I run a little night in a small local pub, and I advertise it as a folk/ acoustic singaround. I do this so as not to discourage people who may play self penned or classic singer/songwriter stuff who might be nervous about coming to a folk night, but I want to encourage folk singers and players because that is my main interest.

We seem to get reasonable mix of music and styles but whether it is due to this I don't know. We don't use amplification.

Midchuck et al regarding considerate listeners; I think it is just to do with whether people are considerate and polite, as opposed to whether they are young or old. In these sessions the people I most often have to ask to be quiet are generally older as opposed to the younger people there, but I don't draw the conclusion that old people don't know how to shut up.

There are folk festivals and concerts that have a very large very-young element who do know how to 'shut up'. Which is no different to the people who 'were young' in the 60s and 70s who could do the same, when there was also plenty of amplififed music around. It is very easy to slip into a prejudiced opinion, maybe without even realising it. Just because you have come across inconsiderate young people, does not mean all young people are inconsiderate.

Sorry for the thread (re)drift.