The funny thing is-----I have been to venues where instruments have been,almost militantly, banned ( The Middle Bar, the Vale of the White Horse festival,Wantage, & others ) but I cannot remember EVER seeing,or hearing of, an unaccompanied singer facing ejection from,or being refused entry to, an ostensibly dedicated instrumental session. It looks as if we instrumentalists are a much more tolerant,and far less snobbish, crowd !!! As some of you have suggested-----'They' are JEALOUS !! There are SOME people,like myself,who can't sing to save our lives,and sound so bad that we are ,in fact,asked NOT to sing( really !!) I went to Wantage once ( I shan"t return !! ) and innocently went to the lunchtime pub session,only to find that is was full of finger-in-ear fusspots ,the leader of whom said " I see you"ve brought your Golf-bags !", indicating my guitar gig-bag & my partner"s mandola ditto, so I gave them the world"s worst -ever rendition,unaccompanied,of 'A Nobleman Lived In Our Village Of Late'
-----and it serves them right !!!