I'm with Graham on this one, horses for courses. And check the artist list before travelling to avoid dissapointment.
Mind you it might be an interesting excercise to see how Cambridge and Cropredy work, without a PA!!
Like Graham, I really enjoy the intimacy of a small venue, where the musicians are playing acoustically, but, for some performers it's just not possible, purely due to the internal dynamics of the participants.
It can be done, Fairport Convention and others have done many gigs in a stripped down version, and I'm sure that the freedom that a show like that gives (No early arrival, No Sound Check, No Mics/Foldback systems) is a breath of fresh air to them.
Just a thought.
Ralphie