As I write this, I am also organising the 1st anniversary mini festival celebration for Launceston Folk Club (Saturday 21st September 12 noon to 11 pm at Launceston Town hall), and I have also been mindful of the gloomy news that has been increasingly coming out in the media about the demise of grassroots venues, as well as a number of festivals that have played a pivotal role on the festival circuit for decades, giving rise to the ascendancy of many great musicians and an experience for audiences that have given people lifelong and life enhancing memories.
It started me off thinking about why these venues are so important, why I am doing what I do, and why I will not give up trying to make it a sustainable venture, both in Launceston and wider Cornwall and the South West.
It is worth a reminder that the Folk Club is run via the charitable organisation, The Adept Living Foundation CIC (or ALFCIC for short) a peer led organisation, that supports people recovering from PTSD and Trauma, as well as teaching people how to both prevent and recover from emotional and mental health challenges.
We know that sustaining good emotional and mental wellbeing requires a number of essential needs being met which include: feeling a sense of belonging, being part of a supportive community, find meaning in life, as well having a purpose, and being able to follow our passions utilising our gifts, skills, and talents.
In ALF, we have always tried to create an environment that enables people to do these things, creating opportunities for people, and encouraging and supporting people to understand their essential needs and how best to meet them in their own lives. The Folk Club provides a space for all of these things and does it in a way that is both fun and enriching.
So, here are some of the ways that grassroots music venues are both essential and unique:
Heartbeat of the Community
Grassroots music venues are the heartbeat of our community. We’re not just a place to catch a concert; we’re a space where people become friends, and local talent gets a chance to shine. Here, the walls echo with the spirit of the community, creating a sense of belonging and unity that larger venues simply can’t replicate.
Nurturing Local Talent
Grassroots music venues are passionate about supporting independent musicians and giving them a platform to grow. At a grassroots venue, emerging artists get the opportunity to perform in front of an audience that appreciates the raw, unpolished beauty of live music.
We provide the stepping stones for these musicians to develop their craft and gain the exposure they need to succeed. At the folk club, we always draw on high quality local musicians, who create their own music, to take the support slots. They get to perform in front of some of the best musicians on the circuit, gaining access to our extensive network. We particularly appreciate the local musicians who are active supporters of the folk club and live music in the area. We can do so much more when everybody is involved and invested in the project.
Intimate Atmosphere
The intimacy of a grassroots venue is unparalleled. Our audiences are ‘up close and personal’ with the performers, creating an electric atmosphere that fosters genuine connections.
It is an experience where you can feel the music vibrating through your soul, not just hear it, and can feel and sense the genuine passion of the performer, gaining direct access to the emotions that created each piece. This is what makes each folk club concert a transformational event. You always come away with something from each concert and sometimes even a revelation that can be literally life changing.
Diverse Programming
We are committed to showcasing a diverse range of music. There is a grave misunderstanding about the word ‘folk’. The connotation is often of a very traditional version of the genre.
While we do have musicians who are considered ‘traditional’ (eg we have the father of the English Folk revival, Martin Carthy, coming to Launceston in November 2024), in truth, the programme is very diverse. In the broadest sense, the ‘folk’ genre crosses many musical boundaries and takes on influences from a vast musical inheritance. This diversity not only enriches the cultural tapestry of our community but also ensures that there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
In Launceston, we will be diversifying further for the 2025 programme as we intend to launch Wreckers live music, in addition to the folk club, enabling us to demonstrate our commitment to supporting all musicians, creating high quality music, in Cornwall and the South West, and to align with our radio station, Wreckers Radio (more details to follow soon!)
Community Support and Engagement
Grassroots venues are built by the community, for the community. We thrive on the support of local volunteers, organisations, businesses, and artists. Our events often include community-driven activities (eg the monthly songwriters’ spotlight and folk jam session at Firebrand Taproom), workshops, and collaborations, making us a hub for cultural and social engagement.
We are collaborating with Cornwall Folk Festival to host Gigspanner in October 2024, as well as in running Wreckers radio, with Piran Sounds CIC (bringing prog rock and folk rock to Cornwall) for Fairport Convention in October 2024, and The Poly in Falmouth to host Ric Sanders and Vo Fletcher in August. We also regularly collaborate with Keep Audio Co., the record shop in Broad Street, as well as with local schools. We have many other collaborations and projects up our sleeve for 2025 so watch this space. Ultimately, the aim is to, not only support the wellbeing of the community, but also, to raise the profile of Launceston and attract people to its businesses.
