=========
I have complete respect for the 'chin strokers' as it were. I've never dissed them in any way, cos they enjoy their chosen aspect of the scene, but the constant right or wrong posts imply, to me any way, that the chin stroker way is the one true faith. All I'm trying to say, and echoing your sentiments Stu, the scene is diverse, and always will be, can it not just be left at that?
Recently there have been should it be played threads, worst venue you've attended threads, original vinyl only threads....I tend to see them as negative. The old adage ....if it aint broke, springs to mind. I know some would argue that it is broken, that we are not allowing new sounds to surface and to be played, but if the tracks are good enough, they will get recognition.
In my view too many average tracks are being promoted by some venues, not remotely resembling trad sounding northern, and as an audience we are being expected to accept them. We (dancers) may not stroke our chins, and it's true to say we are matrix number blind in general, but we do know what moves us. As said somewhere else, each to their own