Some clubs deliberately keep some a few guest slots reserved for short-notice bookings. That still has to be over four months, because of copy deadlines for quarterly magazines and the like.

But mostly it's a simple problem of supply and demand. There are too many performers competing for too few gigs. There aren't enough folk clubs, and/or their audiences aren't big enough.

Funnily enough, this isn't because there simply aren't that many people around who enjoy listening to folk music - I've seen several instances lately where people who knew nothing about folk music found themselves enjoying it immensely and saying they've never heard anything like it in their lives, or sometimes that they didn't think that's what "folk music" was or didn't think they'd like it.

One answer is to create different performing opportunities. We're currently

• more interested in festivals than clubs
• looking at arts centres and village halls as venues in which to stage concerts (one such has been the only event we can remember that sold out - must be doing something right!)
• pursuing themed shows like CHARM (which ties in well with the "bigger venues" idea)

Anahata