Let Me Tell You a Story, Jack!
Let Me Tell You a Story, Jack! is Bristol’s variety storytelling evening. Like the Royal variety performance, but with a strong ale and less chance of bumping into street dancers from Britain's Got Talent. Every couple of months the city’s best writers, musicians, poets, rappers, comedians and general raconteurs get together over their ability to spin a good yarn. I went along in a purely observational capacity. I was also promised Maoam and I just cannot resist palindromic candy.
The wonderful host on the night, Will, kicked things off with some truly inspirational songs including 'The Worst Rated Mexican Restaurant on all of TripAdvisor' and a lovely little number about a service station you may have even visited: 'Scotch Corner'.
Every meet up there is particular theme to the night with this one being “The First Time I” with tales on the night of ‘the first time I got into a fight’ and ‘the first time I was off my tiny face on Ketamine’ - (It was used medicinally back in the days…).
It’s amazing how many stories you can uncover about Dane Bowers when you get a room full of people together and there were a great selection of tenuous claim to fame’s including the winner, Bristol Inspiration Stations very own Sven with his account of his time as an extra in the film ‘In Bruges’.
You don’t even have to go on stage if you don’t like – you can write it down and pass it to the hosts on the night and have it read out for you.
A much more interesting evening than watching a repeat episode of Grand Designs. It’s like going to the pub and telling drunken stories with your friends, but you get to tell all your favourite stories that your friends are already sick of. Also you get to swan around with a microphone. So there is that.
Chief storyteller organiser person Shonette (did I get that right?) will let you know when the next event is taking place so keep an ear to Twitter.
Whether it’s your most cringe-worthy dating anecdote, a short story or poem you’ve written about wasabi, a song for your favourite person or a rap about your fish Rodriguez it’s all fair game at Let Me Tell You a Story, Jack!