Still, you only learn to perform by ... performing. That's where, for a new performer, occasionally getting up for a floorspot and making an a**e of it helps. You never want to mess up so badly again, and it spurs you on to polish your act.

Well said, GUEST. I agree with the general principle that only people who (appear to) have reached a certain standard of competence should perform on guest nights, when there are paying punters who are entitled to a reasonably professional standard of entertainment for their entrance fee.

But prohibiting people from singarounds seems daft to me - if people can't try things out in public at these, then where are they expected to do it?

I know from my own experience that no amount of practice "in the shower" is enough - there's a huge difference between getting it perfect at home, and then trying it out in public (as I know to my cost). Singarounds to me are the ideal place to try out new songs (whether you wrote them yourself or are just playing them in public for the first time). It's a chance to get feedback on how well the song will go down, and a chance to try it out without the pressure from doing a floor spot in front of a paying audience.

Singarounds are a good chance for club organisers to assess newcomers, before they give thema floor spot. I think it works well both for organisers and aspiring performers.