The best-laid plans...

Milton Jones has had to pull out of March 19th for valid reasons. Watch this space for news of a replacement.

What's on next?

March 19th: Junior Simpson, Milton Jones and Jon Richardson - £14 per ticket

A quick aside

I went into town last night (Friday 13th) to meet up with Ben and catch Jim Smallman (MC from December) at Bambu, and then on to Late 'n' Live at the City Rooms. Jim was good, although I thought some of the audience were a little up their own rear-ends. Maybe that's just me being a stolid, down-to-earth Northern type. If you can't have a good belly-laugh when there's a comedian stood in front of you being funny. when can you? He over-ran his hour, possibly due to his natural enthusiasm. I came away wanting to go to the same McDonalds as him though.
On to the City Rooms. We got there just as Fred Macaulay was finishing his allotted time. John Bishop was compering - not someone I'd heard of before, but he was tremendously comfortable and chummy. Ideal really. The other two on the line-up were Hal and Tom, our two main guys from Thursday night. Now I know why the acts we're had so far have been so complimentary about the atmosphere at The Black Horse. The heckling last night wasn't just loud and annoying, it simply didn't even make sense. Luckily, Hal and Tom dealt quickly and efficiently with it.
I don't think I'm cut out for this late night malarkey, but it was worth it...and the struggle to stay awake beyond 9pm on Saturday night was a sign that I shouldn't do it too often.

Thursday 12th Feb, 2008 - a night to remember

Oh what a night! Unfortunately, there was a massive dump of snow over the midlands at about 6pm, so about 10 people didn't make it. That left a crowd of about 35 or so lucky, lucky people.

• Stu Wilde, who I've now ascertained is 6'9", was compering the night, and served us admirably all night with a mixture of anecdote and rapport. Later on, he also dealt very well with slightly delayed arrivals of the acts - but these things happen.
• Hal Cruttenden was first up. Having had about an hour to prepare (at least someone was early for once), he proved why he is touted as one of the best comedians working in the UK today. The audience were a little cool at first, unsure of how to act with too many empty seats in the room, but Hal soon got them going. Brilliant stuff - among my favourite moments was describing the person he appears to have swapped voices with. During the break after his act people were asking me, "haven't I seen him on the telly?" etc. I think they'll remember his name this time.
• A quick break, then Stu gave us a little more until Ryan Gough arrived, "fresh" from a student gig in Oadby. I would like to think we were a little closer to his target audience than the students. It certainly came over that way. For those that have seen Ryan before, you'll know that his humour comes more from the diverse life he seems to have led, and the curious jobs he's had, together with some bizarre work he has done in the advertising industry! His STD (dialling codes, not VD) knowledge was barely put to the test, and Newport (Isle of Wight) didn't even raise a sweat.
• Another little break for the audience to gain sustenance, followed by Stu introducing his mate from Lincoln, Louie Werth. Louie claims not to have been doing stand-up for terribly long (less than a year, if memory serves), but I think he's got some serious potential. He certainly didn't look out of place amongst "the big boys" (literally and metaphorically), and delivered some seriously big laughs. Nice one!
• Another 10 minutes of impromptu filling from Stu kept the audience well entertained until the arrival of Tom Wrigglesworth. Tom delivered nearly 45 minutes of pure comedy genius. My eyes and brain were literally hurting from laughing too much. A massive range of subjects, and huge range of comedy techniques, all delivered impeccably by this ranging, quiet young man. I have no idea how we are going to top this night of comedy.

I tell a lie - I have one idea. Next month, on March 19th, we are scheduled to see the coruscant line-up of Junior Simpson, Jon Richardson and Milton Jones. Don't ask how, just come along and be a witness to the finest line-up of comedy ever assembled in one shed.

The Rumour Mill Starts to Grind

Advance news of what's probably coming up in the next few months.

• On March 19th, comedy fans are in for another treat. Junior Simpson is already confirmed. Two other acts (I wish I could name them right here, right now, but that might jinx things before it's all signed in blood) seem probable, and would be of a phenomenal status for such a small gig. However, to get these guys, we may have to charge a little extra for such a special line-up.

