If folk performers expect to get repeat bookings they really must get their act together, and I don't mean an off-the-shelf "one size fits all" one-off package! OK – so why the rant:

Last night I went to see a young lady at my local folk club, having seen her twice before and being quite well entertained, but was very disappointed and a little annoyed that she sang the SAME songs in the SAME order, interspersed with the SAME patter I'd heard on the previous two occasions. As a teacher she should know better – only 2 out of 10 for effort here.

As any teacher knows you must be able to adapt to all situations and present your material in varying and imaginative ways if you are to hold your audience. It's easy to learn the chords to a dozen songs and embellish the performance with a few anecdotes and humorous tales that have the audience tittering, then take the act on the road – but if you want repeat business folks you gotta push the boundaries out a little!

With CD's for sale I would assume the lady's repertoire extends beyond the handful of sings I've had the pleasure of hearing so far. Perhaps I should just buy them and forget about seeing her perform them live. She signed off last night with a "hope to see you in the area again soon" – well I for one won't bother going to see her again, unless I receive reports in the meantime that she's upgraded her act beyond VER1.0.

I perform in the same venue on a regular basis, and have been doing so for five years straight. Now the only way I get paid is if folks turn up to listen, and the only way I manage to keep it going is by having a substantial repertoire and variety of songs, and can cope with off the cuff situations calling for a varied approach to communicating with the audience. This lady wouldn't last 4 weeks with her limited offering – or she'd have to learn fast how to keep the cash flowing.

She has a great voice, a basic but reasonable guitar style and a smashing personality that's probably the key factor that keeps her in work, for now. However, folk venues are a finite resource that will dry up on her unless she wakes up to reality. Maybe she'll learn the hard way, but by then she may find the organisers politely declining her requests for bookings on the 3rd rotation of the folk club merry-go-round.

She's not alone of course – there are others guilty of the same complacency.