Familiar to me too - my first performance in front of a tolerant folk club audience... fingers shaking... sweating with nerves... and the elation at my first experience of applause. This was the 1960s and the clubs, at that time, were (mainly) where you went when you wanted to be a solo, acoustic performer.

All too soon I joined up with others, got an amp, and spent much of the next 50 years in pubs and clubs - Trades & Labour, British Legions, Con Clubs, Working Men's CLubs, works staff clubs. I still did the folk clubs occasionally, but I have to say that the club and pub circuit hardened me up no end as a performer - because they were certainly not as forgiving as the folk clubs.

When I started doing the odd spots at folk clubs again, and then eventually guesting, the hard sweat of the commercial club and pub circuit paid off in terms of presentation, getting to grips with audiences, etc.