I rather assume that what Clive is saying is that a good folk club doesn't *need* guests: they're just the icing on the cake.

If that's what he's saying, I agree with him, and have been saying so for years.

Our monthly club usually has around thirty people or so in attendance, over 80% of whom are performers. We have a 'visiting performer' every couple of months or less, who gives us just half-a-dozen items or so during the evening, which is at least three times as much as anyone else gets a chance to do.

And I do believe that guest artists are important: in bringing in different ideas, greater heights for local performers to attain, different instruments, arrangements - all sorts of things - which keep the local performers fresh and on their toes.

But in order to have continually good singers' nights (or performers' nights), the encouragement to perform, the welcome, the atmosphere has to be in place and ongoing, otherwise the club can disappear up its own backside as attendance numbers dwindle.

Sorry - bit of a hobby horse of mine - and they're getting very close too!

Barbara