hi

This is a thread that has been ( sorta) covered before.

I have never had any difficulty in memorising the words to sings that I want to sing......and many others that I didn't deliberately memorise....they just stick.

However what sometimes I did find difficult was remembering how to start to song off. eg the first line. So I used to carry a book with all the first lines of the songs that I had painstakingly recorded and filed over the years.

When I had decided what I was going to sing on any particular night I made out a card with the first lines of the songs that I wanted to sing.
I made a see-through pouch that I attached to the back of my guitar and I had no problems with consulting it if I had a problem. I would just twitter ( not computer ) away while I found what I wanted.

With regards to your question. If the difference is that without the book you wouldn't get up to sing then by all means use it. If it were me I would get a telescopic music stand ( I have one ) and would make it obvious that I was going to use the book. Use it as part of your props. Don't be guilty about it - just give it your best and most of all ENJOY IT. That way you will find that most of the audience will enjoy it too.

Regards

Mike