...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.