Red Lion (144) - H'Okay Mate.

Back at the Red Lion again tonight, although last nights performance will be difficult to replicate - it was a wonderful evening (very odd for a Tuesday), and plenty of people in. One of the horrible things about playing the Red Lion lots is that you get used to very apathetic audiences who tend to sit arms folded, with a defensive "make me laugh then" attitude. Last night was different... lots of lovely people in who laughed and laughed all evening... even at Joel Elnaugh.

Matt Blaize opened - he was very good, trying out a whole load of new stuff, so that got the evening off to an unexpectedly great start. He was followed by Griff Griffiths, again trying out new stuff mixed with some old favourites - he was so bloody loud, but had the audience in stiches. So, when Phil called a break everybody bar two miserable people in the front row, stayed.

I opened the second half. I must admit I was feeling very tired, the shortfall of lack of sleep going back to Sunday night's Exeter gig was a major factor. But this helped me massively, because i've developed this knack over the last year and a half of playing a gig depending on my mood - tonight I was a bit of a stoner. It helped the material sound much more personal, and as some people pointed out i was more myself than usual, and so as a result got many more laughs than I could have predicted.

So... me happy. Jimmy McGhie went on after me and was brilliant - I only remember the butane gas thing from his set, but some other new stuff was equally as awesome. Helen Keen closed the half doing only 5 mins of new stuff - I asked her why she only did five, when she was booked for ten and she told me it was to get the new stuff out. I said, why not do old stuff and new stuff and do ten minutes... I think she took this on board. She's going to be a great comic.

Another break, still the audience persevered with the very happy and energetic Mr. Klein as compere. On came Robin Cousins trying some new stuff, some which worked, some not. Following him was the legend that is Joel Elnaugh... in fact, I think its the best I've ever ever seen him - he was just completely shit. The South African bloke sat next to me at the back and asked if it was for real... I said "yes, he is fucking rubbish", and he burst out laughing.

Terry Saunders closed and was as playful as ever with the audience, although I think this detracted from his set, as he got more laughs through bantering - still very good, but he needs to get some control

And that was the end of the night, jimmy came back looking for his jumper which he'd lost, and i accidentally head-butted a pretty Aussie girl in the back row, but thats another story. The South African guy bought me a drink, and I chatted to him and his cousin for a while, before heading off to the phoenix - Robin and me doing Phil Klein impressions on the way, H'Okay Mate. Me and Phil had a pint, chatted to Bob the poet then I went home and had a look at the pictures which had just been sent to me from the Crewe gig - all very good.