I'm with Tom - I'm also considered as much a storyteller as a singer, but I try not to have long introductions for every song in the set and still reckon to get 8 or 9 songs into a 45 minute set.

I put the chat in for various reasons, and a major reason is to allow me to make the mental transition into a new song and new mood - and to enable the audience to do the same. I still remember a gig when I was at uni with the wonderful Sandy Denny. Not a single intro, and as a result I couldn't tell you even at the time which songs she sang. Great music, but unseparated and therefore for me at least lacking any "frame" or definition.

Anne