Richard - I'm not planning to take an active part in this thread for reasons I'm sure some will appreciate, but I do think you are a reasonable man open to the occasional contrary thought, so I'll just say this on behalf of my colleagues.

Your comment above "The fundamental problem is that the essence of professionalism is to do what is profitable - and sod integrity" seems to stem from some emotional/political objection to people making a living from music (of any sort) than from any real understanding what it actually takes to be successful as an artist (of any kind).

The "what-most-people-call-folk-but-you-call-acoustic-plus-the-actual-interpreters-of-traditional-material" scene is populated by some of the best-informed, most critical listeners (I'd have put 'consumers' but I'd have been stoned as a harlot by Mr Grumpy and Sminky) outside of the, err, jazz? scene.

It is ABSOLUTELY impossible to be profitable without integrity in the club and festival environment. As, indeed, it is in the world of Soliciting.

The essence of 'profiteering' may be to do as you suggest. But there are NO profiteers among the people who work the club and festival circuit. The two meanings of the word professional ('to work at the upper limit of your ability at all times', and 'to rely on the income you manage to generate from this activity') applies to a group of less than 50 individuals who scrape by an income most school leavers would turn down out of a passion for the music and the culture - (and the others who supplement their income from elsewhere have the same ethos).

Most of the rest of you have jobs which pay a decent salary (I hope). Does that make you prostitutes in your fields? Or prove you have no integrity? I don't really think it does.

So why are people so angry with us? We're doing out best to live our dreams, while feeding the bairns. Isn't that a good thing?

Thanks for listening if not understanding

Tom Bliss