who would have thought i'd attain your level musket - a humble troubadour rubbing shoulders with a bloke who once met Tony Blair. corblimey guv' -never thought the likes of me.....

depends on your starting point mike. i imagine Geldof was influenced by Dylan, who was influenced by source singers like Clarence Ashley. like i say - every herbert who turns up in at your folk club can be slotted in the folk tradition somewhere. its just a case of not being so exclusive and negative.

Geldof was part of the Dublin, so doubtless there are many who remember him throwing shapes round the local folk scene. in the indifference song - he used all trad musicians -even had a step dancer on top of the pops.

none of which really matters -its not what what some millionaire rock star does that signifies, its what herbert, the floor singer does when the song falls to his tender mercies that turn it back into folk.

well as far as i'm concerned.

Jim - i haven't shown a tenth of the disrespect you have shown to people who keep this folk train on the rails. it was ian campbell who made me reconsider.

i was speaking disparagingly of someone - and he said - al, that guy is the sort of bloke who holds this folkscene together. okay he's not a great singer - but if you want someone to sit on the door, turn up with a PA system, fill in for ten minutes when the guest has got stuck on the motorway - he's there an hour early, and glad to be of service...

i know i'm wasting my time. you see nor understand any of the points, activists like myself and ian engage with. you just come up with this bollocks about we haven't got a definition - neversaid we had.

and then we have the other point - i don't think that walter pardon and sam larner are the mutts nuts.

well... no i don't.   and the reason is this. i have worked most of my life as a professional entertainer. if there were any way i could perform these guys songs in a manner that would entertain - i'd do it. it would solve a lot of problems. i would have the approval of all the folk community. i would be eligible for all sorts of arts council type goodies. eejits would stop asking me why i slip into an american accent.

but fuck it! its not what i see as folk music. its not what brought me into the clubs and the stink of arrogance and moral superiority that comes off many of its supporters is a cultural and enviromental health hazzard.