Spooky...

Back from Towersey Festival - we camped for the first time in about 20 years, which was quite a change. Enjoyable to be part of a circle of tented chums, and the weather was kind (apart from a very chilly Saturday night).

Stars of the show for me, again, were The Spooky Men's Chorale (check them out on YouTube if you are not familiar!) I went to the two vocal workshops run by Stephen Taberner (the Spookmeister of this outfit) and was bowled over by his facilitation of the (literally) hundreds of participants. A true master at work.

I am getting increasingly annoyed by over-amplification. The technology of PA systems has moved on, and generally the sound was really high quality. But the guys on the desk seem to want to prove how earthmoving their rigs can be, and they certainly pulled the stops out for some bands. A friend had recommended the Demon Barbers, and I went along expecting, and getting, some great high-energy music.

Problem was, the bass drum was amplified through a huge "subwoofer" which put out levels of sound way beyond comfort. Immediately they started, people began to leave, and after the first number a guy actually shouted out from the audience about the painful thumping. The vocalist said that he couldn't do anything about it from the stage.

I left (along with many others), and on my way out had a word with the guy on the sound desk, who said that I was out of touch with what people wanted(!) Apparently, people enjoy having their brains shaken to a jelly inside their skulls, and their chest cavities resonating in time...

As we retired to our tents nearby, the whole world seemed to vibrate - earplugs made very little difference - it was as if the rattling was happening inside my skull. I'm happy for the loud stuff to be in its proper place - I saw Edward II on one of the other stages (which I think I could rightfully say was more oriented towards younger tastes) and they were quite loud! But I suppose that I want to make a plea for moderation in a venue which is basically for folk music. Ho hum...