Glastonbury: Mumford?

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1372899958' post='2131515']
Some of this debate reminds me of discussions I had many years ago with people in the country music community about the soi-disant New Country format.

Oh, spawn of the devil, it was. Not [i]real [/i]country at all. Your station should be playing more Gene Autry / Bob Wills / Carter Family. You're letting the side down. Even sent death threats and - on one occasion - a turd in a box, just because we didn't play the 'right' artists.

Well, that was all bollocks, because the limited toehold country had on the market was proof positive that normal punters weren't ready for the hard stuff. You had to coax them in with something a bit pappy and - once they'd overcome their natural distaste for the entire genre - they'd fan out to discover all the other artists and songs.

And it worked, because after a year or so we started getting requests for Lefty Frizzell or George Jones or (God forbid) Lloyd Morgan from 18 year-olds. Thing was, the hard-core country fans didn't like what we were doing because it didn't gel with [i]their[/i] idea of what the genre should be about.

Bands such as The Mumfords may not fit their genre template, but they're a damn good way of growing the market for the music. Trouble is, existing fans don't always make the connection, see the benefit and take advantage of the opportunity to ship in some new blood.

'If you like [i]that[/i], you might like [i]this[/i]' would be the way forward to my mind. Were I a folkie, I'd be sending the Mumfords a thank-you note and a box of delicious gingerbread.

[color=#ffffff].[/color]
[/quote]

You'd likely be sending them some goose eggs, or a piece of ham

That's very interesting actually. I've always quite liked folk and folkesque type music. It wasn't really a leap anywhere for me to listen to Mumford and Sons. Did you used to work in a radio station or something Skank?

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1372900752' post='2131516']
You'd likely be sending them some goose eggs, or a piece of ham

That's very interesting actually. I've always quite liked folk and folkesque type music. It wasn't really a leap anywhere for me to listen to Mumford and Sons. Did you used to work in a radio station or something Skank?
[/quote]

Oh yes, indeedy. Did the noisy wallpaper thing for 20-odd years. First thing you learn - there's no good music or bad music. Just what people like.

[RhysP]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1372899958' post='2131515']
Bands such as The Mumfords may not fit their genre template, but they're a damn good way of growing the market for the music. [color=#ffffff].[/color]
[/quote]
But they're not though.
Since the Mumfords have been around I've been to plenty of small folk gigs (from legends like Martin Carthy & June Tabor to up & coming acts like Emily Portman) where there have beens loads of beardy adolescents at the start, only for them to start leaving after 15 minutes or so because it's not "jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends"-y enough for them.

Now I'm not knocking people going to see bands so they can jump up & down, but you have to be pretty f***ing clueless to think there's going to be a mosh pit at a Martin Carthy gig.

[Dave Vader]

They are a bit, the drummer in my band is 16, he loves the Mumfords like they were his personal property, he has since gone on to the hard stuff, and will probably soon be wearing an arran sweater, smoking a pipe and sticking his finger in his ear to do the harmony parts.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1372928457' post='2131640']
But they're not though.
Since the Mumfords have been around I've been to plenty of small folk gigs (from legends like Martin Carthy & June Tabor to up & coming acts like Emily Portman) where there have beens loads of beardy adolescents at the start, only for them to start leaving after 15 minutes or so because it's not "jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends"-y enough for them.
[/quote]

But do some of them stay?

[RhysP]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1372929396' post='2131654']
But do some of them stay?
[/quote]
I suppose so of them must do, but whether that translates into extra sales & an increased fan base for the artist or if it's just because it's the "in thing de jour" I couldn't honestly say.

[fatback]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1372928457' post='2131640']
But they're not though.
Since the Mumfords have been around I've been to plenty of small folk gigs (from legends like Martin Carthy & June Tabor to up & coming acts like Emily Portman) where there have beens loads of beardy adolescents at the start, only for them to start leaving after 15 minutes or so because it's not "jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends"-y enough for them.

Now I'm not knocking people going to see bands so they can jump up & down, but you have to be pretty f***ing clueless to think there's going to be a mosh pit at a Martin Carthy gig.
[/quote]

Jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends is a great term for a particular kind of folky thing that always does well. You might say it's a vacancy in folky music that's always there for the taking. What the pogues did really.

[Dave Vader]

It could even be said to be a little better then a 15 verse 3 hour ode to some fisherman who died in the fifteenth century played in DADGAD on a hurdy gurdy at 35 bpm.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1372940129' post='2131857']


Jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends is a great term for a particular kind of folky thing that always does well. You might say it's a vacancy in folky music that's always there for the taking. What the pogues did really.
[/quote]The Pogues were edgy and sometimes brilliant.
This lot are about as edgy as a hacky sack.

[Japhet]

Not my cup of tea at all and I can't help thinking that if you told the majority of their fans it was all written and recorded in1976 they would all say it was unbearable tripe.

