I reckon it's mainly what Jeri said about people getting in the habit of talking through the telly.

And there's also the amazing way people can tune out completely sounds which aren't seen by them as relevant - you know the way - you're listening to some song or piece of music and really getting pulled in by it. And the person next to you turns to you and starts some conversation without any consciousness they're breaking into something thta's rally significant. And then you find ourself doing just the same on another occasion.

I think living in a world where we're being hit all the time by Muzak and other meaningless noise goes a long way to explain this kind of thing. If you paid attention to everything that's around you, you'd go crazy.

Most of the time when I'm singing it tends to be in pub sessions where it's fair enough that some of the people are there to talk with mates rather than to listen to som,eone singing, and it's fair enough that you have to put up with that. (And hope maybe that some neighbour is going to say "Would you shut up a minute - I'm listening to that fella singing"

But in concerts and public events there's a right to expect some silence. My experience is that folk audiences tend to be quite forceful in shutting up the noisy ones. People in Theatres and Cinemas tend to be a bit more embarrassed to ask for silence.

But when it comes to asking for silence, I don't think it's the right approach to come over sarky or sneery. Polite and direct, but making it clear that this isn't a request, it's a requirement, that seems much more apppropriate.