Reflections following Newstead Live!
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:33 am
I've just returned from Newstead Live!, where I've had a great time, as always.
A couple of things struck me - well two things, really, one new and the other not so new, but both related.
The not so new one is that, while there are plenty of "up and coming" musicians on the folk scene, the same cannot be said for poets/reciters.
The second, newer one, is that the younger musicians are not especially Australian in their outlook. They are far and away most likely to be influenced by Americana, with England/Scotland/Ireland coming in second place.
I have heard John Williamson lamenting the Americanisation of the Australian country music scene.
As I see it, there was huge resurgence in Australia and Australian history amongst Australians in the 70s. This was partly reflected in the "bush band" wave which has now largely passed. Australian film and theatre were booming, as was literature. The bush poetry revival was swept along in all of this, and it continued through the 80s and 90s. Now, however, it seems to have largely passed.
One could argue that the poetry, like the music, could continue with more American and British influences, but it hasn't, so there is obviously something else going on.
I discussed this with a young woman at Newstead. She told me that being a poet is no longer seen as 'cool' by young people. This doesn't really shed any light on the question, but is just another way of saying the same thing.
When I was a young man in Melbourne in the 70s, I found it incredibly exciting to hear that there was a story telling competition at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. I became involved as soon as I could. It was held in the Sea Scouts Hall. There was no seating. People stood cheek to jowl and spilled out onto the street.
The story telling continues at Port Fairy today. The audience is seated. Less than half the seats are occupied. Ironically, the standard is a lot higher than it was back then, but the competition no longer excites the imagination in the way it once did. The stories are now more varied than they once were, too, with European stories (not so much the American) also featuring prominently now.
So where does all this leave us? The poetry scene seems to be more strongly associated with Australia and Australian history than the music scene. Take away the interest in Australia and it dies, unlike the music.
There would appear to be something else going on which works against the poetry. The music is now far more sophisticated than it used to be. The spoken word is just the spoken word, and audiences would appear to be demanding more - and performers are demanding more of themselves.
Though this is spurious, in a way. Mistakes are much less obvious if you are just one of a number of musicians. If you are a lone reciter, there is nowhere to hide. (The music, too, is often lyrically fairly simple. Is this a part of the general "dumbing down" we hear so much about?)
I have to say I find all this puzzling. My romance with Australia and its history has never dimmed through the years. I can still recall how excited I felt about it all back in my twenties, and can't understand why there aren't large numbers of young people who feel exactly the same way today.
You might say it comes down to the schools, but I don't recall receiving much teaching on Australian history at school. I didn't study it formally until Year 12, and the teacher was pretty dreadful, really.
I am sure John Williamson dreamed of being the first of a great wave of Australian-sounding country music singers. As things stand now, though, he looks very isolated - the exception that proves the rule, in spite of an utterly brilliant career. Australian country music would appear to have been captured by America. Is this a new trend, or is it simply reverting to its default position, with Williamson the aberration?
And what does this say about the future of poetry/reciting at folk/country music festivals in Australia?
SLAM poetry is healthy and popular, but it says nothing about Australia. It is equally at home in New York, London, Auckland, Vancouver and Johannesburg - and you don't generally find it at folk festivals, though we do have "Bad! Slam! No! Biscuit!" at the National.
A couple of things struck me - well two things, really, one new and the other not so new, but both related.
The not so new one is that, while there are plenty of "up and coming" musicians on the folk scene, the same cannot be said for poets/reciters.
The second, newer one, is that the younger musicians are not especially Australian in their outlook. They are far and away most likely to be influenced by Americana, with England/Scotland/Ireland coming in second place.
I have heard John Williamson lamenting the Americanisation of the Australian country music scene.
As I see it, there was huge resurgence in Australia and Australian history amongst Australians in the 70s. This was partly reflected in the "bush band" wave which has now largely passed. Australian film and theatre were booming, as was literature. The bush poetry revival was swept along in all of this, and it continued through the 80s and 90s. Now, however, it seems to have largely passed.
One could argue that the poetry, like the music, could continue with more American and British influences, but it hasn't, so there is obviously something else going on.
I discussed this with a young woman at Newstead. She told me that being a poet is no longer seen as 'cool' by young people. This doesn't really shed any light on the question, but is just another way of saying the same thing.
When I was a young man in Melbourne in the 70s, I found it incredibly exciting to hear that there was a story telling competition at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. I became involved as soon as I could. It was held in the Sea Scouts Hall. There was no seating. People stood cheek to jowl and spilled out onto the street.
The story telling continues at Port Fairy today. The audience is seated. Less than half the seats are occupied. Ironically, the standard is a lot higher than it was back then, but the competition no longer excites the imagination in the way it once did. The stories are now more varied than they once were, too, with European stories (not so much the American) also featuring prominently now.
So where does all this leave us? The poetry scene seems to be more strongly associated with Australia and Australian history than the music scene. Take away the interest in Australia and it dies, unlike the music.
There would appear to be something else going on which works against the poetry. The music is now far more sophisticated than it used to be. The spoken word is just the spoken word, and audiences would appear to be demanding more - and performers are demanding more of themselves.
Though this is spurious, in a way. Mistakes are much less obvious if you are just one of a number of musicians. If you are a lone reciter, there is nowhere to hide. (The music, too, is often lyrically fairly simple. Is this a part of the general "dumbing down" we hear so much about?)
I have to say I find all this puzzling. My romance with Australia and its history has never dimmed through the years. I can still recall how excited I felt about it all back in my twenties, and can't understand why there aren't large numbers of young people who feel exactly the same way today.
You might say it comes down to the schools, but I don't recall receiving much teaching on Australian history at school. I didn't study it formally until Year 12, and the teacher was pretty dreadful, really.
I am sure John Williamson dreamed of being the first of a great wave of Australian-sounding country music singers. As things stand now, though, he looks very isolated - the exception that proves the rule, in spite of an utterly brilliant career. Australian country music would appear to have been captured by America. Is this a new trend, or is it simply reverting to its default position, with Williamson the aberration?
And what does this say about the future of poetry/reciting at folk/country music festivals in Australia?
SLAM poetry is healthy and popular, but it says nothing about Australia. It is equally at home in New York, London, Auckland, Vancouver and Johannesburg - and you don't generally find it at folk festivals, though we do have "Bad! Slam! No! Biscuit!" at the National.