Hello all -

I'm quite amazed at what I'm reading here! We seem to have got to a state of "us and them" and there's certainly a deal of polarised opinion.

If I may offer a suggestion?

1. It's bloody difficult to make a living in this country, whether you're a folk singer or a club organiser with a day job, or a folk club audience member.

2. Fees at clubs need to be affordable enough to ensure good attendance but we need to charge enough so that organisers are not out of pocket after putting in all their hard work and promoting the event etc.

3. There needs to be enough left over to keep booked performers in beer and sausages.

When I quit the day job a few years back, I never expected to be a rich man - I can't speak for other performers, but I honestly believe that most of the people working the circuit do it for the love of the music.

In that time, I've met some lovely people (including Countess Richard and The Villan, behave the pair of you! You'd get on really well if you ever met!) and I can count on the fingers of one hand the people who I've felt were "out to profit from this malarky" or whatever.

I think clubs are tremendously important and we should all be working together to ensure that the club scene continues to thrive. Anything anyone can do to help promote, advertise, encourage new people through the doors etc is a real service to folk music.

I guess what I'm saying is we're all in this together. Personally, I think the biggest killer we'll face in the next few years is the spiralling cost of fuel.

Cheers,
Jon Loomes