I seem to have driven the subject of proficient singing into the ground so here is my idea of what a good folk club should offer.
1. Proficient singing (have I already mentioned that?)
2. Residents who actually listen to each other so they can tailor their performance to what has gone before and present a balanced programme. In this way the audience is not being given songs at the same pace, with the same vocal effort, in the same key, time after time, after time, after time, after time, after time – ad infinitum. This seems to be a problem particularly on the Irish singing scene where most of the songs seem to be slow, highly decorated and introspective – so much so that, despite the enormous skill of many singers here, you often feel after a session that you have waded through a field of treacle.
3. Some imagination in the programming; theme or feature evenings occasionally can make a difference; (Battle of the Sexes used to go down a bomb in clubs I have been involved in).
4. Respect for the songs and for the audience. Taking the piss out of the songs is not an option – if you don't like them, don't sing them. Too often in the past I have had the feeling that the singers don't particularly like the songs they are singing and they would rather be a thousand miles away. I am sure this has not been the case, but it has become a regular part of some singers' performances.
5. An attentive audience (whether they be performers or not).
6. An effort to involve new or non-singers, so that those who wish to can be brought on as future performers (but please don't let them practice in public); workshops are great, if organised properly. Those who don't want to sing may be prepared to play a part in some other way.
7. An attempt on the part of the organisers to make the premises welcoming (a few posters or album sleeves work wonders) so you are not left with the impression that you are meeting in a pub store-room.
8. Public presentation of the club so that is clear to a casual visitor exactly what they are going to get in an evening. Personally I am not in favour of anything goes clubs - if I want blues I'll go to a place where I can listen to blues; if I want music hall, that's what I will seek out. As far as I'm concerned a club should do exactly what it says on the tin!
9, 10, 11, 12…………. Proficient singing (I think I may have already mentioned this).
Jim Carroll