That did happen to the former very successful Lewes Arms Folk - now the very successful Lewes Saturday Folk Club (at the Elephant & Castle). I won't recount the saga here - Valmai and Bryan who run the club are both Mudcat members and can tell it far better than me.

As far as musicians' fees are concerned, I've been playing a long time - all kinds of music - and I've drawn a line between playing for fun and playing for music. How I cross that line depends on the venue and my motivation. So, if I'm asked to play solo at a function for, say, an hour and a half or two hours (max), then I'll charge between £50 or £75. If they don't like that fee, then I don't play. However, if it's a genuine charity, for a cause to which I'm sympathetic, then I'll play for free or for expenses. If I bring in other musicians to make it a duo or trio, then the rates multiply accordingly.

Music, for me, is essentially fun, and I tootle along to sessions and singarounds and open mics regularly, and do odd floor spots in those local folk clubs that will have me. If it's not fun, then it has to be for money and, if there's neither money nor fun, I'd prefer to be at home playing an instrument.

As far as the ceilidh band I play in is concerned, we charge around £600 for a local wedding/birthday - and most of our work is for functions such as weddings and birthdays and local organisations. We also have a "mates rate" - around half that - for charity functions and friends' parties. With 7 of us in the band, including the caller, and some travelling quite a distance, totally free gigs are out of the question. Nevertheless, our basic philosophy is also that we're in it for fun rather than money.

So - it's a fine line between doing what you love doing for the hell of it, and not underselling yourself as a musician.