Set list at Dry Dock open mic

July 10, 2026

Very sparse turnout for Alec's debut as host -- Aaron unavoidably detained at another gig, which is fair enough.

I did two sets. First one:

For a couple of hours, I thought I'd be clever and put Ann Widdecombe as one of the people I wouldn't want to share heaven with, but then the news broke and I hastily edited that out. Having a dig at someone dying of old age feels much more humane than someone meeting a violent end; for all that I very strongly disagreed with Widdecombe as a polician and a pundit, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I introduced Down Escalator with "I was sad to hear about Bonnie Tyler" and realised that "Jam nights in Hades" needed to be "Jam nights of the damned". I then introduced Inside Track with "I was also sad to hear about Nigel Farage. He's not died, I was just sad to hear about him." This is a Moose Allain joke I have shamelessly stolen.

Second set:

I started DYDAD in the wrong key, and didn't correct it, which I'm unhappy about. I wasn't going to play Host, but if we actually technically have a missing host, it's too good an opportunity to pass up. I don't think I've ever played Isabella better, and I enjoyed giving Crail an outing.

While I was waiting for a possible third set -- it didn't materialise, I wrote Adele and there was a fantastic moment when one of the audience asked Sam if he could ask for a request.

Sam's a nice chap, and said he'd give it a go.

Punter: "I've got memory problems... I remember it had a donkey in it."

There ensued a lengthy and determined back-and-forth between Sam, the punter, Alec, the bar-staff and the rest of the audience as we tried to narrow down the possibilities; in the end, Sam played A Horse With No Name, and the punter had the biggest and happiest grin for the whole of it. I feel like, somehow, that's what open mic should be about, sharing music and making people's day.