"Ah yes, but....they are/were all within The Secret Circle...of Secret Friends of the Secret Society, so of course they were let in.... :0)"


Mmkay, let me see if I've got this argument right...

The Secret Circle of the Secret Friends of the Secret Society of the Folk Police hate and resent and are jealous of everything that is commercially successful. Except when they don't and they're not. Everyone from James Taylor to Judy Collins to John Martyn to Richard Thompson is IN the SC of the SF of the SC of the FP, but everyone Lizzie champions is not, because the people Lizzie champions have achieved commercial success. Oh wait - all of those other people have achieved commercial success, too. So the SC of the SF (etc) likes commercial success. Except when it doesn't. And it likes the people who achieve it. Except when it doesn't. And all these people such as Eddi Reader, who have never been appreciated (except when they're being awarded honorary degrees, or playing mainstages at folk festivals, or generally having quite a robust and healthy following) need Lizzie to champion them because all the nasty Folky Fundamentalists in the SC of the SF (etc) are picking on them. Except when they're not, and in fact they weren't, until Lizzie started another chippie thread about how everyone had to like all of the music she likes, all the time, or else we're a bunch of closed-minded, insular Folkie Fundies who are determined to Keep People Out.

Have I got it right?


Eddi's a very nice lady, by the way - we bonded while washing the mud off our feet in the sinks at Cropredy a few years ago (she was a headliner, despite the fact that she is obviously loathed by the folk community). And I always did like Fairground Attraction - I'm of the right generation. So I guess I'm not in the Folk Police after all. Hurrah! Glad that's finally sorted.

By the way - it was the Equation that signed with Warner's over 10 years ago. Seth Lakeman as a solo artist signed to EMI. I have never, ever heard anyone have issues with the Equation because of their record label. There were certainly other issues, but that was not one of them. I will not talk about those issues on a public forum, as it would be inappropriate, but it was nothing to do with who they signed with, or when or why. Eliza Carthy also signed to Warners, and it didn't seem to do her any harm in the public's perception. Oh, I forgot: that's cause, despite commercial success, she's in the SC of the SF of the...

*yawn*