Despite agreeing with many here I can't help but recall nighters 87-89 and thinking most I went to were as sparsely populated as nighters today, often moreso. I can recall a Blackburn with around 20 in. Some seem to elevate this era as a golden age.
I'm having more fun on the scene now than then and personally the variety and range of quality sounds are better, but then I've always had a wide taste in music. Positive news with the addition Alternator in Burton cropping up, again Midlands but positive nonetheless. Id say I've seen nighter atendendence rise over the last couple of years too.