Richard Bridge:

Tootler, I use them because they work well for my voice on the songs in question and for my guitar parts in question.

I would accept that if you had not said in a previous thread that you chose obscure keys deliberately to put would be accompanists off. I can understand the irritation of having someone try to accompany you when you have worked out an accompaniment for that particular song. I just think it is more honest to ask them to desist. I've seen it happen in a singaround and it did not spoil the evening, in fact it set a clear marker - don't accompany unless invited.

Mind you, unofficial accompanists are nowhere near as irritating as those who sing the song you are singing half under their breath. Especially if they are singing a different version.

mg

Someone else said don't let any instrumets in except guitars.

How about don't let any instruments in, especially not guitars :-)

...if it is an endless goround of solos, that is great for people who want audiences for their solos

In the UK, the norm is "round the room" in turns. The singer whose turn it is will choose a song and sing it. It is expected that the others in the room are free to join in any choruses and also you find that many clubs have conventions where every one will sing certain verses, or particular lines of some songs, but the person whose turn it is sings the song rather than leads the song. We don't really have the kind of group sings you seem to have in the US.

Our singarounds are not really about "audiences for your solos", though I am sure that is the case for some, but about swapping songs (for want of a better phrase).