Dudestock 2011

[Hippydude73]

Hey all dudes in England.  Dudestock 2011 is comming......check this out:

dudestock.co.uk

Sounds totally awsome and me and the dude wife will be taking our rugs to abide.

May we all abide

[cckeiser]

Hey all dudes in England.  Dudestock 2011 is comming......check this out:

dudestock.co.uk

Sounds totally awsome and me and the dude wife will be taking our rugs to abide.

May we all abide

!

[cakebelly]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCJ6s0tpduk

[meekon5]

Is it just me?

Now I'm not dissing this festival and it's motives (charity, doing good and all that).

But it seems to have suddenly sprouted up from no where, and I'm not even sure this represents what I believe.

My worry is this is suddenly a media circus representation of one mans opinion.

All of a sudden this "Grand Old Dude of York" is a major player where there should be no major players.

This is as usual entirely all in my humble opinion, and as I said before I don't mind the charity side (I still put money into Keeva).

It just seems to me to be an Evangelism without reference to the rest of us. (perhaps I'm just miffed that no one asked me)

[DigitalBuddha]

Is it just me?

Now I'm not dissing this festival and it's motives (charity, doing good and all that).

But it seems to have suddenly sprouted up from no where, and I'm not even sure this represents what I believe.

My worry is this is suddenly a media circus representation of one mans opinion.

All of a sudden this "Grand Old Dude of York" is a major player where there should be no major players.

This is as usual entirely all in my humble opinion, and as I said before I don't mind the charity side (I still put money into Keeva).

It just seems to me to be an Evangelism without reference to the rest of us. (perhaps I'm just miffed that no one asked me)

Interesting points, M5 dude. What do you think their mojo should be?

[Rev. Ed C]

But it seems to have suddenly sprouted up from no where, and I'm not even sure this represents what I believe.

My worry is this is suddenly a media circus representation of one mans opinion.

All of a sudden this "Grand Old Dude of York" is a major player where there should be no major players....

...It just seems to me to be an Evangelism without reference to the rest of us. (perhaps I'm just miffed that no one asked me)

I see where you're coming from, but I've been watching this sprout since the beginning (which wasn't long ago, to be fair).  Two people had an idea, and one man's gone to a lot of effort to get it off the ground.  The thing is, it's all about the music and the charity, and the Dude part seems to be mostly for the advertising and the celebration of Dudeism.  I haven't really seen anything Dudeist apart from the sentiment and the Jeff Bridges cartoons.

If you're worried this will be some kind of Dudeist love-in, I'm of the opinion it'll mostly be locals from the York area who know nothing of Dudeism and want to go to a cheap music festival on a sunny Saturday in June.  The charity aspect is great, and I fully support it.

As for the message of Dudeism being spread... I think it's not going to be so much of an Evangelist message to the crowd.  In fact, if people come out of the festival knowing any more about Dudeism than before they arrived, I'll be surprised and quite happy.

I know this is putting our name on something that feels like one or two people have had control over, but help has been asked for from the Dudeist community at every stage, via Facebook and even the Dudespaper now.  I myself decided not to have a direct involvement in it, but to go down there as a Dudeist priest/philosopher in a casual capacity, and take a more direct role as a reporter for the Dudespaper (for which I've now been offered a backstage pass).  Might see if I can fulfill a dream and get some roadieying done while I'm back there

I'd love to see a proper representation of Dudeism there, even if it's a lot of actual Dudeist, rather than just local music lovers.  But, I fear York isn't so central, and if Jorvik wasn't my 'ancestral' home in the UK, and I hadn't already planned to book a holiday up there this year (and see if I can pass myself off as a viking waxwork), I would not have gone for a 1-day festival like this.

I think if we held an actual Dudeist event, as opposed to a music event labelled with Dudeism, there'd be a lot more planning and involvement and advertising.  As it is, although I hear your concerns, I think this is propably not the event you might perceive it's trying to be.

