"I'm afraid a folk club can't be like WOMAD anymore than a corner shop"

Snail, I think you seriously are missing the point that Eric has trying to explain to you.   Think outside of the box. He isn't saying that a folk club should be run like Womad, but look at what they are doing right and why it works. If you take the time to step back and observe, you might discover a few things.

The next step is to get over preconceived ideas and fears of change. If you truly want things to stay the way they are, then that is your direction and you take what you get. If you are interested in growth and perpetuation, you need to look for new ideas.   

Any business that sits around doing nothing will eventually fail. That my friend, is a fact. Your club is a business.