Cap'n,
Where did that one come from. I had no intention of lecturing you - or anybody - about professionalism. I was responding to Chorley Bob's somewhat contradictory posting which appeared to be saying that us dyed-in-the-wood, finger-in-the ear, purist traddys on the one hand took our music too seriously, yet on the other hand disapproved of those who took it seriously enough to try and make a living out of it - one wants to make up one's mind, one really does! I have no problem with people making a living out of the music providing the music doesn't suffer in the process.
On another matter; perhaps it might be better to avoid names when discussing the folk scene (unless they are being directly quoted, of course).
I find my fingers twitching over the keyboard in response to Derek Brimstone, John Foreman, Martin Carthy, Christie Moore et-al when they are presented as shining examples of the folk music scene - some of us may - just - not agree.
Concerning laughter, Billy Connolly used to make me laugh uproariously, and I've been known to curl up in my chair at Basil Fawlty or Father Ted, but I probably might not enjoy any of these, should they turn up to a folk club and sing The Wife of Usher's Well or Tam Linn (on the other hand, they might make a half decent fist of it - who knows). Laughter (or amusement) is desirable if the singer is singing a humourous song, but the job of a singer is to communicate the songs, not present a cabaret act; as somebody pointed out in this or an earlier thread - god save us all from wall-to-wall Mike Hardings.
Jim Carroll