Folk clubs are the best platforms for folk song performance because people go to listen , people go to opera and classical concerts to listen.The latter show respect for the performers, and respect for the material
they also go to be entertained, that means thought about presentation as well as performance of song.
When i giGged at THE WILSONS CLUB AND AT PETE COES CLUB,There was a high standard, this is down to high standard of resident singers as one would expect from Pete Coe and The Wilsons, what i believe happens is that other singers then up their own standard, both of those clubs were tradtional based