I think all of us have seen clubs come and go over the years/decades. What are the commonalities of successful clubs? What are the commonalities of those that folded? Inevitably (I think) it comes down to bums on seats. If one were to open a jazz club in a place where jazz is appreciated by 1 in a 1000 people, and if the town only has 5000 people, chances are things won't work out. Christaller's 'Central Place Theory' is somewhat dated, but it's also still true. There is a limit to how far people will travel to hear singers/musicians or groups. These days, people really need to do feasibility studies to determine the potential viability of their respective businesses, whatever those businesses may be. It is also important to gauge both what the audience--read customer--likes and what it doesn't, and that should be an ongoing process. The customer may not always be right, but the customer does pay the bills, and regardless what one wants, first and last the bills have to be paid. I have seen clubs that have continued success because they cater to specific types of music. If you as a customer have continued going to a club on a regular basis because you know the club will be presenting the kind of music you enjoy, then the easiest way to screw that up for the customer is to start presenting a different kind of music. Doesn't matter how good the new music being presented is. As a customer, if I have been going because the performers sing unaccompanied, and I then get three weeks of electric rock, chances are I won't be back. The converse holds true also. The old adage that "I may not know what's good, but I do know what I like" is important for club owners to realize. It is a truth whether one likes it or not.

A problem that does occur--I gather more in the UK--is ownership of the facility in which the music is held. As a pub/bar owner, my main interest would be selling beer, food, etc. The music aspect would be relegated to nights that were slow. However, when I saw a chance to earn more income by turning that night into a karaoke evening, well, do the math, because as an owner that's what I'd have done. When the arts meet the banks, the arts seldom win.

That said, I think the way forward is not necessarily a gloomy one. COVID-19 has changed much in society (as Jack alluded to), but in chaos is opportunity, and as we see the interrelationships of tradition(s), art/music, economics and livelihood, we can perhaps solidify our strengths and shore-up our weaknesses. I think it was Socrates who said that he unexamined life is not worth living, Maybe he was right.