• In May, Patrick Monahan ("High energy & conviction, his material is great; he's going (to go) far" - Sunday Times) and Alan Seaman are previewing their joint tour show. It'll be a bit different as you'll get maybe 50 minutes of each of them, and maybe a sliver of compere too. More details will obviously follow as I get them.
• On July 3rd, in conjunction with the Black Horse's beer festival weekend, the plan so far is to have a 120 seater marquee, and book a smattering of top-class acts. This would have to be an earlier start (say 7pm), in order to avoid too much late night noise. This is a residential area after all.
• As mentioned earlier, much of this is subject to confirmation, but I thought I'd let you know how plans are progressing.

Leicester Comedy Festival Part 2

Thursday 12th February 2008 will see a very strong line-up at The Black Horse. This could also be the tallest line-up ever assembled for a night of comedy:

• Stu Wilde (about 6'6", I would guess) as MC. He was with us in January, and proved his mettle. Judging from his previous performance, I'm really looking forward to his work as a compere.
• Ryan Gough (6'5") - A physically dominating figure, with a gentle way from what I've read. Sounds like an able and affable guy.
• Hal Cruttenden (about the 6' mark, probably) - Described by the LCF blurb as "one of the top comedians working in the UK today, as well as being a highly accomplished writer and actor" Say no more!
• Tom Wrigglesworth (over 6'6") - Again, to refer to the LCF blurb, "He’s taken the UK comedy circuit by storm and has already performed on ‘The World Stands Up’ and ‘The Comedy Store’ on Paramount and ‘Out to Lunch’ on BBC Radio 2."

A fantastic line-up for just £10, which might feature another act as yet to be confirmed. Certainly Hal and Tom are playing elsewhere for £10 each this week, so don't miss out on a night to remember.

Leicester Comedy Festival Part 1

In true Ben style, the line-up was pulled together into a finely-crafted jigsaw of comedy. As with all jigsaws, the odd piece goes missing, but turns up in the end. Eventually, this was the line-up for Saturday Feb 7th 2008:

• Gary O'Donnell was magnificent as MC for the night. Coming to us 3 months later than originally planned, it was a pleasure to have him working the shed at last. He truly enjoyed himself, and we truly enjoyed engaging with him in a way that only a local audience can. Gary is our own Peter Kay. His comedy is so Leicester-specific that he feels like family. It felt like he was just having a natter with us, his mates, down the pub. He carried on reminiscing with members of the audience after the show was over, in the yard.
• James Acaster was possibly in front of the wrong audience at the wrong time. His story-telling, his compulsive grudge-bearing, his quirkiness were all quality and I don't doubt that on other nights he has them rolling in the aisles. Probably his target audience would be younger than the assembled mass on Saturday, which was unfortunate for him. I hope he perseveres with stand-up, because he's really quite inventive. I was half expecting the set I've watched on youtube, and got something completely different, so his writing ability is in no doubt.
• Matt Price usually does an act in which the audience hangs on his every word as he weaves his story-telling magic (or so other reviews say). For this audience, he wisely abandoned that plan, and just talked with them for 20 minutes. Yes, 20 minutes of pure banter with no jokes as such, really. Abso-blummin-lutely brilliant! I'll never forget Maureen.
• Ashley Frieze was next up to try and deal with the gaggle of audience members who seemd to think they were in their own sitting room watching the telly. To have people comment loudly on every line of a song is hard, but Ashley bit his tongue, persevered and delivered some great musical comedy material.

I missed about half of Ashley's set, unfortunately, as I was helping Ben (who was looking possibly a little stressed at this point) to organise the timings of the remaining acts so that nobody missed other appointments. The original headliner, Nick Page, had had to pull out of the LCF due to travel difficulties caused by the weather. His replacement also pulled out with about 6 hours to spare. I still don't know why, so I won't mention the name as there may have been contractual obligations elsewhere. When Ben told me who had stepped in at the last minute, I was stunned. So, next up was...

