Oy - guest Danny Mackay - since when was anyone, percussionist, instrumentalist, singer or audience, "invited" to a session. A session is for people to come and play. There are lots of "shoulds" to be said on this issue but I think it would be very helpful to the creation of enjoyable music if everyone allowed a bit more for all the other reasons than their own for playing music or being there.

I don't know the situation in the specific sessions under discussion so I won't try to tell anyone they're wrong about how bad it is for one group or another. I will say, though, that I've been to some great sessions that were so good BECAUSE the people there listened to the song or tune itself and were able to intuitively agree on whether it was a quiet song with a few singers and a lot of audience, a rocking set of reels where everyone has a bash and the piano accordian is in charge, a chorus song with room for a harmony or twelve if you can find one or a rare chance for the fiddliest tunesters to do their stuff with just one expert guitar or cello for some bass. That has happened and the mixture throughout the night makes each of the kinds of enjoyment more special and exquisite.