Tom: My figures were rather hypothetical, but based on the way the clubs used to be. I know things have changed, but there are a lot of contributary factors, and the fees some people are charging is one factor. Many clubs charge according to the guest's fee, and I've seen door prices of £8 or £9. Most clubs seem to charge about £3 on guest nights, and maybe £1 on singers' nights; if there are 30 people in, and there's a raffle, then, assuming the club isn't being charged for the room (as I think is mostly the case; let's face it - most pubs are glad of that sort of custom on a weeknight these days), that's a decent fee for somebody like me, even without whatever they collected on the previous singers' night. And if I can shift three or four CDs as well, then I'm doing all right. I got £75 from a 'glass collection' plus raffle money recently, when there were only about 15 in the audience. If someone in my position can get that, then I think all is not lost. I have strong feelings about what's wrong with the clubs, which I have already spouted on other threads, but they seem to fall on deaf ears. I believe that there is still a reasonable audience for folk music; people are stil going to festivals - and there are many more of these than there were - and still going to concerts and buying CDs. There isn't a fortune to be made, and I think artists should have a reasonable and realistic idea of how much they really ought to expect to earn from folk music. Those who want more, and get themselves into growing concert circuit, are giving the club organisers a problem; clubs can't afford concert fees, unless they are the 'big names only' concert-type clubs. These clubs don't book unknown artists. The other clubs are then trying to compete, booking unknown or lesser-known guests and hoping they don't end up out of pocket. And this is one of the reasons - not the only reason - why clubs end up with between 10 and 20 in the audience, and eventually give up booking guests.
Discuss.
John Kelly.