I'm a bit loath to join in again, specially as I've said this lots of times before, but Ian, please could you try to spare a thought for the poor working musician, who's doing 1-200 gigs a year. When you introduce a song night after night after night after night, you soon find the 'ideal' intro. Yes, most of us try to ring the changes, but if that's the story, that's how it's going to come out.

I have people coming again and again to see me do my 'act' and, yes, they largely hear the same old same old - but they give every appearance of enjoying it.

To be honest there's nothing much i can do about it, except tell a string of lies, or say nothing (as you'd prefer) and miss out most of what people seem to be paying to hear.

Ok, it's not 'folk' by your definition, but it's kinda life, really.

Tom