I give it my support, and if it was going to be a full Dudeist event, I'd make more of an effort to represent.  Still, either way, you'll have my report a week or so afterward in the DP, so you can judge post-event what you thought it did/did not do for Dudeism.

[meekon5]

I don't do Facebook if I can help it (end up playing stupid pointless gangster games all the time on it), and have found the Dudeist area of Facebook to be a bit too Lebowskist for my taste, so probably missed the roots of this happening.

So from my point of view there's suddenly a Dudeist festival and I only noticed it a few days ago (those that know me would probably not find this unusual).

Possibly what we need is some mechanism to reconcile the "good" bits of Facebook to the forum and the "good" bits of the forum to the Facebook group.

I'll be honest I've even slowed down reading the Dude Paper as well (sorry).

[Rev. Ed C]

I don't do Facebook if I can help it (end up playing stupid pointless gangster games all the time on it), and have found the Dudeist area of Facebook to be a bit too Lebowskist for my taste, so probably missed the roots of this happening.

I hear that!  I've weened myself off of the games and now just check on actual people and events.  And I feel much better for it

Yes, public posting is lebowskist, and not to my taste, but official Dudeism page is mostly lots of plugging of the DP and other interesting links to online articles, publications and the like which are of good interest sometimes.  The GODOY has an actual Dudestock group which I've been privy too (but only because I'm a "friend" of his on facebook.  I'll send you an invite link, if you're interested, and ignore it if not.

So from my point of view there's suddenly a Dudeist festival and I only noticed it a few days ago (those that know me would probably not find this unusual).

Again, I hear this.  GODOY has worked fast an in fairly obscure corners.  But, like I say, I think this is mostly going to be Dudeist in name, rather than true spirit of the attendees.

Possibly what we need is some mechanism to reconcile the "good" bits of Facebook to the forum and the "good" bits of the forum to the Facebook group.

Well, as you may also not be aware, there is happenings in the shadows on the Dudeist movement to produce a Dudeist social site, called The Rug.  I've been sort of watching it develop slowly, but as I only found out this morning, it's a-n-other thing that the Dudely Lama has on his overstuffed plate.  I think he'll be able to devote more focus on it after The Abide Guide is published.  It should take away aspects of Facebook and the forum here and move them into a more appropriate, purpose-built site.  Fingers crossed for the end of the year for a beta!

I'll be honest I've even slowed down reading the Dude Paper as well (sorry).

I'll assume by that you either only read my column... or anything BUT my column

[cakebelly]

Dudely points and dudely answers; I have to say that I share some of them, to a degree. If I were living back Blighty-side then I guess I would feel compelled to go - although the music on offer is not really my cup of tea at all, Dudes - but the charity aspect, as you guys have noted, is worth the effort of making a contribution in some way. The thing about pulling all the threads together to make and keep the pattern of the event is that even the organisers will have to compromise their original vision so many times  that, come the day, it may be unrecognisable. One has to take what one can get - especially since the commitment to the charity has been made and our name has been attached to it. It has to go ahead now.

I have organised (and helped ) various small efforts in my time (Friends of The Earth, Greenpeace and the like) and I know the crap that you have to go through to make anything happen can be disheartening. So, although the whole thing may not be to my taste, I freely give Dudos to the Dudes who have got it together and hope they make lots of cash for the Baby Unit - I know you guys do, too.

Now, this event is the first of it's kind (on this scale) and it can lead to many other little events and happenings. We shouldn't ignore the fact that some folk may  - as has been stated - be turned onto Dudeism but also be inspired to go and do their own thing. If the York Dudestock takes off it has a chance to mature and attract the kind of acts, happenings and what have yous that would generally be considered more Dudely  - and let's not forget that there are other cities that can put on their own Dudestock or what have you. It doesn't mean that the York site/version/pattern will become the official Dude happening: Glasgow Dudestock, London Dudestock - you get the frame of reference.

