I decide to knock it on the head, deffo, about once every two months...

10 reasons to be uncheerful:

1) Being turned down flat by clubs that have never seen you is pretty demoralising. Specially when they say they're not prepared to judge you from a recording OR come to a nearby gig (and are not impressed by a massive gig list of other clubs, including loads of re-bookings, or pages of glowing reviews either). Telling us to call in and do a floor spot 200 miles away from home, when we're already away half the year is just insulting. That REALLY makes you want to quit!

2) Being turned down by clubs because you're too trad, or too contemporary, or you do your own material - when in fact you can do a whole evening of either (or any combination of the three). But if you suggest this they just think you're just being mercenary - and turn you down! Grrr!

3) Club organisers with answerphones on permanently, and people who don't answer emails. A polite 'no thanks' takes seconds and saves hours of wasted effort on our part trying to get through. You might think silence means 'no thanks' and we should just give up - but it frequently doesn't, and how long should you give it anyway? You can't start booking the next night of the trip till you know if you have a gig or not. And trying to pin down your options when half the maybes have suddenly gone to sleep is a NIGHTMARE! I always answer all emails from a real person. I think it's just rude not to.

4) Poor turnout because regulars who've never seen you assume they won't like you - because, err... they've never seen you. This is the wrist-slitting worst - what are you supposed to do, for God's sake? Go play eveyone's house?!

5) Not being able to fill your diary because there are simply not enough club gigs out there any more, and also way too many people wanting to play them (often for peanuts because they don't need the money).

6) The travelling's ok - the driving's not. Specially road works, accidents, other drivers, rain, fog, snow and being late.

7) Low fees. Most pros operate below the minimum wage. But clubs are small and club people don't want to pay very much for an evening's entertainment so we get by. But it's not easy.

8) Missing kids' birthdays and other special occasions.

9) Guilt about carbon footprint.

10) The narrowmindedness of some folkies, who are horrible to newcomers - artists and audiences alike.