I had been thinking that nobody had really answered Joe's question and now Tootler has given the basics. I would add that, as others have indicated, they are, I think, exclusively not-for-profit organisations run by volunteers. They generally have audiences in the tens. They are somewhat more formal than singarounds but less so than concerts. They often take place in the function rooms of pubs but also in whatever is available such as village halls.

Beyond that, they can vary enourmously. The Sangboc club that Will Fly mentions is pretty much a singaround although it is very new and may develop. Others are more like small concerts with a main act and a booked support act. The majority follow the model that Tootler describes although I would disagree with him about residents. I help run one of the two in Lewes and Vic Smith helps run the other. In our club, the residents take their turn with the other floorspots; in Vic's they do the first half support and floorsingers do the second half.

Things may be very different in other parts of the country, but both Lewes clubs are heavily biased towards traditional music and song. There are one or two people who read the lyrics from song sheets but, as they gain confidence, we hope to wean them off it.

Oh and yes, I really do like folk clubs.