Word does travel fast.   I'm not sure how many of you read "Dirty Linen". There was an article about Les Barker in a recent issue that described an incident that took place recently at a concert I was planning to MC. Les was scheduled to appear at a local coffeehouse in NJ. Someone in the area found out that Les was going to appear and sent a very nasty letter to the directors of the coffeehouse, the church, and the local media. Les made a comment about Israel at an anti-war rally that this one individual took to be anti-semitic.   You can read if for yourself at Les's website.   I do not think it was anti-semitic at all, but apparently if you make a comment about a government or a country, this individual takes it different way.   The letter that this individual wrote scared the church and they asked, or rather ordered, the coffeehouse to withdraw the opportunity to perform.   While it may be easy to brush this off as one individuals opinion, it caused a furor and it may also come back to haunt Les when he applies for a visa.

During the McCarthy era, performers would be blacklisted from television and radio because a few individiuals spread rumors.

Of course these are extreme examples, but as Big Mick and McGrath point out, this is a small community and a reputation AND a career could be jeopardized.   Supposing a coffehouse promotor read some of these comments and becomes scared off from inviting the performer.