Riptide - Posted - 06/28/2019:  16:20:28

Anyone on here planning on attending the Galax Fiddler's Convention in August?

Riptide - Posted - 06/29/2019:  12:23:06

Anyone? Anyone heard of the Galax Fiddler's Convention? Lol

DougD - Posted - 06/29/2019:  12:45:15

This is more of a Clifftop crowd. I'd like to get back there sometime, but maybe not this year. I certainly recommend you go though - its quite an event!

Riptide - Posted - 06/29/2019:  13:42:06

quote:

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Originally posted by DougD

This is more of a Clifftop crowd. I'd like to get back there sometime, but maybe not this year. I certainly recommend you go though - its quite an event!

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I've been a couple times in the past looking forward to it this year since I started fiddling!

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 06/29/2019:  18:41:33

quote:

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Originally posted by DougD

This is more of a Clifftop crowd. I'd like to get back there sometime, but maybe not this year. I certainly recommend you go though - its quite an event!

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I'm curious, what makes a Galax festival different from Clifftop?  I ask this as one who has attended neither, but I grew up in the Blue Ridge.  Maybe there's vibe differences that attract different crowds?  I would think the regional attraction would be the same.

I'm just an older dude now that don't like to travel or get in crowds.  But the Appalachian revival that I see when I visit back home intrigues me.  We used to be viewed as hicks.

EDIT:  regarding the hick-then-emulate cycle, it seems to turn over every 40 years or so.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

Edited by - Flat_the_3rd_n7th on 06/29/2019 18:53:29

DougD - Posted - 06/29/2019:  19:47:51

I don't have time to really try and explain this, and I haven't been to either event in a long time, but you're right there is (or was) a huge vibe difference between the two. Galax is an old local and regional old time and Bluegrass contest that at various times has attracted "outsiders" who have been sometimes welcomed, sometimes not so much. Clifftop is a fairly recent national old time gathering apoealing mostly to "revivalists." In the beginning it was pretty homogenous in terms of age and outlook, but younger generations now play a big part.
Here's an old article about Clifftop that's undoubtedly exaggerated, but gives an idea: wsj.com/articles/SB112431962083316041
My perspective is somewhat different than a lot of members here. There is a recent documentary about the band I once played with. You might find it interesting if you have some time to kill, but at abouf 17:00 there's some footage of us playing at Galax in the 1970's.You probably won"t find anything like that at Clifftop. folkstreams.net/film-detail.php?id=435
There are plenty of recent Youtube videos of both events for comparison.

DougD - Posted - 06/29/2019:  19:58:16

That Wall Street Journal article might not be available for free reading, which is probably just as well. But here's a response ftom the late Bill Hicks that's also interesting: williamhicksmasonry.com/bill/s...flett.htm

ShawnCraver - Posted - 06/29/2019:  21:46:35

I have never been to either. I'm not much of a camper unless it's to go after trout in an isolated place. Checking out the prices, I was surprised at the cost. Seems a bit high to jam or even participate a contest. Am I right that Galax and Clifftop are essentially contests and jam sessions with no paid performers?

Riptide - Posted - 06/30/2019:  05:20:25

quote:

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Originally posted by ShawnCraver

I have never been to either. I'm not much of a camper unless it's to go after trout in an isolated place. Checking out the prices, I was surprised at the cost. Seems a bit high to jam or even participate a contest. Am I right that Galax and Clifftop are essentially contests and jam sessions with no paid performers?

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Never been to clifftop but have Galax and it's contests and jams with no paid performers

DougD - Posted - 06/30/2019:  06:17:16

Shawn - Galax has always been just a contest, AFAIK. There are a variety of other events at Clifftop - a square dance every night Wednesday through Saturday, several evening concerts, a couple "Masters showcases," dance workshops and other non-musical workshops and events.

ChickenMan - Posted - 06/30/2019:  08:16:17

Clifftop is cheap compared to other events I've attended. $150 gets you 10 days (festival is 5 of that) of camping and jamming. If you don't pre-camp, festival is $50, including camping. By comparison, the closest thing to Clifftop around here is Bluff County Gathering which costs $225 for four days, plus you pay your own for camping (leave camp to drive to the festival) or a hotel room (May in Minnesota can be cold) and still drive daily. Granted there are workshops at BCG, but that isn't what most who go to Clifftop are looking for.

I read Clifftop is a spin off of Galax and that one year they tore down the barn area where the 'hippies' hung out (which seems like it would include your band, Doug) at Galax, which lead to some animosity between the two 'factions' of Galax (old time hippies/outsiders and local bluegrassers) and the hippies formed their own festival.

Run on sentence.

Note: I use the term 'hippie' loosely and with affection.

I honestly wish I lived closer, there are so many festivals that happen in the WV, VA, PA area. Other than Bluff County, the closest thing for me is Indiana Fiddler's Gathering: 7 hrs drive for a three day payoff. 

