Tonight was to be the third of a run of open spots that I was due to do for an East Yorkshire based promoter. I've been to Whitby on a few occasions, but I'd not done a gig there. It's nice to revisit a town as a performer, and I had hoped to get some time to look around. Whitby is reasonably picturesque

Sadly, time was not on our side and we only had time to do a sound check and then relax in the downstairs bar as we waited for the paying audience. I was asked if I wouldn't mind MCing the show. The promoter, who was not expecting great things from the audience figures, didn't feel cheery enough to do the MCing that night. Fair enough, I can MC (probably) and I liked two of the support acts, so it's always nice to give your friends a good build up.

The show was really rather tough. The crowd were small and not easy to engage. They seemed genuinely unimpressed at Dracula references, which is a shame, since Bram Stoker's novel is probably one of the only things that the town has international fame for. However, we got through the show, and the final act had a good time, which is always a reasonable sign that the show held together.

As a grand finale, the promoter took to the stage and announced that all future gigs were cancelled. The trip home was a highlight of the night.