Preserving Musical and Cultural Heritage
While we are committed to a diverse programme, we also play a role in preserving and celebrating our musical heritage. By promoting local talent and traditional genres, we ensure that the rich musical history of our area is passed down to future generations.
We invite local Morris sides when we have relevant events, we encourage local storytellers and the Town Crier to talk at events, we support Cornwall Folk festival traditional sessions as well as attending sessions and other more traditional folk clubs, throughout the year in other parts of the county. We take a balanced and nuanced position between preserving local tradition and encouraging progress, ensuring that music is accessible to people across demographic groups. It is important to us that young people learn from tradition but also have the freedom to create in an innovative way.
Accessibility
We strive to make live music accessible to everyone. Our events are often more affordable than those at larger venues, and we work hard to ensure our space is welcoming and inclusive. We believe that everyone should have the chance to experience the magic of live music, regardless of their background or financial situation.
In Launceston we have a membership programme that, for a very small annual fee of £20, reduces the twice monthly concert ticket price by a substantial amount. We would never wish for anybody to feel excluded because of financial circumstances and are always open to being approached by anyone who wishes to attend a concert, but can’t afford the full fee, and to negotiate a reasonable donation. Some people offer to volunteer in return for a ticket. It is our hope that, as we grow, we can offer a wider ticket bursary to more people who are experiencing struggle but would find it beneficial to be a part of what we are doing.
Economic Impact
Supporting a grassroots venue means supporting the local economy. We collaborate with local businesses, from shops and organisations to sound engineers and the local brewery, creating a ripple effect that benefits the entire community.
When you come to a show here, you’re not just buying a ticket; you’re investing in the prosperity of your wider community. We always use local businesses for things like printing and raffle prizes and, of course, bring plenty of people to the local venues where we hold the concerts, twice a month.
As I’ve already mentioned, we bring new people into the town who might not otherwise have visited. People have stayed in the hotel and spent money in local businesses. Some of the very large headline acts are announcing our town on a national and international scale and this all helps to put our little town on the map. A prosperous town = a prosperous and healthy community and people.
Creative Freedom
Grassroots venues offer artists creative freedom. Here, musicians can experiment, take risks, and express themselves authentically without the constraints often imposed by larger commercial venues. This freedom leads to some of the most innovative and heartfelt performances you will ever witness.
Growing up close to the longest running and, arguably, the most successful concert folk club in the country, I had the experience of witnessing some of the greatest music I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It was one of the best and most memorable periods of my life and I will never forget it, not to mention, the amount that I learned and absorbed as a musician was unparalleled. Hitchin Folk Club is my primary inspiration for what I wish to achieve in Launceston and has attracted the cream of the crop to its doors for 65 years. I aspire to this for Launceston.
Building the next generation of music lovers and performers
We inspire and educate the next generation of music lovers, as implied in the previous section. ALFCIC has gifted 4 young, upcoming songwriters a free ticket to the folk club concerts. I wanted to pay back what I received when I was younger and to give young musicians an opportunity to learn from some of the best musicians on the circuit, who already have successful careers.
Through programmes such as this, workshops, and the fact that all of our concerts are family friendly, we cultivate a deep appreciation for live music and hope to foster a new wave of passionate, engaged fans who will feel inspired and motivate to both create new music and carry the torch for grassroots music venues, going forwards.
So, you see, your local live grassroots venue is far more than you could ever possibly have imagined. In essence, wherever the location, Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of the music community. We are not just a venue; we are a movement. Your support keeps the music alive, the community strong, the spirit of independence flourishing, and, in no small way, your attendance and/or involvement at events is far more than just a ticket sale to us, it is a contribution to the heart and soul of the community and, thus, vital to human survival and thriving.
If you would like to attend one of our summer specials, with Ric Sanders from Fairport Convention and Vo Fletcher – we are hosting one in Launceston on Weds 14th August and another in Falmouth, at the Poly on Thurs 15th August – for more details click on the buttons below! See you there! 🙂
