Steve - All the examples above are examples of pratts. They occur anywhere and everywhere. For every example you give of this kind of behaviour I could personaly quote ten in the opposite vein. I suspect most people who regulary attend, run and support folk clubs can. I will not though - What is the point if your mind is made up? If folk music is so bad - Do something else. Start your own movement. Ban the pratts and idiots. You could even attract some of your own I'm sure (How about the peron who goes to a new folk music club and is told they cannot sing unaccopmpanied because that is not how Dylan does it? :-) ) If folk music is indeed so full of plonkers then it will die a death eventualy. It hasn't yet!

Oh - And behaviour like that occurs everywhere. In Folk Clubs. At open Mic nights. Jazz clubs. Football matches. Classical concerts. Wine appreciation societies. You name it. They do it. Peopel who think they can run things act like that. Peopel who realy do run things don't.

Hope that helps.

DtG