Again thanks for all your suggetions.Mooh, you have hit the nail on the head- it is the local people whom it is difficult to refuse- Most of our festival is made up of local people- and the country is so small that you meet them at every folk club or venue. I try to diversify- and not to let everybody play every time- because that gets boring for the audience. I have a conception of what I want the festival to be, and seeing that I do most of the work,feel that I have a right( within reason) to decide what genres will be presented at the festival. I do try to refuse politely, and I feel that it is important to explain exactly why they may not perform . Sometimes people do improve and get to play a couple of years later. Jack The Lad (at work)