Carol From Luton reports sensational news frokm the equality frontline… She attended Heppo’s WIYE event last night and was astounded to find, in a room of a hundred or so people, no more than 4 women. Not that this stopped Cazza from enjoying the evening, but it made me wonder (having never been to one myself – the geography is against me) – are all WIYE events among the last bastions of male preserve? Or was last night’s an aberration? The way Carol described the demographic it sounded like the last gathering of the Ents, wondering where all the Entwives had gone.
As Bazza Gibb asked 50-odd years ago, ‘Where are the girls…?’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfibU–RAVg
I wasn’t at last night’s WIYE (was it Ian Anderson, which sold out before I saw the e-mail notification?), but have been to a fair few. Do males predominate in the audience? I’d say generally yes, but nowhere near a ratio of 25:1.
I’d say it’s more like a 3:1 ratio. It probably depends on the guest.
If it was Mr Anderson, I’d hardly be surprised given that the prog’s audience was (is) male dominated.
And virtually all 60+, says Carol (not a criticism, just an observation). That’s what I was wondering – is the extreme imbalance guest-specific or WIYE-specific. You would suggest the former, Carl.
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. That’s your answer right there. Were they ever one for the ladies?
Well, Ian was a ‘Ladies’ man in 1974 at least:
Carol would probably feel comfortable going to the flicks here in Kärrtorp. I was talking to the chairman of our local cinema club (non-profit, run by volunteers), and he commented on an overwhelming percentage of the audience for Biograf Reflexen and indeed other arts events in Stockholm are female.
“Kulturtanter” (Cultural Aunties) keep the theatres, cinemas and concert halls in business. They probably also flock out in their thousands to see Ian Anderson who I presume wears a codpiece for WIYE and other such events.
‘Cultural Aunties’ – funny, there’s a venue oft frequented by Carol From Luton (the Stables, Wavenden) that seems to be run by a whole gang of cultural aunties – it’s a bit like a music venue with Oxfam shop volunteers running it.
A good few years back, when Johnny & Cleo Dankworth, who founded The Stables were still alive, I went up there for a rare gig by Bill Nelson with a couple of guests. Lovely place and beautiful sound.
Bill wanted to sell some of his CDs in the foyer, but was told that a percentage of all proceeds would be payable to the venue, as he would be competing with their own CD and souvenir shop on the premises.
Bill was having none of that. Instead he sold his merchandise from the boot of a roadie’s car outside in the car park.
Cleo didn’t pop on stage to accompany Bill with some scat singing did she? “A zibbidy skiddly reee biddly boo zaaa JAZZ!!!!”
It’s interesting that when Dankworth was accompanying Cleo with her zibbidy skiddly reee biddly boo JAZZ singing, he was JOHNNY Dankworth, but when he was doing some of his own stuff, like leading the orchestra behind Kenny Wheeler’s “Windmill Tilter” (great album, by the way), he was JOHN Dankworth.
Re: “A good few years back, when Johnny & Cleo Dankworth, who founded The Stables were still alive”
Mike – you’ll be pleased to know that Cleo Laine is the sort of opposite of Gerry Rafferty. Rumours of her death have been much exaggerated. She’s still with us, at the age of 90. Hurrah!
He used to live not far from where I grew up (Highams Park). I used to tell people “Johnny Dankworth lives there” and they used to reply “Who’s he?”. Those were the days.
Neither hide nor hair of either one was visible on the night.
Given their ages at the time, mid- seventies, it was possibly past their bedtime.
Actually, having just looked them both up on Wikipedia I’m astonished to find that Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth DBE, is still alive and kicking at the age of 90.
I apologise, therefore, for assuming that she must be dead.