Thanks to everyone who performed/helped last night at the Ape & Apple - especially Dermot who did extremely to hold it all together in difficult circumstances.

This venue was suggested by the "Not part of" people and as it has a regular comedy night I assumed it would be OK. I also checked with a few people and all seemed well.

In the event I think the room was ill lit (i.e. too bright) and arranged in such a way, with a bar in the middle, that effectively splits the room and is, therefore, not conducive to a unified performance experience. This was my fault as I didn't check it out first - mea culpa.

However, what was never made clear to me was that the performance would have to end at 11 on the spot and that they would clear the room by 11.10.

Quite frankly, given this was a Friday night in the middle of two huge festivals going on simultaneously, I found this unbelievable! It felt like we were back in the 1950s though even then there was a fairly liberal 'drinking up' time allowed.

I can't think of any other pub across Greater Manchester, that hosts performance events, that has this policy.

So apologies to both acts and audience for the rushed nature of the night but, due to this policy applied rigorously by the pub, we were forced to cram what had been intended to be at least 3 hours into a measly 2 and a half.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good night, but with that line up I expected it to be so much more and was upset that we had to rush so many of the acts to a premature conclusion.

Roll on the Friday 25th of September when we'll be doing an hour or so in the early evening slot at the Royal Exchange followed by a full event later in the evening at a much better venue!

Yes - we were prematurely ejected. A very enjoyable night though - some great poems and I loved the puppet man - saw him before in Wigan but couldn't hear what he said cos the pub was too noisy - very talented and witty. Winston was also very witty and I never realised he was so good at juggling balls whilst balancing himself on something.
Dermot did an excellent job at compering but I will hold him personally accountable for the shit bottle of wine I won in the raffle - a mixture of east european white wines.....mmm lovely - think I might lay that one down.

Yes a serious flawed venue.
cut in half as you say, though maybe good as it kept the rude hooligans in the far corner who just could not wait for their formulaic hero. Rudeness is difficult to forgive.

Superb effort on behalf of McDermott and Paul, everything felt rushed though and it lacked the anarchism of a riders night - Bolton Social club esque days.

What we need is a retake.
Im going to ask Paul if I can re appear on the next event please.

Highlight - Winston Plowes and the puppet brigade.

Hi all

1) Yes a split format venue, we know that now
2) Not really your fault Paul.
3) My highlights - 2nd puppet show (Thought it could be 2/3 of its length and would give more impact) But in first place John Darwin's "She left her coat behind" (Brilliant miserablist poet).
Win x

yes , the problems were so ,

but there were many highlights , and it seems we all took something different away ,

mine were melanie and winston , and the fact that pete didnt fall down the four flights of stairs !

Sorry I missed the evening but was so tired and as I was performing at Not Part Of yesterday needed to sleep.

Hope all is well with you Paul, I know it's been nuts for you lately.

Will look out for the next Riders event in September!

On the plus side they didn't have any Guinness and I can't stomach Holts so I both saved money and stayed sober. Possibly a first for a Friday night this year! Well done to the puppets (although the last one went on too long) and Winston for bringinging the r back into cabaret. Can we have a stripper next time Paul? Sorry I meant a burlesque artiste.

Are you offering Dave?

Depends what the competitions like

Thanks for reminding me about Mel Rees, Carole. I didn't want to single any poets out cos they were all very brilliant in their own style but as a female poet, Mel is great at doing the themes that us women can identify with. I totally loved the 'Someone Else's Shoes' poem, though it freeked me out cos it was so my ex - have you been married to him too Mel or are there a few clones out there? It did send some shivers down my spine...