From Dave: "Captainswing, little wonder you agree with Lizzie. You are indulging in the same pastime. Engaging mouth before putting brain in gear."

How tiresome your constant patronizing of me has become. I was well aware the festival which first started me thinking about this issue was a 'free' festival, but in my view, musicians should still *always* be paid in some form or other, when they are the very people, (no-one else) who are drawing in the crowds whom *everyone* else has the potential to financially benefit from.


I make NO apology whatsoever that as a woman with a brain, and, even worse, an *opinion*, I obviously upset your arrogant, patronizing, misogynistic mind.

I hope you can get some help for your problems, but until you are able, please, do NOT bring this kind of patronizing (yes, I've used that word THREE times now) to me.

I am with Mick all the way in this...and his voice is always one of reason and good manners.


I have also never said that musicians should charge when they are playing amongst friends, ever. I am talking about music festivals, be they free or charging, for without the musicians there would be no festivals at all.

Sadly, far too many of you undermine yourselves by charging nothing at all and in doing so make it extremely hard for musicians to actually earn a living from using their natural talents.

I also pick up in this thread, a certain degree of disdain, anger and bitterness towards musicians who DO charge and who ARE able to make their living from their music. It should not be this way...and sadly, many of you, so it seems to me, have helped to create a situation where, in playing your music for nothing at festivals you continue to allow festival organizers and the public to assume you are not worthy of earning your living this way, despite the deep amount of hard work so many of you put in, whilst those very same people are perfectly happy to pay plumbers, builders, gardeners, whoever, £10-£30 (add your own £experience) an hour for THEIR natural talents.

As Mick stated above, Pete Seeger was passionate about this subject, feeling that musicians should have the right and the expectation, (which is SO important)that their wonderful skills and years of hard work are valuable to a world which is in dire need of the talents they have been blessed with, and have spent such a vast part of their lives improving upon, to bring joy to others, to raise political points, to bring love to people...etc..etc..etc..


And perhaps, Dave, you might apologize not only to me, but also to the memory of Pete Seeger, for daring to suggest that he too 'engaged his mouth before putting his brain into gear' purely for doing all he could to get musicians to feel great pride in what they do.

Thank you
Lizzie