I'm not sure quite what's being suggested. Folk clubs in England are usually in a separate room, and many or most people attending participate, and/or pay an entrance fee. I don't see who could be expected to pay a tip, or to whom.

Sessions in public bars are a bit different, and the public do often seem to enjoy them, but they can hardly tip everyone playing in the session. I suppose when we play we could have a tip jar sitting around somewhere, but really it's just not part of our culture to be looking for money when we do this. Most of us do it for ourselves and for the love of the music, and don't expect to be tipped. Occasionally I've played where a collection was made for a charity, but not for the players.

Or maybe you're talking about being booked as a paid soloist to play in a bar? I think if I see someone playing in a restaurant etc, I'll assume that they're being paid a reasonable fee by the management for doing this, and wouldn't feel any obligation to offer them more money - in fact I'd feel embarrassed to do so.

Again, I think there's a cultural difference between the US and the UK. Americans generally tip more often and more generously than the British. One reason for this is that many of the people who receive the tips in the US are very poorly paid, and they're a lot less likely to be receiving any state benefits in the US than in British society.

Personally, I'm uncomfortable with tipping, and feel it's patronising. People say Britain is much more class-conscious than the US, but to me, tipping is a class-based habit, and I'd rather live in a more egalitarian culture where it wasn't regarded as normal or necessary.

Marje