I think its the inequality of it that bugs a lot of us.

So many of the folkerati never seem to have to pay their dues. They get the cushy arts centre gigs, the fawning folk club audiences, kiss arse reviews - never having learned how to work an audience or produce a memorable piece of music - never mind having no clue how to present it and introduce it.

even if their albums are complete shite - they get more column inches in froots et al. explaining and forgiving them than working jobbing musicians get for four star albums containing their life's work.

Its hard to explain the resentment if you haven't seen your friends live and die in obscurity - often having spent their lives giving spellbinding performances on the minor stages of folk festivals and in tiny clubs.

Then those with the whip hand wonder why no one is listening to their bloody awful radio nd tv programmes, and why theres no general support for folk music. Five minutes is usually enough for the a folkmusic neutral with his finger on the remote control.