Settle down kids! You're both right!

There is nothing intangible about taking care of business.

Mick's talking strictly about a performance value; you can call it intangible, or a connection to the music. It's something that'll definitely help you succeed in your calling (along with the aforementioned dedication to the craft), and it's the reason that people like Rick and me and your old fiddle teacher in CB, who have had the pleasure of helping you develop your talent, enjoyed it so much. Some of your audience will realize this, some will INTERNALLY realize it without quite knowing, and a bunch of them won't get it at all.

But it won't get you gigs, as such. As you know, that's about making phone calls, putting promo together, and making more phone calls. Then making follow-up calls. (A process I've never had any patience for, that's why I generally make my living another way.) Once in a while you get lucky and find a booker who actually recognizes the intangibles that make your performance something special, but those people are few and far between. Most of them just want what they think of the correct "type of music" for their venue, presented by a reliable person who will not cause them a lot of extra work.

So Mick and Marion, would you PLEASE kiss and make up and quit sniping at each other while trying to apologize, or I'll ask Joe to put you in separate threads!

Bill