It may be different in your area Will, round here used to be a great area for folk music we had upwards of 500 every week in the club and the Hotels all allowed singing. Our Club was an hotel ballroom!
There are few clubs now and the Hotels do not in general welcome the folk community.....most of the bars are empty.
I put a lot of blame on the shift from singing to instrumental groups who experiment with the music until it becomes simply a cacophony of sound.
"Do get out more"?....I get out quite a lot thank you, and was that really necessary?....The opening poster requested civility.