Many less-than-average Joes (or Joans ) believe they are on the brink of stardom and they are unwittingly boring the tits off everyone.
There isn't the fun that used to be at a Folk Club meet - it can extemely tiresome - so why bother to make the effort to attend ?
The people who attend week-after-week are regarded as the stalwarts ,and indeed by definition I think they must be, but, the Folk club (of course I'm generalising ) has chosen the route of lowest common denominator instead of, highest commom factor.
If Vin Garbutt, Jez Lowe , the Wilsons ,Kathryn Tickell popped-in to the Folk club - I would expect the club to make a fuss of them , but NO, too many Organisers want to show that THEY are in charge of proceedings, and if such people wish to perform , they will need cow- tow in the same manner as all the duffers.   
Quite simply decent performers instead of attending Folk clubs would rather spend time at their locals - and having jam seesion in someomnes house afterwards.
Organisers, we ,you, me , have frightened them all away .