• Henning Wehn, The German Comedy Ambassador to the United Kingdom. I'd been aware of Henning since I'd heard him on Radio 2 early last year. What a star. He takes being German to a level that makes it priceless comedy. However, by being German, and applying the clinical strategies of logic and efficiency, his comedy stabs a bayonet into the side of British culture and society. Some of the material, if you saw it written down, you might think offensive; but delivered by Henning, it was comedy heaven. Four world cups and one world pope!
• Isma Almas was bumped up to headline position, a position she has every right to fill I should add. Firstly, before I mention her act, I must just say what a lovely person she is. It was an absolute pleasure to meet her. In comedy terms, she is simply top drawer, and more than worthy of the praise and awards she has received elsewhere. I'd had a couple of small sherries by that stage of the night, so I can't go into too much detail, but I think Samaritans should take a leaf out of her (and her mother's) book!
  

I should say something about the "odd audience" I've mentioned, but I think everyone that was there knows what I mean, so I'll leave it. Onwards and upwards for Only Fools and Black Horses. Another fine night of comedy approaches on Thursday. As Henning Wehn said when he saw the poster - "That's a great line-up. Amazing to see Hal Cruttenden not headlining" I think that speaks volumes for what's in stall on Thursday

...and a Happy New Year

January has come around, 2009 looms large ahead of us, so what better than some comedy to set the ball rolling on the 15th, before the credit card bills come flying in:

• Rick Giddings took charge of the proceedings for the night as MC. My voice was heard for the first time on the mic. All I did was introduce Rick and I got booed. Familiarity breeds contempt, I suppose. Anyway, Rick led from the front and took the audience along with him. Very capable MCing, assisted by some great amateurs in the front row!
• Anthony King is excellent. He really is. His awkward, squirming style, and slightly dour aspect conceal a mind as keen as a scalpel. Another of the acts that still makes me giggle slightly when I think back to things like the headless routine.
• Phil Irving - A little similar in style to Anthony, but as they weren't consecutive on the bill, that wasn't a problem. Very good set, well-received.
  
• Ben Ennis delivered his work gently and warmly. Not all of his tricks paid off on the night which was a shame, as the material was worth more than the audience rewarded him with. I loved the donkey story; perhaps Ben might have slowed it down a little for greater effect, though.
• Stu Wilde opened very strongly and immediately drew in his audience with his local newspaper headline. Being rather tall (I'm 6'3" and he dwarfed me) gives quite a bit of scope for material, but I'm happy to say that Stu didn't rely on it; in fact, it was hardly mentioned in his set, which entertained hugely (sorry!). One thing's for sure...there's a certain pub in South Wigston that none of the audience will be in a hurry to visit after Stu's experience!
• Rob & Skatz were the headliners for the night. A double act of musical insanity. How neither of them got injured leaping around in such a confined space is beyond me, but thankfully they both survived intact through their set. This was their first gigtogether for a month, but it didn't show as they were polished, hilarious and well worthy of their headline status.

Yet again, Ben booked a fantastic night of quality entertainment for us, and we all felt we'd really been treated to a proper show.

A Very Merry Christmas

OK, so it wasn't quite Christmas, but it was my dad's birthday. Incidentally, November's comedy night was my mum's birthday - and I didn't invite either of them. How mean.
Almost everything went to plan for December 11th 2008, but as with all things live and laughterful, something was bound to crop up, but it was only one amendment to the line-up, which was:

