I returned to 2 open mic nights this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Two that I did many times last year. First up was The Primrose, which has moved to Tuesdays now. The heady days of the Cloth Cat night seem a fair way off at the moment. It was pretty quiet, but as usual the PA was big and full-sounding and the people were very welcoming. I played It Will Pass, The Prisoner and If He Knew You, finished my drink and went home.

The following night was The Grove. This is the one open mic that counts for more than some paying gigs in terms of promotion. It was busy in the little room, and the atmosphere was the usual friendly hostility! I played Chains Around My Heart and also one of Tim Wood's songs: 'Some Religion', which was a novel idea to help promote the Sunday gig, more of which in a minute.

Thursday was a night off, so just for a change I went to a gig. Chris Rea at Newcastle City Hall. I'd only found out about this tour days before, and this was the only place I could find a ticket in. So I set off, and 90 minutes later made it to past Bradford on the M62-another day, another accident on the motorway, and another few thousand pissed off motorists. With over half my journey time completed and set about the simple drive up to Newcastle and got to the venue about 10 minutes before the start. Just as well, as I was in for a treat.

It was one of the best gigs I've been to, possibly ever. Watching a superb band, voice, guitarist and sound, a sat there in amazement and awe at the man who had come back from the dead (almost) playing like a man possessed. Such was the enthusiasm in the performance that I reckon I'd have loved it even if I didn't already dig the music style, which of course I do so it was easy! So after the mother and father of all traffic jams, I had a really good night.

Two full gigs completed the week over the weekend. One bad and one belter here. The bad, well that was Saturday night at the George, King Cross, Halifax. OK, not rough King Cross as in the Junction and the Allan Fold, but dead King Cross a bit further down. What looked like being a fairly useful gig was nothing but another slog through to a dead and unattentive audience. There were 2 types of people: Those in God's Waiting Room who clearly hadn't smiled for 40 years, and those who had smiled but couldn't remember why.
As I got more isolated, I fired back with 'it says no smoking, not no smiling'. I only played 2 originals. Apparently there's normally another 30 people there (and yet again the weather was a big problem) but it remains to be seen whether this will lift the atmosphere sufficiently.

On Sunday things were much much better, as it was the New Inn at Barwick. Here small crowds don't matter as the few that do turn up know my set, like it and listen. I also had the small matter of Tim Wood as support, playing his first gig in over a year. Tim is an associate of Jon Strong, and the 2 go back a long way. Around 6 years ago Tim was gigging more regularly and was one of my favourite songwriters. The album they made together 'The Obvious Rhyme' is a masterpiece and when I listened to it a few weeks ago it still sounded just as good.

So Tim did his set and I loved it. It's such a good feeling to be able to do a gig, and spread the word on behalf of those I respect too. All I need now is to do it on a bigger platform, say Wembley this summer. 'Wembley welcomes Tim Wood and Paul Jeffery'.

My set was another step in the right direction, playing more originals than ever before in one set. I only did a few covers and these were mainly new ones or requests. Arguably the highlight was the first encour where I performed Tim's 'Some Religion' song again.

So not a bad end to the week. I even found time to do a bit of mixing on the Paradise Street project too. The myspace page for said project is iminent now, so I will let you know how it goes.