Up to a point, but there's more, Liz.

Middle bar singers do it acoustically and unaccompanied by instruments. Mainly during Sidmouth Folk week (around the first Monday in August) when they sing in the Middle Bar of the Anchor pub, but also at at the Wareham Wail at the end of August (when they sing in a marquee in a field outside Wareham) and at the reunion in (the top bar of )the Anchor in February. But also at any festival or singaround where people in yellow T-shirts and sweatshirts are gathered together. Having begun as a Sidmouth fringe event, about a quarter of a century ago, they have for many years raised loads of money for the festival,through the system of collections and fines (eg £5 fine for singing the Wild Rover).

There are theme nights during Sidmouth Folk Week, like Wimmins Night, and Dorset Night. However, the doom, gloom and despondency session is these days usually held in the Royal York and Faulkner Hotel (on the Esplanade), during an afternoon. Bob Merrett won a few years ago with an amazingly gloomy song about vampires....

Kitty