Yes, we understand a performer's need for an audience - but in the appropriate setting, please. The art of being a performer is understanding the needs of your audience, and deriving your pleasure from satisfying those needs. A performer who does not have this basic understanding quickly loses the interest of most audiences.

What we're attempting to establish here is whether people think a folk festival environment (and even a folk club) is indeed the right sort of setting for performances relying upon backing tracks, and so far most people seem to agree that it isn't.

If you are such a performer, you have a vested interest in putting forward your opinion; feeling sorry for someone who hasn't the expected skills isn't really an argument in favour of the case, either. You might just as well argue that someone who cannot sing a note in tune has every right to expect festival bookings... well, it's fine if they are a skilled instrumentalist, but not if they intend to sing!

There's a suggestion, though, of a worrying trend which may result in it not being a novelty exception for very much longer, despite the wishes of many.

We're not being 'party-poopers', trying to deny people a chance to perform in front of an audience... but it's 'horses for courses'... what does the audience want? The general consensus on backing tracks seems to be 'no thanks'... for reasons already eloquently given.

There was a lot of opposition to 'folk rock' during its infancy, but it found its niche. It doesn't suit all audiences, though. Unaccompanied trad singing doesn't suit all audiences, either. It's a healthy thing that there are diverse interests to suit all tastes. As Bill Cosby once said 'I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone'.

Sadly, though, we've found yet another example of something that people seem to want to dump into the 'folk' category because (perhaps?!) nobody else wants it...!! But that's a completely different debate!