Well Mrs Steve and I went to folk clubs for years in the 90s (more recently, sessions with a few songs) and we witnessed lots of eyes-tight-shut singers. She was making her way up to bed just now, and I brought up the issue. I asked her if she thought eyes shut equalled rudeness. She said she hadn't seen it as rudeness particularly, but considered that the culprits were somewhat up their own arses. She does have a way with words, does Mrs Steve...

I do think that when you're putting a song or a tune out there, you're putting it out there. The recipients do have a stake, entirely voluntarily, of course. You don't owe them anything, but they're not just experiencing a song, as on a CD, they're experiencing you and your delivery in its entirety. That includes those vital aspects of your demeanour that facilitate communication. You can be as arrogant as you like about your right to shut your eyes, but you can't blame the recipients if they see that as a barrier. We do communicate with each other with our eyes open, generally. I well remember my mum standing there with her arms folded, eyes shut, head shaking, steadfastly refusing my request for an ice cream/play out for a bit longer/stay up late. The eyes shut were part of the big final NO. Conditioning, innit...