The only persecuted minority on this thread are the musicians. Any attempt to addresss the basic proposition that its wrong and against the spirit of the folk club movement to undermine and not 'get behind ' the guest of your folk club is being firmly resisted.

One way to resist racism would be to create oases of tolerance and decency. The folk clubs used to be such places.

Racism is just part of the package of people who wish to give themselves a licence to be nasty, snotty, intolerant and generally full of shit. If you're not English enough for the English, not Irish enough for the Irish, not traditional enough for the traditionalists, not interesting enough for the ones who wish to be entertained....then its okay spew up bile, poison the waters.

Some people can't even bear to swim in the very waters they have themselves polluted. Damn right, the fault lines run through the movement like Blackpool through the rock.

Theres that parable about removing the plank from your own eye, whilst worrying about the speck in your neighbours.