What I find disappointing in this thread is the great hostility being shown to musicians wishing to get paid for their work; this hostility is particularly displayed by pseudonymous or anonymous GUEST posters, which is par for the course. This attitude is alas spreading. I am a professional musician, and the number of requests I get to perform for free or for derisory amounts is increasing hugely. It should also be noticed that a lot of festivals get some Arts Council or local council funding. In which case, people should be aware of what the Arts Council says on the subject, in the conditions attached to getting a grant:
"We are committed to making sure that artists are paid
appropriately for activities we support. The amount is
likely to depend on a number of things, including the
experience and skills of the artist, the type of work
and the length of the contract....There are recognised codes of practice set by relevant
lead organisations. You can find out more about fees
for artists in the information sheet 'How to pay artists',
on our website. AN: The Artists Information Company
also provides useful information on paying visual
artists (visit www.a-n.co.uk)."   The Musicians Union is one of the relevant organisations mentioned.
I make no comment about Cinderford Festival, I know nothing about it. If a group of mucicians want to get together and play for free it would be foolish to try and stop them. (Though it has to be said that if a group of miners or taxi drivers tried to offer their services for free they would be treated with a degree of aggression by the bodies representing their professional colleagues).