It's true there are many songs celebrating drinking, but not many celebrating drunkenness. On the contrary, songs like "Seven Drunken Nights" or "Farewell to Whisky" either ridicule or disapprove of the drunkard. No one has expressed a "fear" of drinking, just an objection to drunken boorish behaviour which interferes with the enjoyment of others. However for 99% of people the price of beer is not a determining factor in deciding whether to go to a folk event. If you're part of the other 1%, doesn't that suggest you've got your priorities a little muddled?

Your claim that you are not drunk after 10 pints is simply self-deception. Besides, if you are not drunk then what is all this nonsense about "freeing the muse"? If your muse is so dormant that it takes 10 pints to awaken her, perhaps that is a hint that she should be left to slumber.

Actually, in Genevieve's latest programme Phil Hare makes the point that he and other guitarists are always co-opted into doing workshops at festivals as well as concerts. However, if there is only time to fit one of these in, a workshop would mainly be of interest to a few guitar players, whereas a performance will attract many times that number - which is going to be more effective at spreading folk music and inspiring people to play?