"If not enough people turn up to pay for the guest, organisers just have to live and learn"

I took that statement as being relative to your Folk Club.
It's a fairly laissez faire attitude, and if the club is only 'moderately successful', then there is room for improvement.

It's in everyone's interest to have a vibrant, living, scene.

"What I meant was that if we have built the website, paid for the advertising, sent out the fliers, put up the posters and told the local papers (who will get it wrong) and still get an audience of three men and a parrot..."

Very negative outlook, really...

B.