I don't think you can have it all ways John. I have noticed that many people are attracted to really difficult music. they seem to have no conception of how hard it is , just to play and how much harder than that it is to perform.

In trad music something like Pontchartrain - well you really would think that even an idiot could see that it takes dedication to know and try to express those lines. there are simple traditional songs - but everyone seems to want to do the hard stuff.

In contemporary music - it can also be bad. You get people who choose arrangements that would fox an LA session man and keep the drop in button really busy.

i must confess, I was just trying to be helpful to this woman,and I said a few weeks ago - why don't you simplify this music. Do it with less chords, and then you could concentrate on singing and the club wouldn't be listening to you struggling and getting it nearly right. The reason blokes like Jack Hudson and me can concentrate on adding and subtracting twiddly bits is cos we keep it down to three or four chords. Anyway - we haven't seen her since. I expect I offended her, just trying to give some helpful advice.

I hate it particularly when traddies sneer at John Denver songs and stuff like Me and Bobby McGhee. they are at least do-able by people who aren't experts and indeed if you whip the basics, you can start to achieve individuality.

Also there is the oft stated point of view (on mudcat) that even if you are putting the audience through purgatory - if you are singing a traditional song - you are making a contribution to the tradition.