TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Old boards => Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2018 => Topic started by: iandiddams on August 13, 2018, 04:11:15 PM



Title: The compere
Post by: iandiddams on August 13, 2018, 04:11:15 PM
Anthony John Clarke (think that's his name) seemed somewhat down beat this year?  He's normally quite fullsome in his compering stuff but it didn't seem as if he'd done as much this year in between acts.

Hope he is OK.

I did catch his anecdote about being "mistaken" for John Cooper Clarke which made oi larf!


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: Andy on August 13, 2018, 04:19:50 PM
AJC is a proper gent and did a good job as far as I could see.


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: spooley (Simon) on August 13, 2018, 04:20:41 PM
I enjoyed Richard Digance's tribute/thanks to Anthony John Clarke, then, when AJ came on-stage to acknowledge that, RD told him "Piss off! This is my slot. Go and practice like I have to if you want to do an hour."

AJ made a reasonable job of compering this year, I thought. Perhaps a bit low-key and subdued at times.
But he made the really important contribution of getting swiftly through the (often interminable) raffle draws on Saturday afternoon.


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: iandiddams on August 13, 2018, 04:31:45 PM


AJ made a reasonable job of compering this year, I thought. Perhaps a bit low-key and subdued at times.


That's what I meant.  Didn't seem as bubbly as he usually is  - as I said just hope he is OK .  I think he does a great job :)

didds


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: Pugwash on August 13, 2018, 06:10:05 PM
I think this year’s event was very much affected by Maart’s illness.

A great many of the artists were long term friends with Maart and were trying to come to terms with the situation. It was bound to impact on performance.


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: Sue & Chris on August 14, 2018, 12:45:58 AM
Yeah he definitely seemed a bit off-colour, a bit grumpy. Especially early on the Friday when he got Mera Royle's name wrong twice and kept going on about the weather as if it had been bucketing it down all day, when in reality we had a couple of hours of light to moderate rain.

Maybe the Maart situation cast a pall, and that's quite understandable, but surely his job is to get everyone going, regardless of what's going on backstage? I do like him, but this wasn't his finest hour.


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: Amethyst (Jenny) on August 14, 2018, 09:11:03 AM
So much negativity!

AJC is anbrilliant compère and a fab bloke...  how many of us could do that job!!

He doesn’t deserve all this moaning.


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: delfini (Diane) on August 14, 2018, 09:40:44 AM
I think Puggs’ comment is very valid.

I don’t think it can be underestimated. How many of us, however professional, can put on a ‘bright shiny ‘ performance when a piece of our heart is breaking?

None of us are automata.

(I was a trainer for part of my work, and I know, however hard I tried, when there was severe family illness, my performance was affected)


Title: Re: The compere
Post by: iandiddams on August 14, 2018, 11:16:11 AM

So much negativity!

AJC is anbrilliant compère and a fab bloke...  how many of us could do that job!!

He doesn’t deserve all this moaning.



I'm not moaning - I'm concerned for the bloke.  He's normally biuncy and fullsome.  This weekend he seemed somewhat flat. Just hope he is OK

didds