Jim Lad, I do not know the festival scene in the Maritimes but if you can "fill your book for a year then in one week. Easily!" then you are doing immeasureably better than virtually any professional folksinger in this country except the very highly popular and sometimes not even then. Depends I suppose - they could all fill their books for by playing for nothing of course but I am sure that is NOT what you meant.

Why do you want to do festivals with a full booking diary? Is the money that much better than the gigs you are already doing? I really don't understand? I feel I am missing something in the difference between your "scene" and ours.

Why not name these three bands and let's judge for ourselves from their gig lists.

Richard name the band - I don't see the problem if you can defend you description as the truth. And if you can't and they recognise the description anyway..........:-)

The best band I saw this year as Top of the Bill was Kathryn Tickell. Pure tunes without singing for 1 hour 30 minutes. Hardly rock and roll.

My top of the bill artists this year included two singles (Vin Garbutt and Roy Bailey, two duos Spiers and Boden and Simon Mayor and Hilary James and some bands as above.

To BEE. I guess that is about right.