Well finally! A discussion broke out right in the middle of a fight.

Ex semi-pro hit the nail right on the head, I'm afraid. I have been a friend of folk societies for so long and have always been fond of the fact that their prices are so "Reasonable" that it never really occurred to me that the price should be upped!
My philosophy: You, the organizers put the bums in the seats and I'll entertain them. Promotion is not what I do. I am very easy to negotiate with and also know how to step out of the negotiations, without hurting any one's feelings.
I give as much of a break as I can afford and know that anything extra goes in the can for a bigger name.
But wait a minute! Why have we been keeping the price down for so many years and (as I think Scrump suggested) hurting the performers in the process? Why are folk audiences so reluctant to spend? I've seen more than the odd tea bag or flask of whisky snuck into the folk venues, over the years.
Are we not just telling ourselves that we're not worth all that much?
If you as a "Folk Venue" find yourself operating a floundering business, I'll accommodate you to the best of my ability and think no less of you. I've played for less than twenty people (more times than I care to admit) and had a grand time doing it but if someone wants me to do the promoting... sorry, It's your venue. If you don't have the patrons then you really don't have a venue. That's just a sad reality.
If you still really think that it is incumbent upon the performer to provide the audience then I would have to go with The Villan's advice: (although not with regards to football)....
"Maybe the best bet, is if a performer knows they are good enough, that they hire the venue and do the publicity and take all the profit."
Bernard: Thank you for the e-mail. You will find me easily enough on the SHAMELESS PROMOTION thread.
Kind Regards to All
Hoping for a meaningful discussion
Jim