First though, I would like to ask Pip, as a visitor to our club, what he views as the inconsistancies in what I have said.

I think to get the point of Bryan's argument you need to think like a lawyer (no offence to Bryan, or to lawyers). Here are the quotes Bryan took exception to:

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

and

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.

OK, lawyer's hat (or wig) on. You're saying that what you do on guest nights, as opposed to singers' nights, is showcase the best in folk music. That implies that the people doing floor spots on a guest night are as good as TBIFM, or Bellowhead at least. But you can't know that they're that good unless you book all your floor spots on guest nights beforehand - which you don't. The night Nigel and I came to Swinton, I might have been awful for all you knew; Nigel might have been awful (if he'd sung (which he didn't (although he wouldn't have been if he had))).

What makes this argument especially pointless is that Bryan's not saying you should book all your floor spots on guest nights beforehand. If you'd said

On the other 24 we are showcasing what, in our opinion, is best in folk music, with floor spots from a few performers who we trust to keep up the standard of the night

then I don't think there would have been any disagreement to start with.