I believe that the collapse of the folk clubs may have something to do with the fact that "folk singers" don't support other "folk singers". Backbiting, envy and scuffling for gigs has something to do with the business side not visible to outsiders.

Also, the folk club in the States seems to be coffee houses in churches. This is an artificial construct that puts singers with stringed instrument accompaniment on a raised platform with a microphone and terrible electronic sounding pickups. It's become an over-worked stereotype and much of the song output is hackneyed and has no historical or musical depth. The alternative to this is a noisy bar. Drunks are not the best audiences.

The stage concerts are overpriced and the shows have become so studied that if you see an artist do one performance, you will see the exact same thing years later.

Folk music will survive regardless of the folk club. It thrives in the living rooms and informal gatherings where people really want to share their music without being "big stars".


Frank