I'm not sure that an event of this size is very Dudely, anyway; big festivals are all well and good but the expense of travel, ( hotels and time out from feeding the monkey) to get to the site is full of hassle and potential fuck ups. There is also the danger that things will get too centralised - the idea that one location becomes identifiable with a movement is to be resisted.

I know that M5 and Klaus are old Suttonians and I wonder if you ever went to the environmental fair while you were abiding in Sutton? That event is about the right size for a local Dude event. They have a main stage (I believe they can actually dismantle it and hire it out), an acoustic tent/stage used for poetry readings (and what-have-yous), many local charity wallahs, local food stores, alternative tech - in short: local talent and ideas on display. Perhaps, in time to come, we can look to the Sutton Environmental Fair as a model for future Dude happenings. The old green axiom of "Think Globally, Act Locally" should, in these matters, be our guide, too.

[cakebelly]

Incidentally, we do have an option to get involved - show our faces even if we can't make the event. DL had the idea that some videos could be projected onto a screen between acts. Now, he was being kind on my behalf but I am not interested in showing my stuff for several reasons: the prime reason would be technical, I guess - the video resolution just ain't high enough. Anyway, perhaps we can all (I put this suggestion somewhere else on the boards) record a haiku or a greeting (some verse, whatever) and mix up images, music and the like and send that over to York to be projected. Preferably some Dude with better equipment than mine. Anyway, just an idea  - may help Dudeify the event a little more.

While we are on the subject of festivals and the like: what would other Dudes like to see at a local Dude festival?

[meekon5]

I will admit my first reaction was "Who's Monkey are we feeding here?" But I had a look into the festival and that lessened my worries.

I did feel that everyone was being rather enthusiastic about something that had (to my point of view) only just appeared from no where.

I don't like being the Doubting Thomas but felt I should put in a minor dissenting report just to check the water.

I have organised (and helped ) various small efforts in my time (Friends of The Earth, Greenpeace and the like) and I know the crap that you have to go through to make anything happen can be disheartening. So, although the whole thing may not be to my taste, I freely give Dudos to the Dudes who have got it together and hope they make lots of cash for the Baby Unit - I know you guys do, too.

Again, I ran my own theater company with a couple of mates, registered it as a Limited Company (Fast and Loose Ltd) with articles of association at companies house etc.

Toured the south of england with a Shakespeare production (I did all the running round the country in the van with the equipment, and setting it up at the other end), lost lots of money, but those things happen.

I've been involved in a reasonable sized "Village" Fete (20,000 person catchment, running a fair, a battle of the bands, a craft fare, art exhibition, parade etc, personally responsible for the craft fare, the battle of the bands, and the celebratory meal and show after the event).

So I also understand the endless problems ("We don't have enough plates for tonight, what are we going to do?" "the paintings for the exhibition are still at so-and-so's house and he's not answering the phone" type crisis management).

[cakebelly]

I wouldn't say that you were being a doubting thomas - you asked questions that needed to be asked; especially as this really does affect us all. Fast and Loose sounds vaguely familiar and not just because it makes me think of Legs Akimbo from The League of Gentlemen 

[meekon5]

Fast and Loose is a new "comedy" panel game on BBC, or it was a program Bob Monkhouse was involved in. Fast And Loose Ltd was original enough to be registrable as our company name (though a lot of the actors thought "Fat and Bold" would be a better name)

[Rev. Ed C]

I think the charity itself is special to the GODOY, as his own child spent a spell in the babty unit after birth.  He's very passionate about his Dudeism (if that's not an oxymoron) in a very chilled way, and this charity too.

As for the music, yeah, it's not my sort of thing either, but the spirit, the message and the cause is worth my support, and an extra day added to my Jorvik holiday to attend.

Gonna get me a dictaphone and abuse my backstage pass some, and see what kind of thing really goes on with the organisers, the bands and the attendees and report back.

With a bit of luck, we can do some good for this chairty, our beautiful tradition, and if not... at least a bunch of people can have some good, clean fun on a Saturday afternoon in what is, essentially, The Grim North