Well Steve social etiquette is indeed central to all sorts of things not least hoe we address and treat each other in public places:

"Zero tolerance for these talentless, insensitive tossers is the order of the day

The average bodhran owner, to borrow a phrase from a mate of mine, sounds like a couple of spuds in a bucket, and bones players sound like Pinocchio having a w**k.

A goat-beater is a superfluous add-on

If a second thumper turns up, and does not understand that one is bad enough but two are fatal, then the second thumper is not a musician

And if you do have to tell someone not to join in with a second bodhran while another one is already playing, then you really are dealing with someone who is in severe danger of being moronic."

Have I been to your session? How would you know?

As for your oft-repeated opnion that the tunes I think we are talking about need no percussion - I wont disagree but for hundreds of years people have used percussion instruments in bands that played those tune. It doesn't any of us have to, but we can if we like.

I have heard people in sessions playing poorly on all sorts of indtrments and I have heard people play spoons, bones, tambourines and shaky eggs played well, as loads of people have pointed out above.

My device of choice is the tenor banjo - what is yours?

L in C#