Well I thought that I'd be a bit more interventionist last night with three people who I thought might appreciate it. I'm not sure that any of them did. I perhaps need to be a little careful what I say as I'm aware from last night that a number of people who were there last night have been following this thread.

Two of them would improve enormously if they learned to pitch their songs better. One sang a song that I reckon would have worked better about a third (at least) up - the bottom notes grate along the bottom of his range (or below it?) and blend into one. Interesting look he gave me when I suggested it to him. The second has difficulty knowing where to pitch a song so picks it out at random, so sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We both sing 'This Love Will Carry' by Dougie MacLean so we worked out where he could sing it and tried it and it's easier and better. I reckon he thinks I come from another planet too.

The third is an interesting one. He can play the guitar reasonably well and he can sing in tune. He has picked up a strange thing rhythmically though which goes all over the place making him almost impossible to play with (not the reason he does it by the way for those !) and makes listening hard. Added to this are that he has a strange (country and western led?) swoop in his vocals and playing which is quite odd but presumably developed from listening to someone though I know not who. Added to this he tends to rewrite the tunes of songs to something that is not very recognisable - and usually rather good songs. (Mr Punch and Judy Man has a perfectly tune already that really doesn't need changing and there are others).
So I thought I'd take the chance to chat to him about it. I'm not sure that my intervention was welcomed or appreciated and again I got that curious look from him and his partner that suggested I was from somewhere the other side of the asteroid belt.

Limited success on that.

But on the other side of the coin - Tim and his wife from Grimsby came and it's fantastic to see how far he has come over the time I've known him and I know we - along with various Lincolnshire clubs have hopefully been supportive and encouraging to him. He was then off to play at a few spots over the next few days in the north east where I'm sure he will get a good reception.
The other was someone who has now come and played the piano for the second time who has been coming and listening for a LONG time but never performed anything. And obviously been practicing. I reckon she'll sing before long too.

But a thought did strike me which I might start up another thread on because it's not about manners at all.

WHO SHOULD JUDGE? I'm reasonably musical but I don't think I am really qualified to help others that much. Who should do it and what position should they hold to be able to do it? What gives them the right to do it?

I also came across another thing last night which I will start another thread on which is about the inevitability of change and the problems it brings in its wake.