last night i was in an open mic. at Weymouth and this young girl stepped up and did three trad song - admittedly not with all the grace notes, traddy affectations etc. - but she knew all the words, played a guitar very nicely.

i went over and asked her why she was braving the beer junkies and loudmouths in an open mic. - rather than a folk club. she said, she just didn't feel she was part of the scene, and felt it was too difficult to break into the clique. i said, try again - and she promised she would.

think about it - where does all this business about there being prerequisites to singing in a folk club come from. i know you have no time for Donovan - but at least his influence was - hey! he's this young guy with a guitar ....you could do this. and that's what made most of the careers of the pro folk singers traddy and contemporary possible.

people thought folk clubs were for them. and as a consequence folk clubs were full.