,if you think about it.
Music made py the people -For the people ?
Abotu stuff that matters.Right?So Punk was Folk music of its day.?Right.
And so was Rave music in the late 80s?
Comment.

Annoying that these things clash...
Yeah, there's a good selection of stuff at Camb, as there usually is. Old Crow Medicine Show were brilliant last year. They weren't billed to be playing, but when another act failed to get there on time, they were spotted playing somewhere on the site and ended up doing a storming set on the main stage. I think last year they'd come with Gillian Welch, but they're back this year in their own right.
Peatbog Faeries are also playing at Cambridge Junction on 1 May.

I too missed a last chance to see Joe Strummer shortly before he died. Still can't believe it really. Made me realise such opportunities should never be missed. :(

Oh no ,theres some good music there aswell.Peatbog Faeries might be good ive got a cd of them and Hayseed Dixie ,and Old Crow Medicine Show on the bluesgrass tip
but Badfest is only about 10 miles up the road from me so i wwill be there,probably cheaper aswell.

I really regret never seeing Joe Strummer and The Mescaleroes.
I had the cahnce to go to London fleadh where he played ,and The Pogues ,and The Proclaimers.I ended up going to Strawberry Fair for about the 13th year in a row!

Thanks for the badfest link, Duncan. Looks interesting - and with Tenpole Tudor haha! (Though looks like just Eddie, not the band.)
But it's the same weekend as the Cambridge Folkfest, and I'm committed to be at that. Listings are here: http://www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk/
Can't be at two festivals in one weekend. :(

It's one of my greatest regrets that I missed the chance to see Ian Dury just before he died.

I read Ian Durys biograophy.Interesting book.Saw them live a few times with Ian and since.They had Phikl Jupituis singing on a couple of gigs

Not the same now without Ian ,but still impressive live.And they are supposed to be playing here.
http://www.badfest.com/
Some good bands here
Just norht of Bedford
Not tooo far for you firehazard

Didn't know all of that, Duncan. But The Blockheads have always been an impressive band, and Ian Dury of course was ([u]is[/u]) a great hero.

Well oi never .I know rock has a startling family tree but i had honestly not really nopticed Thr Pogues amongst many other lineups before.
The most common unknown trivia is that The Blockheads (Ian Durys band!) played on loads of fanmous records .Most famous probably Relax(No it wasnt Frankie goes to Hollywood)

And most of Sandinista and Magnificent Seven by The Clash had the Blockheads bass player and gutiarist on them.The latter songs bassline was actually written by Norman Watt Roy waiting in the studio cos no-one else had turned up when they were supposed to.

Did you know thattt???

[quote="DzM"][James shows up in the credits for the Talking Heads disc "Naked"

"James Fearnley appears courtesy of Pogue Mahone records."

He contributed to "Mommy Daddy You and I" according to the liner notes.[/quote]

[Gets vinyl off shelf.] Good grief, DzM, so he does. I'd never noticed that. I really must remember to read liner notes more thoroughly.
Kirsty MacColl appears on that album, too. Background vocals on "(Nothing But) Flowers".

a night out with the band...

How about a backstage pass for the winner?

Believe it or not, I'm not actually that much of a Pogues (or Shane) trivia buff. There are others on these fora that know a lot more about the band, its members, their activities, etc than I could ever want to. Hell - I haven't even read Ann Scanlon's book despite its being free on the web.

The James Fearnley thing above is purely coincidence. I've owned that album since it came out in 1988. James' name caught my eye a few years later as I was reading the liner notes.

If anyone else wants to put some effort into creating a trivia quiz, please be my guest. I'll even see what I can do to help out with technology.

y don't u set up a pogues quiz DzM?

just 4 shits and giggles, try and make it so people can't cheat.