a long succession of horrible racist jokes and comments

Lord, oh Lord, how we suffered when in cabaret with "comedians" like that! I remember a nightclub (now long gone) that we played in the King's Road arches in Brighton - not far from the Zap Club - where we were on the same bill as a blue, corny and very racist comic. Some friends of ours, with aged parents, had come to have a meal and see us play. Of course, we were more embarrassed for our friends than ourselves when the usual bloody awful jokes came out. So the band started to heckle him - and we heckled him so effectively that he gave in and couldn't continue.

Oddly enough, the club owners didn't intervene in our heckling! I think they were equally embarrassed/fed up with the whole proceedings.

I also recall a similar comedian at the Washington Social Club - many years ago - who picked on one of the locals, the only black man in the audience. These comedians always try and offer some sort of cheap apology for what they're doing, to try and cover themselves - "It's all in fun - no offence intended", etc. - but it fools no-one. It was obvious that the black man was a well-liked member of his community. He sat there with an expressionless face but, eventually, two burly members of the audience got up and spoke words into the comedians ear. He left early and abruptly - and we got on with the dance.