From the playaholic point of view none of this is vaguely relevant and age is irrelevant.

I have heard and played with all ages, and every one of them share one thing - they have to play - audiences are merely accidents of location and IMHO irrelevant to weaving the music of the people.

Look, Folk music - records > therfore clubs > ta dah tad dah - is/was a handy place to meet and share. Ther'e gone so what?

I often think that after the first record of commercial folk got airplay the "folk music" venue was born; before that day there was no such a thing, except for granny walluping out Knees Up Mother Brown down at the local on Poppy Day eve ... what ever.

In fact, I cannot recall even 1 morris day when I was a kid at school in the UK, yup we did do Maypole stuff but that is not the same as an entire Morris side complete with sticks and a band, much less would we have the slightest idea what a 'Mummer' was.

It was only in the 60's that anybody took notice, after a few smart record execs in the US figured out how to take our money with Urban kids doing Pseudofolk on record.

Guest seems to think that one needs a peer circle to make music, phew - what a bibful a bull. I wonder who would be so brave to play over some of the great old timers I have had the luck to hear?

In fact in my celtic days I used listen to a few folks who were at least twice my age and learned most of what I know in that tradition; later as a matter of education I had to learn again from older folks in the US who taught me most of what I now know.

Performing acoustic original folk like music can be entertaining for a while, but there is no equal to a great night at the boozer with singing and some tunez, who cares who or what the musical instruments are, not me. I have done it on Electric Guitar, Accordion, Harmonica, Fiddles and Guitars, joined in with Piano Bass and Drums + mics etc.

To me Folk music is what is popular in my local ... you can keep the weenie spiolt coffee house twits and their upper class choruses.

As ever