I would certainly go the the Lewes Arms week after week after week were it local to me.

With the quality of the artists it would be a shame not to miss them. I would assume the people you are booking of whom I have not heard are of good quality otherwise you would not be booking them. This I believe is the success of the Lewes Arms. I would therefore be happy to take the odd "Dave and the Goths". though I doubt if you ever get people of that quality.

That is not the argument. I would not go to a singer's night and pay my 50p (or £5.00) because I know the probability of seeing someone good is low. Despiute the quantity. I would and do go to see professional performers who are being paid and I am happy to pay the price of a ticket.

If you go to a festival then you will find instead of tents half the space is taken up with large trailer tents, decent caravans, mobile homes at up to £30,000 etc etc. Go to the record stall and see how many CD's the people buy. The people who go to folk music seem to have plenty of cash and are happy to spend it on their hobby. See the amateur melodeon players with their £2,500 Castagnaris etc. And as a second-hand folk book seller I can verify they spend money on books too.

It is when people mix the two up I worry. Why not take the best (if there is some) of your singer's nights and put them on with guests? Give them a tenner or summat.

But stop exploiting artists, give them decent accommodation, and a decent breakfast, explain of finding a changing room is difficult etc etc. It is hardly rocket science.