There has been much talk on here lately about problems afflicting the UK folk scene, particularly the discussion prompted by Tom Bliss's very apt article in Living Tradition.

Now before I go on- this is not a critique of clubs or their organisers; it's just my reflection on how things are, with a few ideas thrown in. So no accusations of trolling please!

May I add a few thoughts as someone who has only come onto the scene quite recently (2 years ago)?

Until then I had been singing with cover/funtion-type bands for nearly ten years, on and off. My last band was about as close to the top of the tree as you can go with this type of outfit and we were doing pretty well. I left both it and that kind of band in general as I had become more put off by the lack of musical satisfaction- OK we were appreciated, but not for being individuals, rather for being just a good copy of whoever's songs we were covering.

I got into folk music through a friend of a friend who plays with a folk band, and have been hooked ever since, though I don't wish to make a career of it (which seems impossible anyway- if Tom Bliss can't do it who can?) One of the first things that struck me is how fragmented the folk scene is. As a performer you can develop a good reputation in your own area whilst being unknown twenty miles down the road. Building up a name means driving all over the place doing floor spots and it must take years to become recognised nationally.

To compare it to the entertainment scene: if you're in a band like my old one, you learn and rehearse your material and get an agent. The agent gets you work, in our case nationwide and for quite a lot of money, but, if you're just starting out, locally and for enough to make it worth doing. So for the musicians it's easy- all you have to do is be good at what you're doing, be reliable and easy to get on with, and you're made.

Why can't the folk scene work like that?

I accept that clubs like to have singarounds because people like to go to share songs. But I've been to clubs that have said that they'd like to have more guests and bring in a bigger audience, but they can't afford the guests, so they don't get the audiences, so they can't afford...

Clubs apparently don't always like to deal with agents. Why is that? If the agent's fee was absorbed by the artist would that make any difference?

Suppose I ran an agency that offered (with an acknowledgement of Tom Bliss's article):

1. Good local bands or soloists who were prepared to work within, say fifty miles of their home for a basic fee or expenses because they're just in it for fun. They'd offer a good evening's performance, between the level of an above-average floorsinger and a professional band.

2. Up-and-coming bands/artists who are more serious- i.e. they're more rehearsed, more original, and not just doing it for a hobby- and would travel more widely but again, not ask for more than a nominal fee to cover expenses. There are, I'm sure, lots of performers who would do this in order to gain the exposure.

3. Professional (by which I mean experienced performers who make all or part of their living from playing) artists who will travel anywhere but for a realistic fee.

Option 1 would offer clubs access to varied, inexpensive and good quality guests and a foot in the door for new musicians. Those who started at level 1 could, if they have the talent and want to make a go of it, then progress through level 2 to level 3.

Could it be that, by offering regular guests at a low admission price, clubs could entice larger audiences, at the same time stimulating the input of new blood by helping to introduce new artists who, themselves, would build up a bigger audience?

I'm sure that many artists would be interested in this (don't all e-mail me at once!) but would the clubs be?

Although I'm giving this idea serious thought, I need to market-research it thoroughly first, so any opinions from club organisers would be welcome.

I should also add that I've temporarily retired from the club scene myself this season, owing to my starting a demanding new job in January. If I do get something like this going it wouldn't be until later this year, so if you're a performer looking for an agent don't contact me just yet!

Club organisers- over to you...