"I just wanted to say why pick on the unfortunate person(s) who didn't have their own band when you allow all the other stuff that is also not strictly acoustic."

As far as the Broadstairs Singaround was concerned, the person in question could, and did on occasions, play guitar - fairly basic but acceptable, and could and did sing unaccompanied. She WAS singing to a TAPE recording of her son, made at home, because he didn't want to come to the festival, and it was played through an ordinary portable tape player. No other non-acoustic, non-live performance is acceptable in this particular context - it just isn't appropriate. It's nothing to do with being a Luddite or not, although I did express my view on what I am "not keen on" and why. Hamish, I'm prepared to be converted - but not in a singaround please! :-)

I don't have anything against PA in an appropriate situation - I too have heard Mike Silver in a club situation where normally PA wouldn't have been necessary, and it wasn't a problem. I've even used it in a club I've run as the acoustics of the room were so lousy (we've moved now, thank goodness!). I can see that sometimes it's a matter of balance between musicians, and providing it's no louder than normal acoustic sound, I don't have a problem with it.

ONE of the things that attracted me to folk music, and has kept me attracted to it almost to the exclusion of all else, was it's essentially acoustic nature, and artificial volume. Even in my youth when I was into pop music, I hated the high volume levels - I suspect this applies to many people.

So I don't have a problem with PA, nor experimentation with loops or pre-recorded backing tracks in appropriate circumstances - perhaps the concert stage, although whether or not I could be persuaded to actually enjoy it remains to be seen.

Oh, and we do NOT have a narrow, exclusive attitude in the Singaround or at our club - rather a very open accepting attitude - any kind of music, song, poetry, recitation, story, dance, or whatever - but essentially acoustic!

Barbara