What a great thread! Ok I'll own up some times I do use a crib sheet I find that if I take the words along, for a new song, that I'm going to try out! If I fold them up the words and placing them in my back pocket whilst I sing the song helps.

Yes! the sing around situation is not helping people to learn the art of stagecraft. Singing one song and then waiting an hour to sing again will not teach any one how to give their performance some light and shade. The Art of singing one song that you know well and them following it by the one that you have just learned with the knowledge that you have the chance to sing another song to finish. Enabling you to recover if your new song is a little wobbly.

Going out on tour with Gordon Tyrrall and Then Dab Hand were I was able to perform the same set of song's to different audiences each night. Taught me the best way to deliver a particular song. If you have you're head in a book reading the words how can you relate to your audience (OK Les Barker but that is part of his stage craft/act). We are toying with the idea of running a performers club with booked guests and support acts. This is precisely because I agree with quite a lot of the sentiments that have already been added to this thread. The chances are that we will fail however at least we will have tried to give an opportunity to the wealth of young talent that is languishing about in musicians session's with no small venues to practice their art.

That said I should stick up for people who for one reason or another use a songbook. They us a book because they are unable for whatever reason can't remember the word's. I don't use a book for lot's of reasons one is because I am Dyslexic for me to try and read and sing the words straight from a book would be a disaster. I was as a boy threatened with the church choir dispensing with my services. Because by the time I had found the Hymn in the book the choir was on the last verse. If you do not use a book and you are able to remember the words with a little effort your singing/performance will improve.

The advantage that Dyslexia gives me is that although I have no short-term memory my long-term memory is very large. This means that if I learn a song and place it into my long-term memory it stays there.

Although I would never directly criticise anyone using a "songbook"! I did decide to take the Mickey out of the singers at the Tap and Spile Session Sunday Nights in Whitby. Along I went with the Digital Tradition loaded into my Laptop. However this backfired because when Angi Haywood was telling someone about the Tap and Spile Session and saying that they should come along. He replied "Oh no I have been there and they take thing's far too seriously! They all have songbooks! AND ONE BLOKE HAD A LAPTOP!"

There has be room for both! However if you need a book just remember that you will not be able to deliver the song to the best of your ability. If you are playing an instrument and singing that goes double. If your excuse is that you need to be able to sing different songs each week. This is due to your because of your small insular audience. Then surly you must consider how one of your other singers will feel if you end up singing out of a book a song that he or she has just spent 3 weeks learning to sing it without. Oh and please, please if you are a club organiser turn some of your sing-arounds into singers-nights. Ban the Books on these nights and book some local talent to give the night some roots on which you can grow some more talent. That said my real hate is not the books it's the daft bat that thought up theme nights! But that another thread! Cheers it will be nice to see you all at the Moore and Coast! With or without your song books.