Mostly Morriss & Acaster.

I found yesterday’s Mostly Comedy frustrating, though this was probably more to do with my mindset, than the gig itself.

James Acaster at last night's Mostly (photos by Gemma Poole)

It was an exceptional line-up, with Mostly old-timer James Acaster making his first appearance at the club in a couple of years to preview his new show, and an acoustic set from The Bluetones’ exceptional (and thoroughly nice) Mark Morriss to round things off. It was nice to see James again, having not crossed paths for a while, and my kid inside was all worked up to hear Mark’s distinctive voice ringing out in our venue. When I introduced his set, I made reference to the fact that I have a clear memory of my old band Big Day Out jamming our way through the Bluetones’ song Solomon Bites the Worm in the front room of our then-guitarist’s house, when I was just seventeen (not the magazine). If you told me then that I’d one day play host to their frontman at my own club, I would have (1) questioned how you got in Rich’s house, (2) how you were privy to this information, and (3) why you felt the need to spoil this happy ending; life is improved by the occasional unexpected twist.

Mark Morriss.

So what was the root of frustration, I hear you ask? I just found myself a little irked by the fact the gig ran late, and that the audience seemed a little confused by proceedings. Things started well, then got a tiny bit strained as the night went on, perhaps partly because the crowd may have been a little irritated by the long queue to get to the bar to buy an interval drink, leading to an extended break and a later finish. I did ten or fifteen minutes of solo stand-up before Mark went on, to try and run in some more new material, but felt acutely aware of the tiredness and slight uncomfortableness of the room. I signposted this a little too much, through being pretty shattered myself, creating more awkwardness, and slowing things down before Mark’s set. Oh well; it was still very useful for me, plus Mark finished things off perfectly. We had a nice long chat with him after the gig, which made up for not recording the podcast. We decided to not do it, to give us one less thing to think about, which is a shame in hindsight, as we were both particularly keen to interview him...but there’s always next time. At least by then, we should be more settled in the new venue.

Channelling The Krays.

Before the gig, we showed a short video clip of Paul Daniels’ appearance at November’s Mostly Comedy as a tribute. Watching it back, I was struck by just how razor-sharp he still was. Seeing it again was bitter-sweet. I’m honoured that we got to meet and play host to him. It’s a night I’ll always treasure; my God, the man was good.

It's only bloody Glyn Doggett.

Not The Bayeux One.

The Carole King album Tapestry has been my 'getting-ready-in-the-morning' soundtrack for the past few weeks. It's been a favourite album ever since I was a student, which makes for a pleasantly gentle way to usher in the start of a day. I've always been a fan of a well-crafted song, which is something of a Carole King hallmark, ever since she started writing with her first husband in the early Sixties. Tapestry may be an unimaginative choice for a favourite LP, as it suggests I haven't delved that far into her career, but it's still an undoubted classic; anything with '(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman', 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' and 'You've Got A Friend' on it can't really fail; if nothing else, it proves she likes writing songs with long titles. Next month, she's set to perform the album live in its entirety for the first time at a gig in Hyde Park, which I would have loved to have gone to, if it weren...

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera...

Hitchin is Mine.

As of six o’clock tonight, I take over the Hitchin is Yours Twitter account for a week; a stewardship I’m anxious to get right. I’m proud of my hometown. It’s a great place to live, with so much going for it. I've always sold it to my non-Hitchinite friends; so much so, that a lot have gone on to move here. Any town expansion plans are partly my fault. Feel free to picket outside my house. I love its history and architecture. Take St Mary’s Church, for example. The building is beautiful inside and out, and huge for a town of our size. There has been a place of worship on site since the 7 th Century. Much of the present building dates from the 1300s. You wouldn't get that in America. (Don't forget the British Schools Museum too.) Hitchin is a hive for creative people and a hub for the arts. It boast two theatres, two comedy clubs, a couple of art galleries, a festival for world music and a thriving music scene. This drew...

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