Sometimes it is a pleasure to go to work

So many times in this blog I have been complaining about all sorts; travel, venues, agents, audiences etc. This time, for once, I would love to praise an audience; OK, I shall have a word about the venue but ....

I got booked ages ago to do a Ladies Night in a Social Club nr Leeds. When I got there it was a huge, old-fashioned social club on three floors. Oh, oh, I thought, I am gonna have to lug all my stuff up to the top floor. They are always on the top floor. When I went in it was to find that the stage door (yes, they actually had a stage door) was round the back and on ground level.

Also, they had their own PA system .... not that it did me any good. They hadn't bothered to arrange for someone to operate it and, as it was opposite the stage, at the other end of the room, was of no use to me. Looking at the size of the room (capacity 200-300) I had serious doubts as to whether my PA System was powerful enough. However, once I was set up and tested it, it was ample. Fortunately the venue had a slow ceiling so the sound filled the room with ease.

Next to the stage, in the time-honoured way, were the dressing rooms; well, one dressing room, the other was full of stored stuff.

So, there we were, me and two strippers crammed into a room on the side of the stage.
At the appointed time we started the show. Now, I invariably judge an audience by how they respond to the music I play leading up to the show starting. If they sing along to stuff like 'I'm every woman' and 'Gimme, gimme, gimme' then I know it will be a good show.

This audience were singing along to everything I played.

Walking onstage for my first number I was overwhelmed by the response. A wall of applause, shouts and whistles greeted me and kept up for the entire evening.

Rarely have I played to such an appreciative and well-behaved crowd of girls. At the end of the night I said (and meant) that, as a southerner, I love travelling up north because I always have a good time. Once again the girls of Leeds confirmed that northern audiences are the best in the world.

Thank you girls for making it a pleasure to go to work.