Jeff Bohnhoff ([info]mysticfig) wrote,
@ 2007-12-04 08:39:00
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Current mood: contemplative

Question for filkers in the UK
Maya and I have the great privilege of performing at the UK Filk Con this coming February. I'm starting to think about a concert set, and I'd like to get some feedback from those of you familiar with the UK filk community about what sorts of songs may, or may not translate well culturally. Maya and I have two basic types of songs. We do parodies of (mostly) classic rock songs. The subjects range from media (Star Trek, Babylon 5, Buffy, LotR, Harry Potter), to computers, filking, general culture etc. We also perform original songs, that are really not filk, but are rock or folk/rock songs that we also perform for general audiences. For those of you who are familiar with our material, and either are from the UK, or have attended filk events there, are there any songs that we should avoid performing? I like to think I have a pretty good idea of what works for an American audience, but I'd like to make sure our set is as entertaining as we can make it for the British fen.


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Welcome to LJ
[info]sexybass
2007-12-04 05:17 pm UTC (link)
Hi Jeff and Maya,
Having been a guest back at the British Con with Dave and having heard you two, I can easily say that they will love everything you do especially the classic rock stuff. You are going to have a wonderful time and I wish I could be there but Sue and I went this year already and also Germany in October and our wedding coming up at FKO this year so we are taking a break. Welcome to LJ and I hope to see both of you at a Con sometime in the future.

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Re: Welcome to LJ
[info]mysticfig
2007-12-04 07:06 pm UTC (link)
Hi Tom. Great to see you! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I'm sure we'll run into each other sooner or later :-).

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[info]bardling
2007-12-04 05:28 pm UTC (link)
Hi & welcome to LJ, I'm delighted to see you here & looking forward to meeting you again in February!
I haven't heard you do anything that wouldn't go down well. Like Tom, I'd say definitely do play some of your originals!

*hugs to you both* - Rika, the bardling

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[info]mysticfig
2007-12-04 07:18 pm UTC (link)
Hi Rika. We've heard that original songs are quite welcome at UK gatherings, so we plan to do several. I'm more concerned about some of the parodies. Maya and I can't wait to see you there!

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[info]bardling
2007-12-04 07:35 pm UTC (link)
Oh, parodies will be enjoyed also, never fear! :)

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[info]catalana
2007-12-04 05:43 pm UTC (link)
Hi Jeff, this is Erica (who it turns out will be at 2t0nic after all, due to the wonders of buying plane tickets on airmiles.) Anyway, I think your stuff will go over just fine; I haven't heard anything that wouldn't. Both your original and parodies will go over well.

I'm looking forward to seeing you in February!

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[info]mysticfig
2007-12-04 07:14 pm UTC (link)
Yay!! I'm so glad you'll be there.

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[info]keristor
2007-12-04 05:46 pm UTC (link)
I don't see that there is anything you should avoid, classic rock and folk rock goes down fine here. Most of us seem to have an extended view of 'filk' which includes things written by filkers whether they are on a stfnal subject or not, and we have had several guests who have performed "non-filk" (as an example Mitch Burnside-Clapp's "I Don't Do Dylan") as part of their sets.

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[info]billroper
2007-12-04 05:47 pm UTC (link)
The only thing that I'll note on parodies is that it really helps if your audience is familiar with the source material. Son of a Son of Isildur is a much funnier song if you're familiar with Jimmy Buffett's original. Otherwise, it's a LOTR song to an unknown tune.

For reasons that should have been obvious to me, most of the people at the UK Filk Con weren't exactly familiar with Jimmy Buffett. :)

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[info]the_magician
2007-12-04 05:49 pm UTC (link)
On the other hand we are familiar with a lot of classic rock, and listening to one of the J&M CDs I think I recognised everything :-)

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[info]mysticfig
2007-12-04 07:14 pm UTC (link)
I'm not as much concerned about familiarity with the source tunes, but familiarity with the subject of the parody. For example, we do a song about the US sitcom "Cheers" ("Hangin' Out at Cheers" ttto "Reelin' In the Years"). I have no idea whether that was ever broadcast in Great Britain. It's quite possible that I'm over-thinking this ...:-)

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[info]bardling
2007-12-04 07:41 pm UTC (link)
True, that's a good thought. I have no idea either, it'd certainly have me completely lacking any clue about the subject. For that sort of thing it probably depends on how well the parody would stand on it's own with just a brief intro "is about a US sitcom..." or the like. :)

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[info]keristor
2007-12-04 07:49 pm UTC (link)
Yes, "Cheers" was broadcast here. Several times, I think (I know I caught at least one episode twice). We get a lot of US sitcoms here, and police related dramas. If you're worried about particular ones then ask and we can probably tell you. But as bardling said a short intro would probably suffice, I guess that in most of your US audiences you have a number of people not familiar with particular shows as well.

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[info]shannachie
2007-12-05 07:50 am UTC (link)
I remember not understanding one of your songs until someone explained to me about a cook show that we don't have in Germany.

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[info]mysticfig
2007-12-05 03:47 pm UTC (link)
Yes, that's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of. In most cases, comedy is more effective if the audience just "gets it". If it needs explanation, it isn't as funny.

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[info]mysticfig
2007-12-04 07:15 pm UTC (link)
Note self, don't play parody of "Margaritaville" ;-)

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[info]keristor
2007-12-04 07:57 pm UTC (link)
Unless a parody really depends on knowing the original then I'd say feel free to include it. There are many many filks where I have heard and enjoyed the parody without even being aware of the original. OK, there are some which are only funny because of being a parody, but they are in the same sort of category as SCA songs which only make sense if you are in the SCA and ones about specific local events. Songs which are about common subjects (like the list you gave originally) etc. can be enjoyed on their own merits without knowing the original.

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