[steve-soar]

It's not surprising that Mumford's are so successful. A quick look at Marcus' family and the roots of their business gives one an insight into how influential and powerful they are.

Bob Dylan, anyone? Personally praised by Robert Plant?

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1372893744' post='2131469']
Hey, I'm not fussed on Mumford either way but I won't stand for all this flagrant anti-beard posturing.

Desist at once, or I'll rub my hairy chin on your face until it's red and itchy!
[/quote]

Some people will pay good money for you to do that!

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1372940129' post='2131857']
Jump-up-and-down-with-your-friends is a great term for a particular kind of folky thing that always does well. You might say it's a vacancy in folky music that's always there for the taking. What the pogues did really.
[/quote]

Bloody hell - we've only gone and discovered a new genre... JUADWYF. A bit like NWOBHM, but with less spandex.

[lojo]

I've said this before , I see Mumfords as the Coldplay of Folk, or the Puff Daddy of whatever he is, all clever and talented people making a mass commercial product of a particular thing (I think Pdiddy was a business grad, not from the ghetto)

Fair play to them all, much cleverer and talented than Id even dream of being, but in my world, projects like The Imagined Village, or bands like The Men the couldn't Hang, should be getting the success that Mumfords have.

[skychaserhigh]

I tried watching their set , the bass player's facial expressions made for difficult viewing.
Plus the music was bland and forgettable.

[Beedster]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1372899958' post='2131515']
Some of this debate reminds me of discussions I had many years ago with people in the country music community about the soi-disant New Country format.

Oh, spawn of the devil, it was. Not [i]real [/i]country at all. Your station should be playing more Gene Autry / Bob Wills / Carter Family. You're letting the side down. Even sent death threats and - on one occasion - a turd in a box, just because we didn't play the 'right' artists.

Well, that was all bollocks, because the limited toehold country had on the market was proof positive that normal punters weren't ready for the hard stuff. You had to coax them in with something a bit pappy and - once they'd overcome their natural distaste for the entire genre - they'd fan out to discover all the other artists and songs.

And it worked, because after a year or so we started getting requests for Lefty Frizzell or George Jones or (God forbid) Lloyd Morgan from 18 year-olds. Thing was, the hard-core country fans didn't like what we were doing because it didn't gel with [i]their[/i] idea of what the genre should be about.

Bands such as The Mumfords may not fit their genre template, but they're a damn good way of growing the market for the music. Trouble is, existing fans don't always make the connection, see the benefit and take advantage of the opportunity to ship in some new blood.

'If you like [i]that[/i], you might like [i]this[/i]' would be the way forward to my mind. Were I a folkie, I'd be sending the Mumfords a thank-you note and a box of delicious gingerbread.

[color=#ffffff].[/color]
[/quote]

Went to a outdoor/daytime gig in Canterbury last year, the usual daytime mix of rock, folk, world (plus singer songwriter who's clearly a mate of the promotor) etc. There were a bunch of very cool looking 16-18 year olds hanging out, and I would have put a few quid on them being what we termed back in the day 'an indie band'. Anyway, they stepped up to play, I was expecting a Ric or two, possibly a Tele but, to my surprise, this bunch of apparently too cool for school kids picked up a banjo, a mandolin, an acoustic guitar and - IIRC - an accordion and a cajon, and proceded to thump out a collection of great up-tempo folk songs - including many by Mumford & Sons - to much appreciation from the entire audience. They completely stole the show. Despite all the talk of 'the new folk' etc I didn't expect to see kids both so proficient at and so motivated to play what were until very recently considered pretty nerdy acoustic instruments. Whilst I doubt Messrs Mumford and Sons can take all the credit, the fact that the majority of the set was theirs suggests that the Mumfs were at least a strong influence. Skank's post above is spot on, it's never a bad thing to have a few 'genre-crossing' bands around to stir things up and open a few doors. I guess it's Fusion Folk (or Folk Fusion), and it'll become it's own genre in time.

[BetaFunk]

i think that Mumford and Sons should be knighted along with Andy Murray at the earliest convenience of her Maj.

[lojo]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1373304303' post='2135924']
i think that Mumford and Sons should be nutted along with Andy Murray at the earliest convenience of her Maj.
[/quote]

Fixed




It's a joke, no backlash please

[alhbass]

[quote name='bassninja' timestamp='1372661397' post='2128133']
"Trust fund Wurzels". Genius

Give me the Punch Brothers any day.
[/quote]

+100

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1373317808' post='2136179']
Fixed




It's a joke, no backlash please
[/quote]
I wonder what her Maj would say when they went to pick up their gongs. Prince Phil would probably say "well at least they're not more bloody cyclists Liz".

Edited July 8, 2013 by BetaFunk

[alhbass]

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