KentFolk News May 2007

So I have been putting that question to various people who promote and make live music in Kent - If you are one of these, and I have not got to you, please do not be offended, the whole video, which hopefully will go on the web : www.bbc.co.uk/kent/videonation/index.shtml will only be about 3 minutes long.

Simon Evans of BBC Radio Kent will be playing some of Tommy Peoples music on his Sunday night program, in the run-up to Tommy's workshops and concert in June, and then an interview when Tommy is in Kent. I will let you know which Sunday Tommy will be featured, when I hear.

OK, Sunday 27th Simon gave a good mention of Tommy's tour, and played a track from the Bothy Boys album featuring Tommy. Also a play of "Cajunology", "Religoran" and "Rattle on the Stovepipe" - excellent. Simon promises us more about Tommy next week, Sunday 3rd, 9pm to 10pm, on BBC Radio Kent.

BBC Radio have a system where you can listen to programs over the internet for up to a week after the broadcast: "Listen Again" - for Radio Kent : www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/kent.shtml - but apparently not Simon Evans' program - so write in and say how good it is to have such a program (see the letter in the SCoFF news section lamenting that they do not) and also asking to be able to hear Simon Evans' in retrospect over the internet.

Re: Google adverts
- these are picking up, and getting better targetted - if people keep clicking through to the advertisers' web pages, KentFolk hopes to get a small but useful payment from Google by the end of the year, to help with the running costs of the web-site.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ...
recognise that music and dance should not be restricted by burdensome licensing regulations." :

An increasingly fast erosion of pubs in Kent, but the music seems to be hanging on in there, with some potential new venues being tried out.
What is your perception of the effects of the new licencing laws ? In particular, how do they seem to be affecting the music ?
There is an official e-petition regarding these laws, see the entry in the Jobs, Auditions, Funding + Licencing section, as well as this text below.

This e-petition shows signs of being a possibly very influential petition - the number who have signed are growing rapidly - when the letter was sent by Doug Bailey the petition had accummulated 2,800 signatures, and was in position 19 - as of Sunday evening, 4th February, with 7,738 signatures and in position 12 - in mid March it had over 50,000 signatures, and was in position 3 - now in mid April it has nearly 70,000 signatures and is in position 2. Now in early May it is in position 1, but the rate of increase has dropped off. So please keep up the impetus and go sign it if you have not already - tell people about it and ask them if they have signed, please do not let the impetus drop, there is a month to go - deadline to sign by is 11th June.

The Live Music Forum (LMF) was established in 2004 following the passage of the Licensing Act, 2003, to monitor the impact of the Act on live music, and to promote live music performance. It comprises representatives from across the industry and non- commercial sectors, as well as local government and the hospitality industry.

The Department for culture media and sport, in association with the Live Music Forum contracted Ipsos-MORI in July 2006 to carry out a survey focused on the experience of smaller venues in applying for new licenses following the introduction of the new Licensing Act 2003. The research brief and the resultant reports are discussed on the department's website.

If you like live music - as opposed to just canned and pre-prepared entertainment, which is un-regulated - and believe that live music and dancing should not be treated as though they were dangerous to the public, then this e-petition to the prime minister is your chance to make your views known : http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

For the monent, if you want to put on nearly any form of musical or entertainment event - even for charity, or in a school - then, for single events you probably need to fill in a Temporary Events Notice (TEN) form, pay £21, and tell the police.
The Temporary Events Notice (TEN) forms should be available from your local area council - for Canterbury, go to their page on : Serving A Temporary Events Notice, and download the form.

Fiddlers Various 2007 - Tommy Peoples : Master Irish fiddler Tommy Peoples from Donegal has accepted an invitation from KentFolk to visit the South East of England in the Summer of 2007, as a Fiddlers Various special event. Tommy Peoples is, quite simply, a living legend, the greatest exponent of the driving Donegal style which is his hallmark. Catharine Kingcome, who has painted many Irish musicians in addition to a picture about Tommy, and is a fiddler herself, says of Tommy : "in my opinion probably the best trad Irish fiddle player there's ever been". With nearly a month to go, Valmai Goodyear of Lewes Folk Club in Sussex writes : "A quick note to confirm that Tommy's daytime workshop and evening performance at the Lewes Arms are both sold out. I am keeping a waiting list in case of cancellations ..." However the good news is that there are still tickets for both the Fiddle Workshop and Concert, on the 10th June, at the Littlbourne Thatched Barn, near Canterbury, in Kent. Tommy will hold an all-day fiddle workshop at the Lewes Arms, Lewes, near Brighton, Sussex, on Saturday 9th June, 2007, and then give an evening concert. The following day, on Sunday 10th June, 2007, Tommy Peoples will come to Kent, and hold a full afternoon's workshop at the excellent Littlebourne Thatched Barn, near Canterbury, followed by an evening concert. Further Information and Tickets.

Selling individual MP3 tracks over the web :
For some time KentFolk has been using PayPal to sell local musician's CDs. A new technology that I have wanted for some time, is now in place: - KentFolk can now sell individual MP3 tracks, either directly from the KentFolk web pages, with paynent by CC or PayPal, or via the highly respected eFolkMusic in the USA.

If you are a band that would like to sell your tracks over the web, and of course this is particularly good for both CDs that have all sold out, as well as new tracks that are not yet on a CD, then please email me : Beau@KentFolk.com

I am limited in my time available to "turn the handle" on these, but will do what I can. As a preliminary offering, the 2003 Deal LifeBoat House shanty recording now has a few tracks on the web - all net profit to the NLRI, after the CC/PayPal deductions.

Multi-level directories of News :
Do keep sending me news and items for both the calendar and this news section - now that I have built this new format news section things are flowing much easier.
Please see the info at the bottom of the news pages for guidance as to good formats to send me news items for these pages, and for event listings for the calendars.
cheers, Beau.