Tonight's Mostly Comedy was the perfect way to kick off our 2019 season, thanks to an exceptional line-up and a sold-out crowd who were with us from the get-go, giving the gig a boost that left me optimistic for the year ahead.
For one, we had Phil Kay and Arthur Smith on the same bill, which any comedy aficionado would tell you is a very promising start point. On top of this we had the fab Katie Pritchard (who's one of the hardest-working people I know, always jumping from gig to gig) who was on sparkling form. The only fly-in-the-ointment was we were Glyn-less, as he was company-managing the adult panto tour in Dudley (lucky him), but despite his absence, the show was a slick problem-free affair, which is always a relief when I'm running it alone.
Not that I was alone, really. First off, my friend (and one of the first acts to perform at the club when we kicked off in 2008) Stephen Halliday came down from his midlands base (which makes him sound like an evil genius) to assist where he could, which included coming on to sing the song with me at the top of the show. There then followed a bit of business with him defiantly asserting he was Glyn for me to put him in his place, pulling up slides of Doggett onscreen to prove him wrong. Before the show I got the impression there were quite a few new people in, so the reaction when they realised Glyn had been usurped was pleasing; maybe they pay attention to us after all.
On top of this, longtime regular (and ex-Comet editor) John Francis volunteered to assist on the door, which helped take the pressure off. Finally, our new sound guy Billy did a great job again, which is one of the most vital aspects of the evening; comedy quickly turns to awkwardness without good enough audio clarity for people to enjoy it without subliminally stretching forward to hear the detail.
As for the show itself, it was great. We went up fifteen minutes late, which is pretty much the norm, except for the added reason that Phil's train was delayed (I kept receiving text updates of his whereabouts, thus compounding the drama). Phil being Phil made the journey from the station to the venue an anecdote in itself. Prior to kickoff I spotted two industrial ladders in the bar we were using as a backstage space and predicted Phil would bring one on with him for his set and was inevitably vindicated; if only my skill for predicting the movements of my favourite comedian had a more practical use than damage limitation.
Not content with hunting down the venue's DIY equipment, Phil was on sparkling form. His knack for storytelling was a joy as ever. It also made way nicely for Arthur's set, in which he used his distinctive voice to its fullest. What with him, Phil and Katie, we had the raw material for a great night. The only bind was the packdown, but who enjoys that?
For one, we had Phil Kay and Arthur Smith on the same bill, which any comedy aficionado would tell you is a very promising start point. On top of this we had the fab Katie Pritchard (who's one of the hardest-working people I know, always jumping from gig to gig) who was on sparkling form. The only fly-in-the-ointment was we were Glyn-less, as he was company-managing the adult panto tour in Dudley (lucky him), but despite his absence, the show was a slick problem-free affair, which is always a relief when I'm running it alone.
Not that I was alone, really. First off, my friend (and one of the first acts to perform at the club when we kicked off in 2008) Stephen Halliday came down from his midlands base (which makes him sound like an evil genius) to assist where he could, which included coming on to sing the song with me at the top of the show. There then followed a bit of business with him defiantly asserting he was Glyn for me to put him in his place, pulling up slides of Doggett onscreen to prove him wrong. Before the show I got the impression there were quite a few new people in, so the reaction when they realised Glyn had been usurped was pleasing; maybe they pay attention to us after all.
On top of this, longtime regular (and ex-Comet editor) John Francis volunteered to assist on the door, which helped take the pressure off. Finally, our new sound guy Billy did a great job again, which is one of the most vital aspects of the evening; comedy quickly turns to awkwardness without good enough audio clarity for people to enjoy it without subliminally stretching forward to hear the detail.
As for the show itself, it was great. We went up fifteen minutes late, which is pretty much the norm, except for the added reason that Phil's train was delayed (I kept receiving text updates of his whereabouts, thus compounding the drama). Phil being Phil made the journey from the station to the venue an anecdote in itself. Prior to kickoff I spotted two industrial ladders in the bar we were using as a backstage space and predicted Phil would bring one on with him for his set and was inevitably vindicated; if only my skill for predicting the movements of my favourite comedian had a more practical use than damage limitation.
Not content with hunting down the venue's DIY equipment, Phil was on sparkling form. His knack for storytelling was a joy as ever. It also made way nicely for Arthur's set, in which he used his distinctive voice to its fullest. What with him, Phil and Katie, we had the raw material for a great night. The only bind was the packdown, but who enjoys that?