Same old issues?

To pick on the simplest. Like Steve, I'm happiest in an (in my case Irish and at least mostly instrumental) session environment. Although it is where I started, I tend to loose interest more when things move to the more formal style clubs, eg, with floor singers getting up and doing sets of 3 but that's just me.

Harder are the never resolved "what is folk"? issues. I've had different opinions at different times but prefer the 1950s type idea to define a folk song (and even that is enough to get one involved in rows and you wind up getting fixed on on aspect, defending a view to the hilt?). I might also even debate the naming 'folk club' - perhaps "folk and acoustic" would be better in some cases?

But I think realities are 1. that any "folk club" I'm likely to get to or most of that sort of thing I've been to is some form of mix (some more to my tastes than others) and 2. if there every were any doors to be closed, the horses bolted long ago, although if for example, an event wanted to run "purely traditional", "purely unaccompanied", etc. they should be free to do so without criticism for not being "all inclusive".

I think, although a minority interest, "folk" is a big area and that there is room for different approaches. Rightly or wrongly, I also feel that having some diversity is healthy.