Rej Bullhorn seems to think he/she knows "what the public wants", yet balances some shrewd comments with what seems rather dangerous assumption.

But he/she evidently has a beef with floor singers that I don't think is entirely justified. On the majority of times I've attended the Friday 13th (Harrogate) folk club over the years the floor singers have been perfectly acceptable, on one recent occasion at least the equal of the booked guest group.
What Rej is forgetting is that everyone has to learn the craft somehow and, however talented they are, performers don't just spring from nowhere fully formed and top-class standard in front of a paying audience, just like that! Think how any of the names mentioned started out - by doing floor spots, you bet!... Limited exposure leads to greater, and confidence and ability grows with greater exposure; I've seen some really talented floor singers/instrumentalists failing to achieve their potential by being denied that crucial exposure - how else can the talent get heard?
Having a healthy variety of decent floor singers is a good indication of the health of a folk club anyway - those who continually churn out the same resident band doing the same old material week upon week (however competently) are doing neither themselves (nor the booked guests, nor their audience come to that) any favours. Not to mention the undesirable element of over-exposure that Rej mentions. Rej also refers to York folk club - now there's one that's noted for its professionalism, high standard of floor singers etc. As is the Ryburn 3Step club, one of the county's best, where every one of the floor singers is good enough to do a full booking!
So c'mon Rej, take those blinkers off!