Back in the late 1960s in the year the Keele Festival moved to Loughborough, the EFDSS held a "town" ceilidh, away from the "gown" campus in a bid to involve the good burghers of Loughborough. Not many came and it was a bit of a disaster. The Spinners (for they were the interval spot) had nevertheless an uproarious time getting pissed with yours truly and making jokes on the lines of "why do the EFDSS always book us, don't they know any other bands?" They were well aware of the rest of what we might (if we must) call the "scene" resenting how they ALWAYS but ALWAYS got this sort of gig (and guess who the ceilidh band was? Yes, that's right, the Yetties. Obviously).

Both bands were pragmatic. A gig's a gig. Nice chaps, scratching a living. Things haven't changed much except that the living is harder and the musicianship infinitely better.

On the subject of singing along with Martin Simpson, I've heard him drowned out by a wall of sound during Sammy's Bar. Not nice. Not that I'm keen on the song particularly, but if I go to listen to Martin Simpson, that's who I want to hear.