Thanks guys!

I know the melodies, no problem. I just can't remember all the right lyrics or the chord changes needed. Maybe it is because I am working from lyric & chord sheets on the computer screen? They work fine but my memory just won't hold. It is interesting that sometimes I can't even remember the songs I am working on when I am not in front of the computer. Kind of like trying to think of a song in a bar when another song is being played?

I did think to watch videos on YouTube of the greats performing the songs before I played them so that maybe I could visualise them while playing but that hasn't helped. Last night I was with a friend and we thought maybe it is because they are on screen and not on paper? Maybe by actually handwriting them down that might fix them in my memory? My friend suggested actually making key words of each verse and then boiling those down. It worked for me at university... I have 6 weeks to go and so 2 songs a week to burn into my brain. Into my second week now and for the first week I worked on just 2 songs over and over again, this week I am doing the first 2 songs once or twice through before I work on this week's two, thus building up my list in the right order. And so on...

Checked in with a pro session guitarist in Nashville earlier today and he confirmed that many Nashville pros still use song sheets on stage (seems a bit strange to me but if he says so he should know).

Here's the set list for those interested (line up will be me on vox and guitar plus a flautist and a bodran player):

1 Christmas In Killarney
2 Whiskey In The Jar
3 Danny Boy (guitar and flute only)
4 Dirty Old Town
5 Wild Rover
6* Garry Owen

pause

7 Star Of The County Down
8 Seven Drunken Nights
9 Will Ye Go Lassie Go (maybe just flute?)
10 As I Roved Out
11 Molly Malone
12** Fairytale of New York

first end

13 Fields Of Athenry
14 An Irish Lullaby (a capella)
15 Drunken Sailor

Repetition, repetition, repetition... Maybe the hand writing might work?

Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

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Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what