"why on earth would you want to play such a godawful twiddly irrelevance? It adds NOTHING to the song"

Having tried to listen to both songs it I would wholeheartedly agree. If that is the style she chooses to sing then she would be far, far better off without accompaniment. One other thing, maybe just an idiosyncrasy of mine but, if you are going to sing a song then at least sing it in a manner in which those listening can actually hear the words being sung.

"What did this song ("Bleacher Lassie) do to deserve so many appallingly tasteless arrangements?"

Again I agree - best rendition of this song that I have ever heard by a country mile is the version performed and recorded by Ian Bruce.

Unfortunate enough to have played on the same stage as Emily Smith (First time was when she turned up with "her band"; second when she was accompanied by Jamie McClennan) On the first occasion all who were performing that night were asked to turn up at 5 o'clock for sound checks, the doors were to opened at 7:30pm for an 8 o'clock start. Emily Smith and co littered the stage with their kit started their sound check (with their own "sound engineer") at 5 and finished it "sort off" at 7:15 even then she wasn't 100% happy - everyone else just had to "make do" with rudimentary line checks once they got on stage to perform, fortunately the sound guys engaged by the festival organisers were really on top of their game and for all the other bands they proved to be the stars of the night. Second occasion more of the same except this time no "personal sound man" the one engaged by the those organising the festival after having been basically screwed around for an hour, just called a halt to it and told both the artists up on the stage during the sound check to get their act together, decide once and for all what they wanted and to start behaving in a professional manner.