The ticket pricing looks brilliant to me.

I cannot imagine why on earth Old Nic wants to compare Disney World with a folk festival but simply as a matter of fact Disney World charges around £30+ per day per adult I.e. over 9 year old, and that's when you can get through what have to be some of the world's worst websites and sort your way through the various deals. (well done for the Loughborough Festival Website Ruth).

It also looks as if Old Nic wants a free festival where he can go and sing for nothing with his mates. I cannot for the life of me see what is stopping him going to a pub and starting a session during the festival or at any other time. All you have to do is find a friendly landlord with a music license. Whilst I accept that has been a bit more difficult since the changes to licensing in 2005 it surely isn't impossible in a place like Loughborough which I seem to remember is well-provided for in the way of licensed premises.

Such festivals do exist of course and I have no objection to them - indeed I go to a number of free sessions myself. But I do go to festivals where I am happy to pay and see top of the bill professionals performing.

These are usually but not exclusively the people who are trying to move music forwards, who have spent hours researching and rehearsing and in some cases give up the opportunity to do well-paid work in other fields to perform the music they love. I am happy to support them and the hard-working festival organisers with my hard-earned cash.

We have had varieties of discussions around this topic before where people who do not wish to pay for a festival nevertheless want to attend it and then whinge when they can't without paying. They then accuse the orgnisers of running exclusive festivals.

Which remarkably for an exclusive festival - then sell out.