A Boatload of Knees open mic is on Wednesday evenings at 8.30pm, at the newly-refurbished Volunteer Tavern in New Street, Bristol, BS2 9DX (close to Old Market Street and the huge construction site of the Cabot Centre).

Original music, poetry, comedy and performance with spirit and passion – the beginning of a lively creative scene, flying in the face of fashion ... No James Blunt imitators!

Performers are expected to show solidarity with other creative people. This avoids the numbing indifference and morale-killing effect of having egocentric string-twiddlers who turn up and leave as soon as they finish, taking their friends with them. (There are plenty of other places to go if long-drawn-out smugness and disrespect to others is your bag.)