I have been singing for years but no longer gig regularly. Remarkably when I'm asked to sing nowadays folk ask for the songs I sung 20 years ago or more What's even more remarkable is I'd have sworn they weren't listening all those years ago. A trick (I suppose you'd call it) I used to use was to start the set with the slowest saddest song with the most amount of "singing" on it , These tended to make the audience nervous for me and they gave me "Best of order", , this gave me such a shot of adreneline that I could follow it with the loudest bawdiest most rollicking stuff in my repertoire and then I had them. However I didn't realise for years that they were paying attention . Just keep singing folkies in particular always listen sure most of them are there to support, learn and borrow in equal measure