David el Gnomo

Where are you getting with this arguement?

Dunno Dave. Maybe I'm just a bit bored.

But actually -

You seem to be trying to find faults with the points we agree on!

What I'm trying to demonstrate is that we DO agree on much more than you have been prepared to admit and that what you do in practice is inconsistent with some of the things you have said.

Quoting you again -

There should be no difference in quality between the Bellowhead concert and a guest night at or club.

and you said to mauvepink -

Maybe you should ask why you have not been invited to perform at the next Bellowhead concert?

You go on to say -

We have 28 singers nights a year at which ANYONE can do ANYTHING (public decency permitting:-) ) On the other 24 we are showcasing what, in our opinion, is best in folk music.

How can someone you've never heard who just turns up on the night be "in our opinion, [the] best in folk music"? What is the basis of your opinion?

I actually think you are (with some reservations) doing the right thing. I just don't think you are doing what you claim to be doing.

I don't think I've said "that the quality of performers at folk clubs is generaly high.". I just think that it is very rarely bad and, so far, my mini survey seems to bear that out. Generally the standard is OKish up to brilliant. How does that compare with your core singers night crowd? Why is a total stranger more likely to be the "best in folk music"?

Alternatively, I could just be marking time while I wait for Jim Carroll to admit that I did not misrepresent him about the auditions business and to apologise for saying that I champion crap singing.

Could be a while.