if an organiser charges 10 pounds on the door and has fifteen people turn up I get 150 pounds,and my fee is covered,if he/ she charges 2 .50pounds and 60 people turn up,I get 150 pounds and my fee is covered,now i would rather play to 60 people than 15,plus statistically I am likely to sell four times as many cds,the organiser is likely to raise another 60 pounds on the raffle,the publican is likely to sell four times more drinks,everyone is happier.
as long I am working for a flat fee,I dont care how the organiser raises the money,it might be by having a guest one week out of four,It might be by charging 2 50 on the door and getting on average another pound on the raffle.
a good CLUB in my opinion,should be full regardless of the guest,the punters should have sufficient faith in the organiser, that they will turn up every week because it is their club.clubs are clubs not mini concerts.in different parts of england the average wage willvary so will the average cost of a pint of beer.
I would not expect the same entrance fee to be paid in a disadvantaged area as in the home counties,and ithink it perfectly reasonable that students, unemployed ,nurses and old age pensioners should get reductions.
It should be left to the organiser to decide what his local audience can afford,A stockbroker in Surreycan well afford 10 pounds,an out of work ex miner in wales or south yorkshire probably cant,
I have played thousands of folk clubs,and have only had an argument over the fee twice,99 per cent of folk club organisers are trustworthy,and are doing it because they love the music,and ithank them for their dedication,particuarly Ted and Ivy poole who have been running Swindon folk club for 46 years.http://www.dickmiles.com