Tony,

I didn't read any of your post as negative.

I am very keen to encourage "non-folkies" into our club, but have met with very limited success. We do leaflet the local area (not 2 or 3k but about 300, around the local villages). We managed to bring in some of the "locals" when we had Jez Lowe on and when we had my other half (she's massive in Kirkby Fleetham, shame about the rest of the universe!) on as main guests. Apart from that, very little support outside of the "folk community".

Rightly or wrongly I have a theory that "floorsingers" put off non "hardcore folkies" and have resisted putting them on. We do have a singaround (that in the future will run from 6.00pm to 8.15pm) before the "concert". I hasten to add that I enjoy singarounds and informal music making, our club works hand in hand and shares a lot of membership with Burneston Folk Club which is purely a weekly singaround.

Once the evening proper starts at 8,30pm we have 1 or 2 booked support acts and a main act. We do use "sound re-inforcement", OK a P.A. and I insist on using stage lights and candles to create an ambiance (I'm a big girly at heart). Attendances have varied between 23 and 95 with the usual around 35...... my aim (and part of the motivation for the thread) is to try and double this.

Music styles have varied from Traditional unaccompanied (as support, I confess)through the Duncan McFarlane Electric band to folky singer songwriters. Our usual guest material is usually the latter, who will probably do some traditional material as well as part of their set. We have also run blues specials (well attended by locals) and a bluegrass special, which given that it was on a Monday night (we usually do Saturdays) was also well attended. Strangely we have had quite a few banjoists on as well!

There's probably more to say but that will do for now!

Paul