Will - I can actually put up with inadequate singing, poor instrumental playing, lacklustre performance, etc. But when that is coupled with having the chords/words/dots in front of you - that's when I put down me pint and say "Enough is enough".

I do agree. I'm blessed with a retentive memory, and I can count the times I've used words to perform with on one finger (and that was a poem rather than a song - the notes seem to help things along). So I do have to remind myself to have a bit of patience with people who find it harder to learn long and fiddly songs. But when it's three chords and three verses (and one of them's a repeat), and you're taking it at a nice steady pace so that you'd have plenty of time to remember the next line if you did dry up, I really do start to wonder what that music stand is for.

People still clap though, that's the thing. I think Nick's put his finger on it - different clubs find their own level.

I agree with Howard too - drying up happens. I used to do an unaccompanied version of Nick Drake's song Which Will - nice simple tune, only two verses, and if you nail the first verse and get people's attention you can finish off by getting quieter and quieter, which is always a good effect. Anyway, one night I got a song in the second half when I wasn't expecting it, got up & launched into Which Will. It went fine until the end of the first verse, and then... nothing. All I knew was that it was Which something... When I realised it wasn't going to come, I just went and sat down again. Then I went back next week & did something else.