Both Sides of the Tweed Festival 2000
Gerry Sullivan
at the weekend in Kelso Scotland.
The Range & quality of acts was the best of all of the festivals I have been
involved in this year. In particular I must single out Sean Keane and his
band for whom I would gladly pay money to listen to in the future, which is
the highest compliment a soundman can pay!!a great weekend, look out for
this one next year........!
Gerry Sullivan
PA Audio Services
David Kilpatrick
Gerry, if you were involved in the PA side (from your comment you may have
been present as more than a punter) have you some inside info which do not
yet have, about possible repeat festivals?
Hector Christie has been alternative praised and damned for different
aspects of the festival; the town wants to do it again, but to be better
prepared and more involved. From the organisers' point of view it was
wonderful - every concert a sell-out or standing room only, every b & b
fully booked, broad co-operation and participation from perhaps 20 or 30
local musicians at no cost whatsoever.
From the visitor point of view it was mixed; pubs running out of beer, no
signs or indications of where informal sessions might be welcomed, one
session being thrown out by the official hosting pub before it had started
and moving elsewhere, 100 Edinburgh fiddlers arriving and finding no venue
capable of accommodating them (this urban myth is growing by the day - the
legend is that somewhere at least one fiddler is still lost in the wynds and
vennels of Kelso...); worst of all, weekend ticket holders being unable to
get into some concerts because of lack of seating space (they were warned
this might happen with workshops, but not with concerts) - and some locals
left feeling very much out of it, as 'spot' tickets purchased on the day for
specific concerts turned out not to guarantee admission. The stewards,
whoever they were, were not known to locals nor did they know them.
I was asked to make a DAT recording of one concert by the artist involved,
and unable to obtain admission to do so, passed the machine and mike to his
lady who succeeded in getting a fine recording but missing the first 5
minutes, which left them very upset. This artist emailed myself and several
of his Kelso friends with apologies that he was unable to get them into the
concert, even though they had purchased tickets. He was excused; it was not
his fault in any way.
Local businesses were not fully informed of what to expect, and sold out of
essential supplies. One of the most influential people in folk in the
Borders, Ian Hastings, was not asked it he wanted to be involved at all. Ian
is not an easy man; he runs a nightclub, he makes money, and he's
Glaswegian. But this is the man who for several years spent literally
hundreds of pounds each month bringing friends of his like Hamish Imlach,
Danny Kyle, Tich Frier, Davy Steel, Blackeyed Biddy and the like to Kelso -
so we had a first rate folk act every fortnight - and charging only £3
admission, and being happy if a dozen people turned up to join him and
listen to his (fully and properly paid) guest acts. On the Sunday night of
the festival, I took my leave of the Red Lion session and joined my son and
daughter who were intent on enjoying Ian's small midnight karaoke session
(not something I often do, but why not!). Ian said that had he been asked or
told, he would have re-opened the superb Cellar Bar (underground vaults)
which he has kept shut for nearly two years since he decided he could no
longer afford the luxury of personal folk concerts costing £800 a month,
even if his Friday and Saturday night discos do make thousands to cover it.
He would have secured late licenses, provided PA, and run a 'wee hoors'
session club every night - and he will do so next time, if the festival is
repeated.
I think all of us in Kelso enjoyed having so many visitors - someone even
bought all three of my CDs from the local bookshop - and I know we pitched
in enthusiastically, inviting friends from all over the Borders. The verdict
afterwards is that the festival was not really 'of' Kelso or 'by' Kelso, and
that the town was simply used as a location where it was recognised that our
Folk Club, Ceilidh Band and JAM charity involvement would provide a
guaranteed foundation.
What Hector Christie has said in the regional paper indicates that he may do
one more festival, and that this will probably move to another Border town
(this is a realistic fair decision for a Tourist Board supported event).
What Kelso - town council, Folk Club etc - might want to do is build on the
impetus, without the enormous overhead expenses; nothing was spared in terms
of costs of graphic design, printing and advertising for BTTW, but
indigenous Scottish artists had to do their concerts on a shoestring - a
quarter of their usual fees. Obviously some - even during the event - were
raising private questions such as 'wonder what it cost to bring them over
from Spain or America?', not by way of complaint, but by way of 'wonder how
we get to be treated in a similar fashion?'.
Then they discovered that many visiting artists had been 'put up' by
arrangement with locals - sometimes 'local' meaning 10 miles out of town -
and no allocation had been made for taxis or any form of coach transport.
Two of my friends ended up having to act as punctual round the clock
chaffeur-roadies to their guests; no complaints, but pointed comments about
what might have happened if they had conflicting commitments, no car, or
some similar circumstance.
The answer for regional professionals wanting a better fee is probably 'get
asked to go and do a festival in Spain or America' - which in turn depends
on those festivals having someone like Hector Christie with a broad-ranging
view and a budget, and a strong personal ability to shape an event.
Both Sides The Tweed festival raised a whole lot of prospects and some
interesting dilemmas. One comment I had was 'we expected to have musicians
in the streets all the time' from a local - well, they did! They just can't
have been out at 1 in the morning to see it!
David Kilpatrick
Gerry Sullivan
"David Kilpatrick" <da...@maxwellplace.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:B61E623F.12F2%da...@maxwellplace.demon.co.uk...
previously worked with Hector a th the Melrose Music Festival. With regard
to whether there will be another "BSOTT" festival next year, Hector did
comment in his winding up address that he was aware that many people were
expecting ther eto be another one and, he certainly didn't rule one out. He
did ask members of the audience to support the Festival concept by writing
to the local papers and suggesting that there should be another one, indeed
making it an annual event. I think (and I emphasise that I have NO authority
or inside knowledge (as yet!)) that there will be another one next year, I
certainly hope so, and I hope that Hector is the man to chosen to organise
it. I would suggest that a different town will be chosen as host. Not
because Kelso proved unsuitable, ( far from it..... thank you very much to
the girls in the tea room for their friendly chat and service!)but because
it is a Border's Tourist Board event designed to raise the profile of the
Borders in General.
From a professional point of view I think Hector and his team did a
magnificent job. I would make a point here about concerts being sold out. I
believe the Council placed a limit of 60 for the audience in the Upper Hall,
( I believe this is the concert to which you are referring?) The stewards
would have been quite happy to have squeezed more people in, but the Hall
Keeper ( who was alos extremely helpful to the sound crew!) had to toe the
party line which was why the limit was strictly adhered to.
In all of the Music Festivals including non "folk" festivals, the otganisers
always draw attention tho the fact that a weekennd ticket cannot guarantee a
place for any specified event and that it is fisrst come first served. It is
not the first time, in my experience that some of the audience has been
"locked out" although I do recognise that it can be very disappointing to
those punters who can't see something they may have really wanted to
attend............ get there earlier !>))
I also think that the locals who complained that there wasn't anything in
the own for them are perhaps being a little self centred since the natyure
of the festival and the dates it would take place were well publicised,
perhaps a little invention and forethought from some of the local artists to
provide street entertainment or "fring" events would have been welcomed and
inco0rporated into the programme......... one cant wait forever for someone
else to provide one with entertainment.
ANyhow from my point of view I thought that the three main concerts were
superb..... and sold out......! which must auger well for a similar event
next year, but similar success will depend on Hector being the man at the
helm. I am sure he will also consider the "Kelso" experience and learn from
it to make next year's event ( I'm just sure there will be another one!) a
similar success story.
We might even have your good self on the programme!
Orra best
Gerry Sullivan
(speaking personally)
PA Audio Services
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