Bonnie, there is a club in Great Bardfield, Essex that operates in that way, and seems to work. Their format is round the room, stopping twice for 20-30min performances from the booked guest. I've only been over there once, a little while ago (as the booked guest) but it is still going well.

We've stopped 'open nights' at The Milkmaid in Bury, and just have the format I described above. One issue we did find with 'open' nights was a crowded room at the start of the evening, and people disappearing after their allocated spot. Another major frustration was those people wanting to use the club as an outlet to perform themselves, but not supporting the club on guest nights. We now have a separate organisation in town, The Bury Folk Collective, who cater for those looking for self entertainment or to showcase themselves, but don't seem to want to listen to the professional performers.

At risk of depressing you further, I think this is one big issue with guest nights, that a lot of those interested in 'folk' want to perform themselves rather than enjoy a concert. Something perhaps to do with our celebrity obsessed culture today, everyone wants to be a star.

John