I know I keep going on about "business" but that's what it boils down to. Clubs/venues that lose money close, acts that don't make a living find something else to do, large groups don't play many clubs because few clubs can afford the fee a three or four person group needs to keep going. A lot of the young groups are playing festivals because they can afford the fees, ditto Arts Centres who have enough seats to generate the revenue.

Paul's point (Banjiman) is subtle but I agree, clubs provide the building/enviroment (ie "the theatre") in which the artist can work. No organisers, no "theatres" equals no gigs.

It is also business that some acts command higher fees than others, the public will pay more to see some acts than others, sorry Capn but unless you are advocating that organisers pay more expensive acts from their own pocket (why should they?) or that somehow people will pay over the odds for less expensive acts it won't work in the long term.

Banjiman is doing a superb job of trying to set up his club but also bear in mind that his landlord has also taken a hard headed business decision. Paul has sold him the proposition and he's said to himself "Down the road this is good business and I'll make money from it".

All the best

Steve