Hi Sam,

The best (and only) way I know how to memorize songs and music is by playing them over and over again. Get rid of the paperwork ASAP; that's going to force you to use your memory. Doesn't matter if you mess it up at first. You will know where you went wrong and correct it. The next time around you'll remember the spots you messed up and you'll remember what to play and/or sing. Repeat until song is memorized and move on to the next song. If you have mastered that one, play song one and two and continue learning song three.

Repeat process until the complete show is memorized. After that you just have to play all the songs every now and then to keep them at the ready. If you are planning to do a fixed set-list, it is worth to practice every song in that order every tim you practice. Not only will the songs sink in, but the set-list will be memorized too. This in turn will give you more self confidence during your gig.

Mike
www.mikewever.nl