ShawnCraver - Posted - 06/30/2019:  08:41:49

quote:

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Originally posted by DougD

Shawn - Galax has always been just a contest, AFAIK. There are a variety of other events at Clifftop - a square dance every night Wednesday through Saturday, several evening concerts, a couple "Masters showcases," dance workshops and other non-musical workshops and events.

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I see. That's  quite a variety of fun stuff.  

ShawnCraver - Posted - 06/30/2019:  08:46:03

For some reason I thought Clifftop was a more loose type of gathering with informal contests, so I wondered at the cost at first.

ShawnCraver - Posted - 06/30/2019:  09:09:07

I also did not realize Clifftop gave away money at the contests. That's impressive and of course, good for the musicians.

I also just reviewed the rules of the two festivals. I got the impression that Galax is a bit more stiff, while Clifftop is more about a few simple rules for safety and a good time.

ChickenMan - Posted - 06/30/2019:  10:41:32

quote:

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Originally posted by ShawnCraver

I also did not realize Clifftop gave away money at the contests. That's impressive and of course, good for the musicians.



I also just reviewed the rules of the two festivals. I got the impression that Galax is a bit more stiff, while Clifftop is more about a few simple rules for safety and a good time.

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I bet that is a good assessment, although many go to both as they happen relatively close geographically and on the calendar (or so I’m told).

TuneWeaver - Posted - 06/30/2019:  13:38:28

quote:

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

Clifftop is cheap compared to other events I've attended. $150 gets you 10 days (festival is 5 of that) of camping and jamming. If you don't pre-camp, festival is $50, including camping. By comparison, the closest thing to Clifftop around here is Bluff County Gathering which costs $225 for four days, plus you pay your own for camping (leave camp to drive to the festival) or a hotel room (May in Minnesota can be cold) and still drive daily. Granted there are workshops at BCG, but that isn't what most who go to Clifftop are looking for.

I read Clifftop is a spin off of Galax and that one year they tore down the barn area where the 'hippies' hung out (which seems like it would include your band, Doug) at Galax, which lead to some animosity between the two 'factions' of Galax (old time hippies/outsiders and local bluegrassers) and the hippies formed their own festival.

Run on sentence.

Note: I use the term 'hippie' loosely and with affection.

I honestly wish I lived closer, there are so many festivals that happen in the WV, VA, PA area. Other than Bluff County, the closest thing for me is Indiana Fiddler's Gathering: 7 hrs drive for a three day payoff. 

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Two great cultures separated by a common music???  ( as compared to  the saying about the English language as spoken in England vs the USA.."Two great countries separated by a common language.")

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 06/30/2019 13:46:51

ShawnCraver - Posted - 06/30/2019:  19:46:20

I'd like to hear more about the hippy barn being torn down.

DougD - Posted - 07/01/2019:  03:51:01

Shawn -Here's my recollection of that era. It wasn't a "hippie barn." At one time Felts Park, the festival site, must have been used for fairs or agricultural shows, and there was a section of roofed stalls for livestock. This became a popular camping spot for the younger crowd because it was sheltered from the sun and rain, and offered some privacy for whatever activities they might have had in mind. I suppose they'd cleared the manure out, but it never seemed very appealing to me. There are some Youtube videos of Melvin Wine playing in a similar situation, which I thought was at Galax, but apparently its Mt Airy. Billy, we used to camp across the road near the old Carnation milk plant, which kept us away ffom the main festival. There's a picture of that campsite in the film and on my homepage here.
In the 1970's the old time music scene at Galax was much different from today. Benton Flippen, Ernest East, and Kyle Creed were still active in the competition but the younger generation in the region were not interested in the music, with some exceptions. They either played Bluegrass, or electric music, or had moved away. The old time crowd were mostly "outsiders" who always had an uneasy relationship with the rest of the festival. Then in 1973 promoter Jim Clark organized some "Peace, Love, Blues and Bluegrass" festivals, one at Aunt Minnie's Farm near Glenville, West Virginia. These reflected the crossover between traditiinal and country music and pop/rock in groups like the Byrds, Grateful Dead, an on the other side the Earl Scruggs Review. In 1976 a similar huge festival "Stompin' 76" was held just up the road from Galax. Meanwhile, Union Grove, the other large old contest, had fallen victim to its own success and turned into a really lawless, unpleasant event. Here's an article about this trend:
archive.org/post/936125/some-c...-of-oaitw This made everyone nervous, and in 1976 Galax was just crawling with State Troopers, and began to have a different feel. At some point the stalls were torn down. Whether this was because they were a scruffy eyesore that was no longer needed, or to discourage the "hippie" presence I don't know, but it didn't seem welcoming. The Mt. Airy convention began in the mid 70's and was more comfortable, but Clifftop was not organized till 1990. Whether this was meant as an alternative to Galax I don't know, but its sort of turned out that way.