If you are visiting this page in an obsessive-compulsive desire to learn everything about Necronomicon, then you may not know what "Filk" is.
Filk comes from an ancient Fandom typo of Folk songs. Filk songs are parodies of real songs and originals too, all with a "fanish" bent.
Necronomicon hosts several Filk events, and they will be listed on the grid schedule. For more about the events, keep reading.
The first time you encounter a filk circle, sometimes also called a
bardic circle, you may feel a bit out of place. Don't worry. Everyone
feels this way at first. In the beginning, you may wish to spend a
little time listening to some of the music; even though the tunes may
sound familiar, the lyrics might come as a surprise. Or you might want
to jump right in. Either way, enjoy. Vidcon's and Necronomicon's filk
circles are unusual, which is saying something for filk. Most circles
ask participants "Play, Pick, or Pass." That means that each person gets
a turn in sequence, round-robin style, and that they can choose to play
a song (or just sing, if they don't play an instrument), pick a title or
topic if they don't feel like performing, or just pass.
At our conventions, as Yoda might say, "Play or pick...there is no
pass." If you are in the circle, you get a turn. That's how it works.
The first time you sit in on a circle, you probably have no idea what
you want to sing, or to hear. Fortunately, the other people in the room
felt the same way the first time they joined us. If you let us know that
you need help coming up with a song you like, we'll be happy to help you
brainstorm. In fact, before you even get to the convention, here are a
few ideas:
1) Ask for a song about your favorite book, film, TV show, game,
comic book, or other sci-fi or fantasy content.
2) Ask for a song about a real-life event that relates to science
fiction or fantasy.
3) Ask for a song about your favorite characters, archetypes,
genres...anything!
We may not always know anything immediately relevant, but eventually
we'll hit on a topic you like.
Eventually, you'll want to sing something, either solo, or with help. If
you need help, let us know. We love to sing, and generally, we'll do
everything we can to follow your lead.
In the meantime, though, you'll often find that if you would like to
sing along to another song, whether you or someone else picked it,
people often have extra lyric sheets, and will almost always let you
look over their shoulder if they don't.
There are only three rules for filk circles:
1) Respect others.
2) Don't be afraid to ask questions between songs.
3) Have fun!
The first time you enter a filk circle, you will generally feel a little
strange. Don't worry; by the time you leave, you'll feel much stranger.
But we think it's a good strange, and we hope you'll stop by. Look for
daytime and nighttime filk events in your Vidcon and Necronomicon schedules.
