This is what amazes me, Bryan. 20 people performing. An average of 5 minutes each to do justice to a song and intro = 1 hour and 40 minutes just for the floor spots, assuming they did only one each. A break of about 15 minutes? Most clubs do the same, to sell raffle tickets, let people go to the bar, to the toilets etc. 10 minutes or so for doing the raffle, general introdcutions, parish notices etc. We are now up to 2 hours and five minutes in which the artists, who people have paid to see, have not had a sniff! If you start at 8:30pm and finish at 11:30pm that is hours, less the two hours and five minutes we have accounted for, give the artists 55 minutes in which to perform.

Don't get me wrong - I am not doubting you in the slightest. I just want to know how it can be done!

To counterpoint I will give you a (very rough) running order at Swinton. Firstly, we don't start until 9pm usualy - Our fault, we have pandered to the audience who don't seem to arrive till then! Hello and welcome from the MC, introductions, two floor spots - Say 15 mins in all. Artist is put on at 9:15 for, say, 45 mintes. It is now 10:00. 15 minute break (usualy extends to 20 minutes - again our fault) now at 10:20 Two support slots in the second half - 15 minutes again. Raffle and 'parish notices' - 5 minutes. It is now 10:40. Artist goes on for second half - 45 minutes takes us to 11:25. Goodnight, clear your glasses, encore - 5 minutes - 11:30 and the bar staff want to go home!

OK - we have had 90+ minutes of the artist but surely that is what people have paid their money for isn't it?

Cheers

Dave