I was reading through the tread again and Jim said something I had not noticed. Words to the effect of 'I am bad listener'. Excuse me if I got the quote wrong or incorrectly accredited the wrong person. Anyway...

So am I! I cope with it by trying to avoid the situation where I am listening to poor performance of songs. MOST have at least some redeeming featues - either the song is interesting in itself or the performer can, at least, give me something to stay for. May be very selfish, I know, but where the performer offers me nothing to stay for I would rather do something else. It may be bad mannered of me but I have, on occasions, been found unavoiably delayed at the bar;-)

Now, the point of my confession. There was one such occasion when I was unavoidaby delayed and I found myself in the company of 75% of the folk club audience. So I know it was not just me. this particular act had all but emptied the room. Now, fortunately, it was on a singers night where the auience do knpw the score and do know that people are allowed to 'practice in public'. I dread to think what the effect on a non aware audience would have been but I can imagine the image of folk music that they would have taken away.

Remember that people rarely give praise but often complain:-(

I have said before, and will say again, anyone who has not come across the 'serial song strangler' is a very lucky person indeed. I am not saying they should not have the right to sing like anyone else. But they must accept that other people have a right not to listen, should they chooe, and I have a right, as a club organiser, to restrct when they perform at my club.

Cheers

DeG
(Having a break from fixing shelves - something else I should avoid:-) )