Off The Road @ Xanders

Jayney Wright's Off The Road open mic night at Xanders on Newland Avenue may only be two weeks old, but it is already proving to be a great success. The second installment of this weekly event occurred on Sunday evening and included an eclectic mix of music, poetry, mime and comedy and was very well attended in spite of hideous weather. Every Off The Road night provides a great mix of acts and this seems to be even more the case with Jayney's foray into the world of open mic. For me, the musical highlights (from a very talented selection of musicians!) were Lindsey Simpson, who is an absolutely amazing guitarist, and the four-string maestro Ukulele Bill. It was also great to see support for performance poetry there, as well as myself Eddy Watts, Mike Watts and Joe Hakim all did spoken word turns. All this entertainment with very welcoming organisers and a friendly venue that serves proper beer make these nights thoroughly enjoyable.