Les (The Villan), folk clubs like yours generally don't exist, as far as I know, on this side of the pond, except maybe in the larger cities at events such as the FWGW organizes. Therefore "gig" has a whole different context for this thread-starter. I'm sorry if the cultural differences led you to misunderstand my intent. I'd be glad to play in the type of environment you describe, if we had it here within a couple of hours' drive.

In any event, my question was a general one for discussion, not a slam at organizers or an effort to elicit these. I think we all know that there are good ones and there are idiots, but that wasn't my point about the opening post, either. (We've had plenty of "gigs from hell" type discussion in the past.)

I just wanted to know what criteria guide people, generally, in whether to accept or decline an opportunity. Just because Mudcat is so argumentative these days doesn't mean that we can't still discuss our lives in music in a reasonable fashion!

~Susan