In the early 60's in the Durham / Newcastle on Tyne region of Northern England folk clubs were very popular with the Birtley Folk Club every Wednesday run by Jack Elliot. Newcastle Folksong and Ballad Club every Thursday run by the High Level Ranters. Marsden Folk Club every Sunday run by the Marsden Rattlers and I used to run the Shotley Bridge Folk Club in North West Durham every Tuesday. In those days closing time was 10-30 so we used to start at 8-00 pm. Usually by 10 past 8 the "House Full" sign would go up on the door. In the area we were in we had a steel works and a major hospital both of which worked a shift system and so out audience would change week by week. The room held about 200 people and we had a guest singer every week. At 8-00pm three of us who had formed a small group would do about 2 songs or tunes followed by other floor singers with 2 songs each. At around 9-00pm the guest would do a half hour spot then there would be a break with a raffle (Usually the guest's LP as a prize). Floor singers would then get up again till about 10-00 and then the Guest would finish the night with encores till about 10-40. This seemed to be the format in most clubs in the region and lasted till into the 70's. We were affiliated with a morris team and a country dance team and so we held celeidh's about four times a year . Almost all of the songs were traditional or modern songs written in the trad style. Club members never seemed to visit other clubs in the area and so a guest singer from outside the region could probably do about two weeks locally without having to change his songs. It was about 97% listening audience and about 3% singers / performers but they all joined in with chorus's. It seemed in those days everyone went home having enjoyed a bloody good sing and a bloody good laugh.
It seems to me nowadays that if I go to a club most of the audience are singers and a lot of clubs run every two weeks or every month so I am never sure that it will be on that particular night. There seems also to be a rift between folk dance and folk song. Musicians also tend to have sessions without singers. As someone said earlier the young ones don't come to clubs any more but they do attend music sessions and the standard of musicians is getting much better.
I personally liked the club scene better in the "Old Days" but that might be my age remembering the good times of youth.
Bill