Hi, Hootenanny - note that the new verse was written by Jim Lucas, an American expat in Denmark. I made a tour of England in 2002, and Mudcatters took me to many pubs - all with singing and no formica and such. I haven't been to England since then, but I've been to Scotland and Northern Ireland several times - last visit was 2019. I think there's truth in Ian Robb's song, but I've been to many good singing pubs in Scotland.
I went to a singaround in Dublin on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a confo (Confirmation) party in another part of the pub playing disco music. We couldn't hear ourselves sing, so we all left and found another pub.
Another time, Martin Ryan took me to a pub sing near the Guinness brewery. Frank Harte was one of the singers there. It was great to hear those old guys sing, but it was very hard to hear over the noise of the younger crowd gathered at the bar.
-Joe-