For those that haven't seen (or heard) him before, Les Barker is a poet and comic genius. He writes, publishes and performs poems, monologues, songs, parodies and t-shirts. He is best known for comedy, but he also writes some very good 'serious' poems and songs, some of which are performed by top flight international folkies.
Last Saturday at the Harlequin was wonderful. It's a traditional pub with a function room upstairs for the Folk Club, real ale in the bar, a large pub dog and a relaxed approach to opening hours! Les was heading upstairs just as we arrived and stopped to say 'ello. There were 30+ people in the audience including the land-lady, the pub dog and several of our friends.
Les is brilliant in a informal venue where he can get close to the audience, specially where there are folks who haven't seen him before. Watching their astonished reaction to his performance is wonderful! When I've seen Les in small venues, he gets through a lot more of his stuff than he does in his Big Stage performances and he will often try out newer work.
Les did two great sets with a break for beer, books and T-shirts. He did poems including: Deja Vu; The Homing Phoenix; Stay, Go and Fetch; Occasional Tables; News of the Iceberg; Boomerang; Guide Cats for the Blind; Camoflage Net; Vowels of the Earth; Spot of the Antarctic; It was the Surprise more than anything; The Deck of Cards; and (many) others.
We had a really great time. Les's latest book should be out this week for those on his subscription list.

Cavia_P
p.s. Liz, he said he hadn't forgotten about the tenner!