We are the music makers - producers?

So this happened:

Me:

Hate to be that guy... but I am a bit surprised at your response. I've no problem whatsoever with people disliking us
(honestly!) but having listened to quite a few of your acts I thought
we'd be a good fit. Can't think of another promoter with quite the
same mixture of folk and more mainstream pop/indie/whatever influences
on display.

Hey ho, thanks for replying anyway.

Folkroom:

It's absolutely fine to question and challenge my decision!
Like I said, I do like you music, and certainly in terms of genre and
sound you are very similar to acts who have played before. But this,
unfortunately, is why I didn't book you. We're lucky these days to be
inundated with submissions to play our gigs. A lot of these are
musicians very similar to yourself. Talented artists and writers, but
all very similar. In our earlier gigs we had less submissions and
could happily accept any musician who was good and talented and
listenable. Now I'm looking for something more. That's what Folkroom
is coming to represent - the very best, the most distinct, and the
people we're genuinely excited to promote. I'm the only one promoting
these gigs, and presenting the music onstage. So ultimately it's one
guy's opinion at play.

I've no doubt you'll have better luck elsewhere. Try Folklore, Folk
Modern and Softly Softly.

Me:

Thanks for taking the time to respond man. Not sure I really
wanted to hear the response but thank you for your honesty. It's funny
that being accidentally on the right side of the zeitgeist can make
life as tricky as being outside it in terms of finding a home.

Obviously I disagree about the pedigree of what we do. If I didn't,
I'd quit. Or at least quit attempting to foist It on others. I've
tried a few other nights recently but, like you it seems, I try and
hold myself to high standards and often found the quality of acts
frustratingly ordinary. Thanks for the recommendations though. I'll
check them out.

We're about to re-launch the King Charles residency featuring a few
Folk Sessions (Bidgood and Mackenzie) guys. Feel free to pop by. I'd
like to buy you a drink and compare notes.

Urgh. I hate begging for scraps and being treated like an also-ran like this. Thing is, I know exactly the kind of “meh” feeling the guy describes when faced with yet another perfectly OK but humdrum folky indie band and their sepia tinted melodrama. I genuinely believe that that when we’re firing on all cylinders we can hold a room in a way that is rare. I'm my own harshest critic most of the time but I honestly think we’re capable of transcending the ordinary and creating something a bit special. Not always. But sometimes. It’s frustrating to find out that this doesn’t come across.

Dunno. Maybe i'm just deluded after all. Time to join the queue at the shitty Sunday night open mic with the tone-deaf and the terminally tedious.