Please can someone (all of you?!) advise me how to handle this situation.

I regularly go to a local folk club where the singers nights are generally quite well supported by audience and singers / musicians alike. The beer is good. The company is good. I really enjoy going.

BUT (big but), my mother sold a bodhran to one of the singers and now he plays the bodhran at absolutely every opportunity. Sometimes it's not too much of a problem, occassionally enhancing a performance. Generally however, I find it a major problem when I sing (unaccompanied).

Last week the bodhran caused me so much of a problem I had to stop singing and ask him to stop playing. I didn't want to do this, it's obviously embarrassing for the man. At the end of the night I went over and apologised to him for having to ask him to stop, and explained to him that I found it really off-putting. His reaction was to say that it was my fault I didn't sing in time. He really got the hump, although I expect some of it was beer talking. Time to walk away, so I did.

Last night at the club, whilst he didn't play the bodhran when I sang, he played it for ALL the other unaccompanied singers performances.

I don't really want to stop going to this club, but it's getting to the point where it's going to become a chore, and that would be dreadful. I have no wish to offend anybody (including those who play bodhran, well or not).

HELP. what do I do? Sorry to go on, but this is a problem for me.

John