This all reminds me of why I left the folk scene.

It's full of precious performers who don't learn their songs and have to resort to crib sheets and bore the pants of the audience.

Many folk floor singers no longer have the ability to capture the audience with their music because they are not used to playing to 'live' audiences. They expect silence and attention when their performances seldom warrant it.

People usually talk, eat crisps etc because they are bored! It's the performer's job to engage them.

Try the open mic scene or a real pub with real people for crying out loud!