Subject: RE: Singers - still get in free - 2009
From: GUEST,PeterC - PM
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 07:24 PM

Best system that I came across was the old Chelmsford Folk Club. Everybody paid on their first visit, if you did a floor spot you were given a voucher for free entry valid for one month. That of course was in the days when a folk club would fill a decent sized hall (and I mean FILL in Chelmsford's glory days.
yes, brilliant system .
can I pick up on the remark in Ian Fyvies post,about the guest not being any better than us .
I heard that sort of comment before,it was made about Nic Jones[who was brilliant as always],the person who made the remark,ran a club in kent,and could just about bash/strum, out three chords.
now maybe Ian Fyvies singer is brilliant[I dont know ],perhaps she does gigs .perhaps the standard of singers is high .
if the guest wasnt any better than the other singers,that is the fault of the organiser who did the booking,or is it,maybe other people liked the guest,but didnt say anything to the organiser ,or just appreciated a good performer with a different repertoire.
the purpose of a guest is not to be necessarily of a higher standard,for example take the Ryburn folk club,the residents are all professional .
Ian Fyvie has made recordings and done many gigs,he is of a high standard ,so the guest is not any better,so what,its not a competition,however good the regulars are,a change is required periodically .
some [not all]floorsingers would benefit from listening to guests,and learning stage craft,unfortunately it seems that those who need to improve,often dont do this,and have an over inflated opinion of their abilty,they stay away on guest nights,they dont learn new material,and dont appear to practice,and often dont listen to other singers.