[Dixielandjazz] How To Succeed in Killing a Trad Festival Without Really Trying

[Stephen G Barbone]

This was sent to me by a lurker on the DJML who read my post about how  
times are changing both the Jazz Festival scene and the jazz nightclub  
scene here in the USA.  Obviously, I agree totally with the premise of  
the below post. Furthermore I am sick and tired of a few old moldy  
figs and/or band leaders who don't know how to entertain audiences,  
complaining about the doers, who in the heat of battle, are trying to  
save and/or resuscitate the remaining OKOM jazz festivals.

Quit complaining. Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband

How To Succeed in Killing a Trad Festival Without Really Trying
By An Anonymous Trad Fan

3 Steps to Killing a Trad Festival

#1) Ignore three basic facts:
	a) The economy is in a recession.
	b) The trad audience has been slowly and steadily disappearing.
	c) With smaller Talent Budgets, festivals can't hire every band  
they'd like to.

#2) Stop attending festivals that were originally trad but now mix  
trad with swing, blues, zydeco and other music styles that are popular  
today. Boycott them even if they hire more trad bands than any other  
festival in the country.

#3) Write angry letters to newspapers, magazines, and the DJML (online  
traddies group) condemning festivals that were originally trad but now  
mix trad with swing, blues, zydeco and other music styles that are  
popular today. Encourage others to boycott these festivals even if  
they hire more trad bands than any other festival in the country.

EXTRA STEP—If you're a trad band leader, you can take this additional  
and particularly effective step if you're upset that your band is not  
always hired anymore, and you have successfully ignored all the facts  
in Step 1:

#4) Write angry letters to your fan base, including e-mail lists,  
condemning festivals that were originally trad but now mix trad with  
swing, blues, zydeco and other music styles that are popular today.  
 From the band stand, using a microphone to address a captive and  
unsuspecting audience, encourage your fans to boycott these festivals  
even if they hire more trad bands than any other festival in the  
country.