Thing is Greg, it's all about turnout and prices. You're a good fulltimer who earns every penny, no gripe there, but if performers insisted on MU rates there wouldn't be a circuit of smaller clubs, those that exist on 25 or so regulars who save up to afford a big guest every month or three months or so. I can only think of one in Kent which doesn't have to raise money via singers nights / raffle to stay afloat, and that's close to London catchment. So I see the benevolent semi as part of this: raising capital to afford pros. As to whether these small clubs should exist, that's another argument altogether, certainly the licensing act tried to cut them out. I think it's like Dr Beeching- if you cut off the branch lines, ultimately the main lines suffer. Pub takings may be augmented, but not to the extent that landlords will chip in much- in fact they often want to charge for the room. It's these small clubs who feed into the larger festivals and make an audience, I think.
Bob