Over the last four or five years an increasing annoince for me is the number of singers and players who are not that good at the best of times but assume that overconsumption of alcohol is not only mamditory but transformes them into showstopping session favorites rather than crashing bores and time wasters..... and as for any instrumentalis who plays unbidden while someone is singing !!! well bring back thumb screws or try superglueing their fingers together.
ps. Just back from Girvan Fest. where ,unfortunately, the usual crashing bores played out their regular, "your ma best pal in the world", act. The singing sessions in the Southfield were packed out and great fun. The "unoficial festival" at the Queens was as vaired as usual, the back room, if you got in early enough, was heaving all weekend. Back at the "real festival" the guests excelled them selves and the quality and excitement at the concerts proved onceagain that smaller venues realy give far better value to an audence than overpriced, over hyped and over subsidised souless Concert Hall barns (no matter how Royal the professionals organisers may act).