I have been involved with music and singing for over forty years.
I cant think of a day[apart from when I was ill],that I havent played or sang,today I must have spent three hours playing and practising,I consider myself privileged to still be able to do so.
not everyone is as fortunate as myself.
it is great to see people making their own music,but it is important for all performers to set themselves standards.
if someone occassionally forgets a word[it happens to everyone],it is acceptable,we are not machines ,but I feel it is much better not to have a set of printed words.
lets cast our minds back to the heyday of folk clubs,you had to get to the club early to get a floor spot,you had to be good to get a floorspot the next week.
furthermore no one had crib sheets,or performed with printed words.
standards were high,clubs were full.
clubs were well organised,a weak performer would be followed by a strong resident,it was a system that worked.
I would like to repeat that as a guest at someones club,I would consider it ill mannered to say anything to any performer,who used printed words.,IF they asked my opinion,I would try and explain my viewpoint.
admittedly the scene has changed,there are a lot more singaround clubs than there used to be,but even in this more amateuer environment, isnt it better to strive towards a higher standard.
To make the effort to perform without a script.,and fail, is better[In my book] than not trying at all.
I would rather hear a performer with a limited repertoire perform the same songs if he/she did them well,than see someone give new songs a lifeless rendition from a script.
I am not saying that it is impossible,to perform well with a script,it is in my experience rare.