Al. "To me - artists and pieces of music float in and out of the orbit of what is folk music." is just about as perfect a description of how it should be as I can imagine. Thank you. Other people would disagree of course and, yes, some have done so in a way that is toxic. Fortunately, they are getting fewer and further between.

I also agree that a word in someone's ear when they cross the line is the best way of going about things. It only happened once in my 30+ years of helping run a folk club though I am glad to say. The perpetrator took offence of course and we never saw him again. But who wants a badly played, out of tune electric guitar blasting out at their folk club? :-S