• Jim Smallman was the MC for the night. I think he was a little surprised by the venue ("a ****ing shed" was his description, I believe - not far off the truth really), but he quickly got the audience on-side and by the end of the night, both he and the audience had bonded as if they'd known each other all their lives. I'm sure Jim will remember "Dave" for a while for one of the most off-the-wall sections of banter I've ever seen.
• Big D started the night off well. Big by name, big in stature and the big laughs he deserved were hindered a little, probably, by my own mistake. I didn't have the PA turned up enough, so I think some people were struggling to hear him.
• Annette Fagon hushed the room instantly by launching into a routine on smear tests. I think many men in the room went away knowing more about smear tests than ever before, and probably more than they ever wanted to! That's not to say Annette wasn't funny. She was. Very. I will never forget the fashion advice proffered by her niece. It's one of those persisting mental images that pops up every now and then, and makes me smile every time.
• Ray Kane came on after the first interval, with some great material, well-presented. Every reviewer mentions the "hoodie" song, and rightly so - top class. I think Ray was a little taken aback to discover afterwards that Wayne Rooney's uncle was in the audience, although I expect his credibility would have made him keep the gags in the act anyway, if he'd known beforehand.
• Lou Chawner was the second act of the middle "half" of the gig. You could be mistaken for thinking that Lou is perhaps a little too laidback, and his humour a little drawn out. In my opinion, he pulls the audience so nicely into his world that the punchlines hit harder than if they were delivered in a more flippant manner. Unfortunately, I missed about half of his set as I had to attend to beer (it's a dirty job etc...).
• This month's surprise, for me at least, was Pete Teckman from Northampton, who replaced Ben Briggs at short notice. Very comfortable in his performance. Managed to exceptional feat of appearing just to be chatting to us, rather than performing. A 10 minute set of great quality, delivered extremely confidently. The surprise came later when Pete told me he'd only been doing stand-up for 9 months or so. He seems to be a natural and I'd recommend his act to anyone.
• Finally came Christian Reilly, fresh from a popular comedy venue in town. He schmoozed into his act with some lovely banter with the front rows. Finding a Polish guy on the front row, working in a bakery was too good an opportunity for him to miss, so his actual set didn't start until about closing time! His blend of charm, wit, cruel humour and musical mastery left people physically in pain from laughing so hard. Absolutely brilliant headliner, who hung about afterwards chatting till the we small hours. I knew I'd just enjoyed a real treat.

So, two gigs down and a January gig to prepare for. Early notices from Ben were that he'd lined up some good acts for January, but nothing finalised at that point.

Only 3 months late...

Well, I think the time has come to provide some commentary on the progress of the comedy club here at the Black Horse.
We started with our first gig on 20th November 2008. The line-up was:

• MC: Alan Seaman - Being fairly local helped Alan build a good rapport with an audience that was very much not experienced in the world of the comedy club, so were possibly a little unprepared for how to respond. Alan worked well throughout the night, especially as he was a very last minute replacement for Gary O'Donnell, who had to attend to his dog who had sadly become very ill. In fact, Alan stepped in at only about 3 hours' notice!
• Paul Savage warmed the audience up quite nicely. With it being 3 months ago, I'm struggling to remember too many details, but he was certainly well-received by the slightly reserved audience.
• Johnny "Showaddywaddy" Sorrow was the most unexpected hit of the night. Slightly off-kilter, hugely endearing, and with a fantastically well-rehearsed act, he took the place by storm. His 10-minute slot lasted at least 20 minutes, due to restarting from the very beginning when someone returned from the loo...twice!! Fantastic.
• Pete Smith & Steve Dunne from the Derby area ushered us nicely through the second session. Nothing too outrageous, and some very nicely crafted material from both of them. I have fond memories of the sheep, but that's another story. Steve Dunne has already written about this night on his own site
  
• Charlie Chuck was our headliner. What can be said about him that hasn't been said before? Not a lot, really. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's certainly mine. It was nice that he came out of character for a few minutes and shared some anecdotes about his career.
  

All-in-all, I was stunned at the quality of the acts that we had, an MC and 5 comedians, all for a tenner, and everyone was eagerly looking forward to December's gig.

The Oblogatory Introduction

Welcome to the "blog" for Only Fools and Black Horses, the (mostly) monthly comedy club hosted at The Black Horse, Aylestone, Leicester

You can find more info on the pub at philspub.co.uk and more on the comedy club at philspub.co.uk/comedy