Well Shambles, with the exception of the boils and plagues of frogs, I have experienced everything you mentioned at some point or other over the years and more.

This includes sessions as well as folk clubs but.

At one time the Bee folk club in Rhyl had a noisy beer pump/motor that used to interfere with the singing.

The landlord of the Hope and Anchor in Denbigh did a runner with all the takings. The landlord in the Rhoslan, Llandudno had a drink problem and got himself so heavily in debt that he nobody would sell him beer. The Parade, Llandudno decided to put a Rock band on one folk club night and I arrived at the Four Crosses, Menai Bridge for our weekly Irish session to find a reggae band playing...

There was a row in the London, Llandudno (after my time of being involved in the organisation) that led to the folk club getting barred for life!.

I remeber the Parade being so cold one winter that only about 6 of us used to brave it and we huddled round a Calor gas fire and 3 of us used to slip out to another pub halfway through the night to warm up (and to sample the best pint of Bass in town).

I remember when "Irish Don" got blind drunk in the Parade and took over the PA for his set. We went and drunk outside and left him to it.

The Frigate on the quay in Conwy was interesting. That used to move about a little when the sea got a bit rough which made playing a bit difficult. There were times when we had to finish early when there was a high tide to get people off. How that place ever got a licence is beyond me... One night, I was one of the last off and had to jump about 3 feet as the gangway was that far off the quay and after I and somebody else got off, one of the ropes attaching the ship went, it slewed round a bit and the gangway ended up pointing down towards the sea and a long way from the quay wall. In spite of all these dangers, they were happy times and I was sorry we had to leave there. The desicsion to leave was caused by the smell from the toilet system - it became unbearable for most people.

I don't bother much with folk clubs these days. This is not because of any of the problems but because I no longer have the patience to sit in silence for long periods listening to the same old stuff week in week out. I still love sessions though - it is different when I can join in with the same stuff week in week out.

Jon