Short-changed (From The Northern Echo)

Short-changed

6:14pm Thursday 6th October 2011 in Folk By Jez Lowe, Folk Music Columnist

MY lament last week about the lack of mainstream media coverage of folk music brought an unexpected rap on the knuckles.

This was on behalf of the “new folk media”, that is the internet variety, of which I was quite an early champion from when I helped set up radiobritfolk.co.uk, about five years ago.

Such skills are more refined these days, and the likes of spiralearth.co.uk and folkcast.co.uk, as well as local endeavours by people like Terry at bishopfm.com and Liz at radiotees.co.uk, ensure that the folk music of this island reaches a potential world-wide audience, with a grassroots sensibility that the mainstream approach can never emulate.

My point last week still remains however. I still feel I am getting short-changed for my licence fee with a mere one hour a week on BBC radio and a limited and repetitive smattering of Americana and Celtic Smooth on BBC TV.

Who would have thought we’d ever have Mr Murdoch and his Sky channels to thank for trying to push the folk cause?

Meanwhile, in the world of live entertainment, local folk highlights this week include folkrock at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre tomorrow night from Sarah Horn and James Cudworth plus The Spirit Levellers, Bob Fox at Washington’s Davy Lamp on Saturday, Martyn Wyndham- Read at Westoe Club in South Shields on Sunday.

There’s a choice, on Monday, between Dick Miles at The North Briton in Aycliffe Village, Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell at Stockton’s Sun Inn, and a further choice at Gateshead’s Sage between Jackie Oates in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall, and Ralph McTell in Hall Two.

Finally, nice to see so many people down at Helmsley festival last weekend, the success of which ensures that it will be reprised next year. I’m now off to Holland with my Bad Pennies for a week, but I’m reachable, as usual, ready and willing, at jez@jezlowe.com.