Seany, I am certainly not trying to be unkind or suggest your ego is getting in the way of enjoying a session. I play a very quiet instrument-mountain dulcimer. For years, even when asked to play, I couldn't be hear. (Finally, I bought a dulcimer with a louder volume and can now be heard as a lead instrument. But that really wasn't the solution.) So for many years I sat in sessions with guitar players, singers, and fiddlers and sat on the edge playing back up and picking up technics. Sometimes I would just find a smaller session or play by myself. BUT, at some point after hanging around, people began to notice I could play with them and would throw me the melody during their tune or ask me for a tune. I learned a lot during those years of sitting on the edge and am a better player and I hope person for it. So the moral might be--learn your craft well and you will be recognized by people that really count. If people won't respect your playing--allow you to be heard during a two hour session--you may be playing with the wrong people.