Well, if I were an artist and someone got out their knitting, or put plugs in their ears, right in front of me, I'd feel a little..er..a...little...upset, to be honest...Same as I would if someone sat there reading the paper or talking to the person next to them.

It's about showing respect to the artist. If you don't want to do that, then don't go to their gigs. It's that simple really.


Dave, I appreciate the work you're putting in to your new campaign to do all you can to discredit anything I say...and I almost have to compliment you on the cleverness of your new approach, but....I've had way too many years of seeing brilliant artists being verbally castrated by many within the folk world, out there on the internet, where those words stay. And those words were there purely because they didn't fit in with *their* idea of what folk actually is, or because the authors of those words were shit scared that I might actually get others to listen to their music.

I stood up for many of these artists and in doing so, they themselves were ridiculed in the most nasty and aggressive display of suppression I've ever come to know.

I am perfectly within my rights to feel indignation at some of the shitty things that some of the people within your world have done to not only me, but to many talented artists.

I am WELL aware there are some lovely people within the folk world, for I've met many of them...It is NOT the good people I stand up and rage about, but the ones who have their 'Witch Hunts' against those they deem to be 'outside the radar', be it me, or be Bob Dylan..."JUDAS!!!" etc...

And yes, please feel free to bring up Phil Beer's letter, or bring Show of Hands into this, yaddayaddayadda, if that floats your boat....

Please note that I have NEVER been nasty about a particular artist, never.

I may keel over after 57 verses of one song, even if Johnny Depp was singing, clad in Pirate Gear, but no, those songs are not for me...Fine for others...but it's not the traddie songs I'm on about it, is it? It's the PEOPLE who dictate what is and isn't folk, as ever...and who put fences up to keep those they dislike, out.

I'm very glad to see you and Al are now getting on so well...

And now, back to the music....