Many years ago I used to go along to a regular night as one of several "guest" singers in support of a resident performer. He loved to hog the limelight and I stopped going after we were being passed over on numerous occasions. After a while there were no guest performers turning up so he had the evenings to himself. Soon he was bombed out by the proprietor because audiences dwindled dramatically - even though he was an excellent talent - but sooner or later it all gets very "samey" and folks vote with their feet.

So, I started my own "open mike" type sessions and made a pledge to give everyone a fair crack, even if it meant I was left holding the mike only as the MC for the majority of the evening. That was 12 years ago, and the evenings are still always well attended. The proprietor is happy to hand over the cash just as long as folks keep turning up in numbers and having a good night out - that's what it's about.

I say - move on and do your own thing, learning from the bloomers this lady made..