The insinuation that lies at the heart of it is that if you're not 'in the tradition' you're some sort of flash harry - barely one stage up from the protoplasm that plays the X factor. Whereas 'in the tradition' are serious artists.

How is it that I and almost everybody I know have been playing folk music all our lives and don't really experience this? Could it be that it only exists in Big Al's head?

Big Al, what the fuck are you talk about? Taking your words as written, you're talking about me and everyone else who likes traditional music. Where do you get off being such an asshole?

Speaking of assholes, I have encountered traditional music pedants who wanted to tell me how what I was playing was WRONG. I've also met singer-songwriters who wanted to tell me that my music lacks creativity because I didn't write it, and people who have said that one should only sing songs that one agrees with the message of -- as singer-songwriter-centric idea if I ever heard one. But the whole point is that I didn't blame any other people for these people being assholes. I just figured I had met some assholes.

As I have now. Big Al, the biggest thing that pisses me off about folk music is when people tell me -- or anyone else -- that we ought to be doing one thing musically instead of another. Or that we ARE doing something which we aren't. Which, like it or not, is what you are doing in this thread while complaining about it being done to you by an unspecified "them". In spite of the fact that EVERYONE in this thread except you and Lizzie have given you lots of explanations along with descriptions of real-world experiences that show your complaints to be imaginary, you continue to barf up statements like the one above. Sorry to be so rude, but everyone has been really nice to you so far and you've just been offensive in return. I get tired of it.

If you want to be involved in a conversation, it is usually a good idea to actually respond to what other people say. When you don't, the conversation doesn't really go anywhere and people get frustrated. You could start by answering some questions I asked earlier:

Why is it so important to you that there not be any places where traditional folk music is the rule?

Why would you want to play music in a club that programs a different genre of music?