I agree with Alio about the singers situation. I obviously have limited information about what goes on over the country but locally in the folk clubs there are very few new young singers (or even audience) coming to the clubs. At 43 I'm one of the youngest people at the three folk clubs I go on a regular basis. Whilst it's great to see busloads of young fiddlers and accordionists going to Folkworks and other sessions at festivals, where do they go to at other times?
How do we encourage youngsters to come to clubs and get up and sing. The singaround clubs are probably less daunting than the get up to the front and do your bit clubs but where do we find the youngsters in the first place and how do we attract them to the clubs (which for all intents and purposes treat themselves like a secret society with the lack of public advertising they do to make themselves known outside of the folkworld.
Please prove me wrong and tell me about clubs that are thriving with underage drinkers/singers (like I was when I started going to folk clubs)
Cheers
Mark