The Mitre Hotel, Ramsey, I O M
7th January 2006
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Boogie Madness In the new year

The first gig of 2006 saw us head up north to Ramsey, to bring the new year to heal and make it boogie.
And what a way to start. The staff at the hotel made us so welcome, all the locals that turned up to see me enjoyed the night, and let me know, and the Riff Raff!!, well  I've said it before , but I'll say it again, Mad as march hares!. They make every gig into a special occasion.

I had wondered on Saturday afternoon whether it would even be possible to do this show. A couple of days earlier I started coughing and sniffing as a cold set in. By Saturday it was raging. I was struggling to even get set up.
( I coughed so hard I sucked my trousers up me Backside! ).
But as I stood Backstage waiting to go on I heard the Riff Raff giving it
" Riff, Riff, Riff " and I knew it would be ok.

I was hoping to do an hour and a half set as I was sure my voice would be gone by then, but it went so well that when I looked at my watch I'd hit two hours. That's when I thought, enough, I can't do any more! But it's amazing the kick of adrenalin you get from being with people who love being with you, when your doing your thing. It was nearly another hour before we knocked it on the head.

Outstanding moments for me were: Everybody waving their lighters about
during Shine a light, then trying not to collapse laughing as Johnny set his hand on fire. Having to play Trouble with love twice for the crew and not having to sing the words on either. If any song writer says they're used to people singing songs they've written, then they're lying, you can't get used to it. Its an incredible buzz!!

One that will stay with me for a long time was when a little old lady came over at the end of the show and said it was the best fun she'd had in years. She must have been eighty if she was a day!  What a feeling to know that what you do is enjoyed by young and not so young alike.

I think that Jules captured the Riff Raff and some of their mad chants on tape so I'll put them on the downloads page. Mad , Totally Mad. But I love Em!!