"Extremely valid economic reasons with no hole"
You've just been given the 'holes' Steve - ignore them if you wish
u cn add to the ons I've given you the 'Electric Folk' experiment which added the totally unnecessary cost of extremely expensive sound equipment and instruments ane turned what is essentially a narrative form into unfollowable electric soup
It's main effect was to make an inexpensive pastime into something that became less accessible and less portable with a need for venues that could cater for a barrage of larely over-amplified sound
I peeped in occasionally on the the 'What guitar do you need for a folk club' thread - if there is an 'economic' problem it's an unnecessary self-inflicted one
When the scene started it was simply to get together and swap songs - pretty well the same as it happened in the tradition
The move away from that, with concerts and reliance on guests and festivals and a pursuit for 'success' - in fact, all but a return to the music industry's values that we walked away from to make our own music.
With very few exceptions, anybody can sing - the more work and thought you put into it, the better you become
Venues have always been a problem, if anything, the economic downturn has eased it a little - anxious landlords wanting to fill empty nights
These are quickly-grabbed excuses Steve - nothing else.

I find your your 'listening to your favourite performers' an indication of the star system that has come to dominate the scene
Sure - it was great to have the occasional guest, but the most enjoyable evenings I can remember were those when a residents night clicked and everyone went home remembering the songs and not the performers

You never needed to be an 'aficionado' to enjoy folk songs Al - the people who gave the songs to us were sailors and farm and factory workers - 'ordinary people'
Few specialised in the songs - they were part of their lives and enjoyment
There's nothing wrong with respecting people who give their songs out of love and a desire to share - it's when they come with a price-tag that worries me
JIm