ASDA is crazy. just braved it. I was quite pleased at the way I’d managed to avoid most of the Christams rushes in the shops. Oops – forgot about the pre NYE madness. Ahh well. All done now. Going to a friends house to see the new years in. Decks and a PA in the cellar, loads a nice people coming by the sound of it… a few drinks, some drums, some champers and dozen oysters are in my kit bag!

Let the games commence!

Wishing you all, happy new beers.

Cool night on Sunday(FIRE Party).This was the view from the congas.



[More photo's to follow] It got very busy. I played one of the best sets I’ve done in ages (so I think!) . Yesterday was spent in recovery mode although I did go in a help out with the great fire clear up.. putting all the toys away. We all went to the Slug and Lettuce for eats. We had our hearts set on Blues Bar breakfast but there was NO food on.. again! wish they would get that sorted out – looking forward to a blues breakfast then having it denied is no good! Today.. I’ll be mostly going through the fire photos and getting them ready for the web.

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HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

What a top day so far. This was the scene at 06.55 this morning. Eirene’s just putting the Xmas dinner together (Duck) and we’re just playing with the boys today… which includes loads of lego and a remote control hovercraft!

Last night was ace – did a great gig at the Blues Bar with Dalmatian Kebab and then went for a couple of beers at BRB then Bar Med.

In’t Christmas BRILLIANT!

It’s Christmas EVE!!

Starting to feel almost Christmassy. Still got my Christmas shopping to do. I’ll feel more seasonal after that. Had a cool afternoon / evening. Got Eirene’s dad over and I’ve got a new Aran wooly pully. Had A visit from some relatives which was nice. Spent most of the night drinking whisky and coke, kiwi juice and eating maltesers (not at the same time). I’ve been downloading and watching loads of space video’s – mainly from NASA. Moon landings, rocket cams, EVA’s… it’s all cool. Very.

Tomorrow night.. erm well tonight really, I’ve got a gig with the mighty Dalmatian Kebab at the Blues Bar. Then… It’s Christmas day! huraah! What a cracking line up.

Well – for those that were there (and those that were gutted they missed it) The official site and photos from the Blues Bar Panto:

The Wizard of Bloz – A Farce In Two Acts – 20th December 2004

What a performance! The Blues Bar Panto was a roaring success in more ways that one. Roaring crowd, roaring pride of gay lions, roaringly good result for the Special Care Baby Unit to which the event was in aid of.

I’d not expected the production to be quite so good – I never thought that such a small space that is the Blues Bar stage could be transformed into a multi scene panto set.

Costumes – all superb but the TINternet man was my fave.



The score – everything from the Benny Hill theme to a beautiful solo rendition of over the rainbow. Script and direction – hats off to Hugo Speer (Full Monty fame) for pulling that side together. Acting – Sharon’s last minute stand in thanks to the original girl who did actually ‘break a leg’ and couldn’t perform.



Ahh – all good! What a winner, and hats off to the punters who raised (still counting) over £1,500 for the Special Care Baby Unit. Well done you lot – do it again next year!!

Tonight should also be fun – it’s the very first Blues Bar Panto – Not safe for kids I’ve been warned, so, we have got a babysitter and are really looking forward to it! All the staff and regs from said drinking parlor putting on a show in aid of a smashing charity : the Harrogate Special Care Baby Unit – a place close to our heart as Jaygo spent the first 5 weeks of his life there. I’ll give you a full run down of tonight’s performance soon!

Quite a run of the Blues Bar recently – Yesterday we went there to see a guy called John Crampton and he looked like this:



Very Howlin Wolfe style blues – very good. One man, one guitar, one blues harp and a whole lotta blues.

Not much to report. fairly busy in the run up to Xmas. Playing at Cardinal Sins tonight. Even though posters say “Matt La Congo” I can assure you, it is me, suffering a typo and not an imposter.

Stumbled across this – a blast from the past / trip down memory lane of drinking parlors of yester year Harrogate – It’s a colleciton of reviews written about the way the pub scene was about 5 years ago…The Moribund Times

Nearly a week since my last blog. tisk. Went to the Harrogate Theatre to see Moth Goose panto with the boys. Oh no we didn’t. Oh yes we did. Felix Jaygo Eirene and I, along with about 15 friends (well – we all got free tickets!) all shouted out heads off and boo’d and hissed at the baddy. Great fun. It was a joy to watch the boys faces as the illusion unfolded itself. Good production it was as well – great use of the whole theatre – the stalls the circle, the boxes… all used at one time or another.

Another hilights was a gig I did in Leeds on Friday at Dr Wu’s. Good fun it was.

Well – I’ve been up to Middlesborough today. Brought back a few memories. . .

Top news of the day :

Tiger Mates With Lion, Gives Birth to Liger Cub in Siberian Zoo

Just done a massive shop in ASDA. Christened our ‘Pre Christmas Big Shop Shop’ we got a bit carried away. I have a trench mentality when I go shopping sometimes almost like I’m building an Anderson Shelter. Today was no exception. We could hold out here for months now. Enough tins to build a partition wall.

Bit down tonight because the best program that’s been on telly this year is over. The last one was last week. The Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on hulking great big hi tech BMW motorbikes set off on an adventure to motorbike from London to New York the Long was round – via Europe, Asia, Russia and Alaska. Fantastic program. Documentary / video diary style footage or the real people and places of places like Mongolia and Kazakhstan were fascinating. Some of the places they went to have never seen electricity never mind the hi tech toys that the 2 riders and cameraman (also on a bike) carried.

The ‘Road of Bones’ story unfolded. Stalin’s Russia sent all the middle classes and educated sorts… well anyone that didn’t quite fit into his communist utopian view to one of the coldest, bleakest parts of the planet and got them to build a 2000 KM road. The road cost 1 human life for every meter of it’s construction and sadly those who died were buriedunder the road – hence it’s name “The Road Of Bones”

If you get chance to catch re-runs of The Long Way Round, I’d say check it out.