This is not a matter of early C19 jolly tars and ploughboys having a singsong in the tavern. It's the C21 music business in a harsh capitalist economy. Musicians have gas bills and mortgages and pensioners are ever so well off these days and can pay their (concessionary) door tariff to see whoever they want perform.

A bit of getting real wouldn't go amiss.

Yes, m'lady, but as I and others have said, there would be no way for any musicians to be able to eke out any kind of living at all if there were no 'traditional' folk clubs (those that allow all comers to practice their stage craft on a small audience). So if 'traditional' clubs closed, then once the current generation of 'big names' has retired or passed on, there would be no-one to take their place.

The current situation where there are 'concert' clubs and 'Arts Centre' type venues, as well as 'traditional' folk clubs, works well. If they are any good, people can 'graduate' from the small local clubs to the larger venues and thereby command higher fees. Most of these artists don't forget how they got where they came from, and like to put something back by playing gigs in small clubs even after they have become a 'big name'.

What's wrong with that?