Of the ten full guest nights we put on this year, of the nineteen guest performers, six were women. Next year it works out to sixteen guest performers of whom eight are women. But we really don't look at it terms of gender, but in terms of quality and variety.

Certainly there are less solo female than male performers, so perhaps women do find it harder to tour alone. I certainly wouldn't want to do so. Of all our booked artists, only one woman is a soloist, and she's travelling with her partner.

So, in answer to the title of the thread, I don't think it's harder for women to get gigs, but there do seem to be less around that would suit our club for a full guest night - or that we can afford to pay (as in the Eliza Carthys of this world)!

Barbara