I am lucky I count a number of artists amongst my acquaintances. I watch them struggling to make a living - virtually all of them - by travelling up and down the motorways of the UK and playing for very little at Arts Centres and folk clubs.

Most "cushy" Arts Centre gigs pay the usual percentages against a guarantee that they always did. So do most folk clubs. I am not sure how that makes them cushy and what might look like a prestigious tour around arts centres might just be a borrowing to finance a series of gigs based on someone's mortgage.

And @ Ron Olesko - I am "one of the folk revival crowd" I first got interested in this music around 1961. I am lucky I have a radio show where I can champion the young musicians. Tomorrow's show will have a fantastic duo called Walsh and Pound. Take a listen to the podcast. Second half. Details on Mudcat under "Thank Goodness It's Folk".

One of the "young musicians" said to me recently the thing they liked about folk music was that you could talk to the older musicians and they listened to what young people said and the young people were treated as equals. There is a ton of young talented and highly skilled musicians playing this music. All making their own way. In their own way.

Since Lizzie believes in the existence of a Folk Family Mafia, would you like to perhaps say who is in it?

Or indeed Al, who do you reckon is in it?