I'd be hard pressed to think of an artist that eschewed the services of an agent.

In Brum in the '70s there was Les Ward who handled Jasper, The Timoneers and a whoever else. Les worked out of the The Boggery in Solihull.
Derek Grinell who workedout of the The Bell and Pump in Edgbaston.
Jim McPhee who worked out of the Hare and Hounds,Kingsheath.
Mike Billington who worked Alex Campbell and Dan Fone.
Annn Dex did all those pubs in Scandinavia.
Jack Denman in Nottingham handled a lot of the extra work for the television studios, as did City Varieties in Leeds. If you saw a folk group on telly or wanted to do walk on parts. I saw everyone in the folk world on the set of Boon, peak Practice, etc.
John Wall and a place in Cricklewood did all the Irish Venues.
Joe Stead 's Country and Folk agency handled Downes and Beer for a while and Bob Williamson, and they did their records on Joe's label.

Or maybe I imagined it....you're not my Mother!