Some very interesting points in this thread. While I sympathise with Harvey, I can see the other side of the situation.
Treewind makes some good points, especially emphasising 'Folk Clubs' which seem to a unknown quantity too our American friends.
In my experience most folk clubs I have visited are run by a resident group or panel of resident singers. When there are no guests booked these artists form the backbone of the evenings entertainment supplemented by 'floor singers'. ie:- anyone who wants to have a go. When a guest is booked they 'fill around' the paid Artist. At some clubs they allow floor singers on guest nights, at some not.
Concets & P.A's were mentioned in this thread, most folk clubs are not concerts & a lot of clubs don't have a P.A. but clubs are so varied, I can think of two clubs in the N.W. of England which typify such diversity.
One I consider more of a concert venue because they have no involvement with the audience (no floor singers, ever, & big names every week) & another very small club which books artists occasionally.
Whatever the type of club, if a Artist turns up, dissapears , and then arrives back just in time to do their spot, I feel this could ailienate an audience and doesn't give the artist a chance to evaluate the mood of the audience or see what type of music is played there ie:- trad or contemorary or a mixure. Therefore both the artist & audience have less time to create an empathy with each other.
The artists which Treewind refer to are good examples, to which must be added the Boss Man himself Martin Carthy, not only a supreme proffesional but a valuable member of the audience.
Cheers
Les Brown