Resident-guest ratio in folk clubs

Subject: RE: Resident-guest ratio
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 Jun 08 - 05:21 PM

Newtongrange Folk Club has been doing one guest night a month, with the other weeks being singarounds, for many years. Seems to work pretty well. The singarounds have a small fee that helps subsidize the guests without seeming extortionate. They also do regular features (songwriting competitions, theme nights) like the ones you've been involved in. They're the busiest of the folk clubs in small towns around Edinburgh so it seems to be a winning formula. I think Dunfermline FC operates the same way, they're not as busy but just as durable.

There's a large enough concentration of folk clubs around central Scotland that transport costs aren't a big deal, they often can be arranged into a mini-tour.

Subject: Resident-guest ratio
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jun 08 - 03:02 PM

I have been reading with some interest the threads on professional singing, earning a living, booking guests, keeping the tax-man from the door, etc.
It appears that some sort of panic seems to be setting in about the effect that rising petrol prices are having on clubs with a strong guest policy
Going through some old programmes of clubs I have been involved with, I would guestimate that in the main they nearly all booked a guest for one in every four club nights, if that; the main practice being to concentrate on resident evenings.
It was easy in The Singers Club as we had a team of experienced and skilled residents with large repertoires and instrumental skills, plus Ewan and Peggy, who could fill the place every time they appeared. We also had 'features', themed evenings on a subject, 'you name it, we'll singing it' nights, where audience members handed up topics for the residents to think up songs on, poetry and song sessions, etc.
I seem to remember that the guest-resident ration applied to other clubs in London - perhaps Tom and Barbara could confirm this (or not- as the case may be)?
It was certainly true of my early days in Manchester, but again, we had Harry Boardman, Terry Whelan, Tom Gillfellon, (the wonderful) Terry Griffiths and others going for us (Bryn?).
Wonder how all this compares with what's happening now?
Jim Carroll