One or two on this thread have muttered about the smoking ban having been a negative influence. I am one of the many for whom it's an enormous blessing. I gave up my local club in the 80s apart from very rare visits, partly because I was finding smoke more and more distressing. (It later became non-smoking, but smoke could still come in from just outside.) In the 90s I started going to a different club which was already non-smoking.

A large proportion of those who come to Sharp's sing and/or play, few are really dire (but even those people are invited to perform and get applauded), some are very good indeed and there are all ages, albeit with a majority the wrong side of 50.