There is a cultural difference twixt The US and Britain. What I noticed is that in the US there is an invisible line of excellence that one has to get past and the whole world loves you if you don't the crowd let you know. Witnessed it in a Greenwich village Bistro where one week a jaz trio played and they emptied the donation jug several times, the following week a pianist played (mediocre) and absolutely no money was put in the jar. In Britain an "Eddie . the Eagle" mentality prevails. I am not sure which I prefer, probably the later because on one level it needs to be inclusive and open to all, on the other hand, oh dear, enough said. Horses for courses. Also in the US there is more emphasis on the scholarship and history of the songs where here people need a little chortle, Vin Garbut packs them in cos he does precisely that. As to whether one or other ends of the spectrum is better only bums on seats will tell and do we really need to differentiate between whose bums are on the seats?