Raggytash's suggestion of starting at the appointed time regardless of how many have turned up is a good one which I wish a few other orgnisers would understand.

It ties in with the earlier remark about people feeling they've had their money's worth. It's all very well saying: oh it's only a club, it all loose and informal, people like to have a chat, don't want to impose on them, etc. but the truth is that they've paid for that time between (official start) and (actual start), and of course running late means the few who do arrive early the first time won't bother again.

A resident band is a great idea of achieving that if you can hack it, but it does need the right people, whether's that's an organised band of a pool of musos just having a bit of a session.

Anahata