Wednesday 6th February 08 - Open Mic Night at The Locomotive Inn, York (1/3) By Michelle Dee

(1/3), (2/3) (3/3)

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A bit of a thisisUll gang night out this one, with Cilla Uberwebfuhrer, Jane Fozzy Foster and Michelle the scribe Dee. Representing Ull tonight Joe just got signed Hakim and Mike, mad as a bicycle Watts. Our trip out to York began with a vicious nasal assault, as we got stuck behind a fertilizer tractor just before Market Weighton. In the back of the car it smelt as though a rat had crawled up someone's arse and died. What a relief when we finally got past the confounded machine ten minutes later.

Entering York we sought out Watson Street and the Locomotive Inn. Joe failed in his map reading so it fell to Cilla, who promptly sent us off on a jolly in to the dark Yorkshire countryside. If it hadn't been for the two ladies out for an evening stroll and their succinct directions, turn around, turn left, turn right, then left again, we'd probably have driven halfway to Manchester. The Locomotive Inn has the air of a village local, a no-nonsense kind of place with black and white prints and yellowing wallpaper. Good humoured folk, twenty-five years and above, supping pints of a Wednesday evening. Although some football game was being played that night the pub was thankfully bereft of footy nutters.

The night opened with soft rock classics including Mellancamp's Little Ditty about Jack and Diane, Dylan's, Lay Lady Lay with attractive harmonies from Mike Collinson on backing vocals. Then the baton was passed to a gentleman called John. He played a singularly unique rendering of Floyd's Comfortably Numb. A version of Whiskey In the Jar which I'm sure Phil Lynott wouldn't have recognised as his own being that it was so far removed from the original. John hails from the parish town of Garforth 19 miles away and has been coming to the open mic since it started ten months past. John finished on a popular hit by the Scouse hero Gerry Marsden - a choice well appreciated by the swelling crowd.

As well as being a normal open mic night, organizer and guitar tutor Mike Collinson gives his pupils the chance to play in front of the real live audience. It's all very well playing in your bedroom but this gives them the chance to play in a proper gig setting, he explained. Mike who runs OneMikeStand Promotions had been contacted by Mike, our Mike not their Mike, a few weeks previous. Mike, their Mike not our Mike, was only too happy to have some Hull talent at his open mic night. Next on the stage was a young lad who looked like he was just breaking into double figures.

Continued...Next Page (2/3)

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