So last night was our first night @ The King George V in Walsall, and what a night it was.
The show was set to start at 8pm, by 8:02pm, we had 4 audience and 6 acts... then what can only be described as a BUS LOAD turned up paid and sat down for comedy! 30 punters in a room that is set to hold 50 and the atmosphere was buzzing.
This was billed as a Comedy night in aid of Comic Relief and first off I would like to say a great big thank you to all the acts that performed and made this night a cracker of a first gig in a new venue.
Aaron Twitchen open the night with his amazing style that has put him firmly on circuit as a fantastic comic and one that any promoters out there should book to open your nights, he had great audience banter and all of his act had the crowd in belly laughter throughout.
Rob Jackson was up next, an old comedy friend of ours who started with all us "Half Doggers" on the same course. He's had a break from the comedy but came back recently with the same charm and fantastic lines that we loved about him at the start, Rob ended the 1st section to much applause so well done Rob for taking the plunge and coming back on the circuit.
Little break and up next was Dan Palmer, someone that I have never seen before (and was on due to driving Liam Jones to the gig), had a great spot and again had the audience hanging on his every word and laughter filled the room.
Liam Jones was up next and being the "uncle we don't like to talk about" to us Half Doggers (he ran the course that we all did) it was great to finally see his act after nearly a year of not seeing it, loads of chatting and audience participation and his final sing along song got the entire room singing back to him.
Harriet Dyer was up next and as always she smashed the room apart with some fantastic lines and amazing insights into her life (I like to think we helped her along by winning our Gong Show at the Wharf a few months back). The crowd loved her and she was a fantastic end to the second section.
Joke competition during the break and Rob Jones (who did brilliantly as the compere as this was his compering virginity being broken), used amazing comic timing to give the jokes the energy that they needed, even if he couldn't read some of them due to bad writing or his own dyslexia.
Headlining the night was Tom Roche and as always Tom was a pleasure to have at the gig even before he went on, great supporter of new/experienced acts with some great advise offered to all on how to improve, what worked and what he thought was brilliant.
Tom went on and was ever the professional , mixing material with audience banter brilliantly and really getting the "Rob Jones work mates hecklers" involved in his act, more to shut them up really, but was dealt with by Tom in a fantastic way. Tom again is a brilliant act and should be booked by anyone that is looking for a great closer.

So that's it really, great night raising nearly £100 in aid of Comic Relief. Looking forward to the next one, Friday April 29th 2011. King George V, Wallows Lane, Walsall. On the day of the Royal Wedding!

:-(

The run has ended!

That is all

Thank you

Hello all!
Its again been sometime, and if anyone is reading this then sorry and you probably think I've fallen off the planet somewhere!

So I've had a run of fantastic gigs, not wishing to blow my own trumpet (but you have to when you also have a run of REALLY bad gigs!).

The run started in Ravenstone on Feb 9th. A lovely new gig for the East Midlands and was brilliantly supported by the local people who where all there to laugh, which always makes things easier! Tried out more new stuff than I was orginally going to and it went down really well, so thats staying in!
I didn't gig much between the 9th and the end of Feb, I went on holiday instead. But then the run continued with a fantastic gig at The Gladstone in Nottingham compered by a comedic friend Chris Stokes, there was only 3 of us on, me being the middle open spot between the amazing Caroline Mabey and superb Elis James and again this night was amazing, crowd loved to laugh and again everything goes down brilliantly, even when the jokes failed, pointing out that it failed made the room fill with laughter!

Next up was me compering a night at Carters Bar in Kiddiminster, this started off ok. Good audience interaction with the "up for it punters" and some great banter with the pissed guy that left during my first section. It all got scary after some "newbies" turned up just as I introduced Rob Coleman to the stage. A young couple who had clearly been drinking since about 11years old and my word they were loud! Rob dealt with them professionally but I got annoyed at them when the male shouted "I'm better than you mate" during Robs set.
So in true "non-confrontational" style I took the mic and engaged him, starting with light banter about him not being able to shutup etc. I asked if he wanted a go, as he thought he was so good which he declined. Then having been asked by the venue to leave as he was to drunk he turned to the stage and asked ME to tell them to keep serving him. Now, in hindsight, I shouldn't have turned on him, but I did, and I told him that I thought he best leave as he was "abit of a c**t". Jesus did THAT not go down well. The exchange that then took place was nothing more than a blur, he tried to out do me, but (IMHO) I think I killed everything he said. Once ejected he kicked off at the bar maid, whose boyfriend was in the crowd and was soon shoving this guy out the door, the doors were then locked and the police called..... not before he told me he was going to "got get his dad(?), to beat the shit into me".

After this we all bonded with the audience and the rest of the night was amazing, particular highlights being Dave Baggott revised set and Al Grants amazing musical headline act!

So thats it, off to Cannock tonight to support a Billy Connelly (tribute), hoping to keep this run going, but as we all know as comedians it will all come to an end with a bump of a bad gig, but at present I'm riding high, hoping that good things come in more than threes.... like jelly babies!

Pip Pip