Te practice of booking far ahead makes clubs compeletely paralysed, and unable to react to anything exciting happening. Particularly if someone is coming over from Ireland or America and is trying to organise a tour. Which typically might might be,say, this autumn or winter. They've got a few key dates lined up, then they are looking to fill in the odd Tuesday or Wednesday or whatever. Now, if venues are prepared to be flexible, as they are in Ireland for example, they can get the really interesting acts cheap. But you cant do that if you're booked till 2007 with the local schoolteacher who writes songs about trouble at't'mill or similar.
I have always felt that club organisers would have a much more vibrant and interesting club if they booked a few of the up-and-comers really quickly. Say you're a club organiser, and you've just been to Middlewich festival this weekend and seen some new kid who you think is absolutely fantastic, just starting on the professional circuit say. You want to be able to go up and say "Do you fancy a gig at my folk club one Thursday in October?". But the way most folk clubs are organised, you'd be saying "Do you want a gig in 2007 or 2008?".
   Creative people fire themselves up and form new groups and learn exciting new material. That'swhen they are looking for work, and are at their best. That's the time to put them on in your club. Not in two years time. Most venues wouldnt dream of booking two years in advance, they'd be mad. So why do folk clubs do it?