:D Thanks, snail. Apologies accepted. Who's Guido anyway?

I think I may have spotted the main cause of contention here - A few people, including myself, have complained that there are some, repeat some, realy poor performers on the folk scene. Others seem to have taken that as a personal afront and taken it to mean that somehow the whole 'scene' is awash with crap artists. Although why people take offence at someone criticising such a vague concept as the folk 'scene' is beyond me.

Nothing could be further from the truth though. The majority of artists are professional in approach and standards. It is the odd few that spoil it. I don't think anyone could find anywhere on here that gives the impression that the folk world is full of buffoons who wouldn't know their arses from their arias. If there is such an impression given somewhere can anyone point me to it?

There seems to be a lot of over-reaction at some honest, down to earth, self critisism. And it is SELF criticism here. When we say that there are some bad performers we are not saying that from the outside looking in. We are, believe ot or not, in the same field as you, snail. Some less so and some much more.

The point is the folk world is not perfect, just the same as the rest of the world. No need to defend it. No need to feel in anyway threatened or insecure. No-one is naming names or getting personal because we are all too nice for that.

Cheers

Dave