Thanks for the kind words, synbyn.

But I don't go for the 'theme' pubs, either.
..., and as far as 'diddly festivals'..., well I'm not sure what you mean.

Considering that the idea of an Irish 'theme pub' is only valid outside of Ireland (cos by definition, every pub on the island of Ireland is 'Irish'), then the choice does come down to the venue itself.

I play the pubs over here: not the 'mad' ones.
They are Irish owned and Irish staffed, and contrary to some of the places you play, you could sing Matty Groves in some of these places at 2am on a Saturday morning.

The Blues clubs over here host Irish and English traditional; my musical partner for over 15 years is a fiddle player from Somerset, and we have done a lot of the legwork in opening up those kind of venues (in Norway, especially) to trad bands, playing the genuine article

It's not as if I haven't cut a lot of dross out of the diary over the years, synbyn but the phrase 'over the years' should be made note of here, too, and as I said earlier, I still think of quitting on average about twice a year.

It's not easy; when you're on the go, no day is simple.
That's why I'm cutting way down on the live stuff, especially from next year on.
I love playing; it's where I truly come alive.

But I wont pimp it, prostitute it, or pander to what people's idea of 'what Irish music should be'. And I never want it to become a chore.

Asd I said, there's enough decent venues out there.
More is needed, for sure.

I'm trying to help the Scandinavian scene, as are a few others of us, over here.
You need a few good heads, to whom profit margins mean little until things get up and running, in England obviously, who will unselfishly help carve out a few circuits.

B.