Shambles, while I agee with some of your comments on this, I don't see much jealousy in this thread. Care to point a few names out? You arent usually one to spare peoples blushes...

Dg, unlike many on here, am not a songwriter or a musician, nor am I much cop as a singer! If I was anything, when I was going to Clubs, sessions & Festivals frequently, I was a Professional Audience Member....*G*

That said, I would be more certain in my own mind of GIVING an honest opinion if I heard the song before knowing it was original. Folkies being folkies, politeness seems to abound, other than among those who need to be often brutally honest, like Club & Festival organisers.

Unless somebody performing was REALLY crap, I cant see many people being partiularly negative..... & that would be doing the 'less-than-competent' performer a disservice really.

It sounds like none of the above applies to yourself though, so think what an impression you will make if one of your own works goes down really well, then the audence find they have just raved over the 1st Club performance of an original work, by its creator....