Saturday 21st October, Wedding Reception, Carlton Towers, Carlton, Nr. Selby.
Our first visit to this venue found us outside a large mansion complete with sweeping stone staircase to the front of the building which we had to take all our gear up. We were then told to set up at the foot of a stairwell.So with drums set at one side, bass at another and Bob and Gav at the foot of the stairs we set up. Lighting was installed on the stairway landing and projected down to the floor below.We had some reservations about filling the dance floor, but that was soon found to be wrong as bride and groom Sally & Arwel took to the dancefloor for their first dance, followed by lots of guests who danced right through the first spot. A nice buffet then followed then we went back on for the second spot to another full dancefloor. There was a few memorable performances from the guests, led by Arwel and his best man, who did a version of 'summer of `69',then followed by guest versions of 'wonderful world' and 'Delilah'. Thanks also to one of the female guests who came on stage and helped out on 'Mustang Sally'. A great gig. Our best wishes to bride & groom Sally & Arwel Jones from all at Matrix.

Saturday 7th October, Colley WMC, Sheffield.
Well, the least said about this gig the better! If there was anything that could go wrong, it did tonight. PA not working, Guitar FX not working, Lights playing up, Broken guitar strings, the PA turns itself off mid set...Need I say more...We managed to get the crowd up and dancing and still managed to do four encores...Nice crowd this...

Saturday 16th September, Bellhouse Road WMC, Sheffield
Another gig at this well respected club. We did our normal spot tp an appreciative audience and got Carl up to play Crazy LittleThing.A great gig at a real band club

Friday 15th September,Arundal Ex Servicemans, Sheffield.
Not a lot I can say about this gig except that we came, we played, they danced!!

Saturday 2nd September, Thorne Democratic Club, Doncaster.
This was one of our agents last minute booking and we were doing him a favour as it was for a 40th Birthday party as well as being open to regulars. We got set up and played our first spot ok. We had a few isssues with the crowd of lads behind our sound guy Steve who were quite intimidating. A pint of beer was also spilt over the mixing desk.We expressed our concerns to the concert chairman who appologised and arranged a sentry to sit with Steve. The night went down well apart from the feeling that something or someone was going to kick off at any moment...Never again...The birthday boy had a good night though, totally oblivious to what was going on around him!!

Friday 1st September, The Boot & Shoe Pub, Askworth
A regular gig for us, tonight the crowd lacked a bit of atmosphere and were very quiet. We did our normal two spots and found it hard to get into it as the crowd were really quiet. We also had problems with feedback from Les`s PA system so that may of had something to do with it. Rock n roll !!!

Sat 26th August, Handsworth Social Club, Sheffield.
Awaiting Report

Sat 19th August, Monk Bretton WMC, Barnsley.
Awaiting Report

Sat 12th August, Horsforth Golf Club, Horsforth, Leeds.
Awaiting Report

Sat 5th August, Ings Lane Social Club.
Awaiting Report

Sat 8th July,Crigglestone WMC, Wakefield.
This was the first time that the band had played this club so we arrived in plenty of time. This is a great club! We got the full rig in on the large stage and our new sound engineer (Steve Mac - has helped us out over the years but is now the permanent 5th member of the band) got the band sounding better than we had in years - it's amazing what complacency does!
The club filled up in no time at all and we started the first set to a packed room. The band went down a storm, after a short break where the audience made an effort to stop us all one by one to tell us how much they were enjoying the music we returned to the stage. The whole night went down great and we are hopeful to return to this club soon. (this is not one of our agents clubs and since Agents are keen to split their commission with other agents we are not sure if we will be booked again soon - although the concert secretary was very impressed so we remain hopeful).

Sat 1st July, Brooklands Social Club, Maltby.
We were all looking forward to this gig since we have always had a good night here. We however had not expected England to go out of the world cup in penalties (again!). When we got to the club it was in a bit of a state they had had the football on the big screen so there was beer all over the place. After the club had cleaned up we got all the gear in. Thankfully Bob's throat was healed after the previous weeks gigs so we got cracking. The sound engineer turned up late again and he lived closer to this gig than any of the other band members, this had been the last in a long string of issues with the engineer so on this night it was decided that his employment with the band would end. He decided not to play the gig with us leaving us in the lurch a little however we are professionals so we managed the sound on stage. We were a little apprehensive after football as to the mood of the crowd however never let it be said that the good people of Maltby don't appreciate a live band - they were great. We had another great night at this little club and enjoyed our night thoroughly. An eventful day but a good gig nevertheless.

Sun 25th June, Westminster Recreational Club, Doncaster.
Sunday nights in this club have never been the busiest and to be honest after two great gigs the lads weren't really looking forward to this one - especially since Bob's voice was almost gone completely - but Matrix have never cancelled a gig and as they say the show must go on. And on it went, and thankfully it could have been worse (but not much!). England had played earlier in the day so there was a contingent of rather inebriated clients in the audience who were happy to get up and dance to a mobile phone ring tone so we had no problems there. Bob's voice however was almost gone by half time. We managed to get through the night (just) and the crowd stayed in and were grateful of the live entertainment. For us this place always feels a little empty and although those that were in had a good time it is a little soul destroying playing to a half full club. We always seem to back this club onto a Friday and Saturday night which results in us being a little flat at the end of the Sunday night. We are booked again later in the year but if things don't book up here we may have to stop playing.

Sat 24th June, Barnsley Central Club, Barnsley.
It had been a while since we had played this club (and not all the band knew how to get here -even TOMTOM had a bit of bother first time around). This is a good club for live acts and they really appreciate a live act. We got set up in good time and cracked on to the first spot. Bob had managed to get a cold/sore throat overnight so popped out at half time for some drugs (legal type!) after dowsing himself up we cracked on to the second spot. The audience were as most south yorkshire audiences are very vocal in their applause and after a number of encores the band left them wanting more. A great gig even if Bob's voice was a little shot by the end of the night. The lads look forward to our next visit.

Fri 23rd June, Wedding Reception, Aldwark Manor Hotel, Nr. York.
We looked forward to going back to this nice venue although the lift for the band is a little awkward we have always had a good night at Aldwark. This gig wasn't to be an exception, as is often the case the wedding breakfast overran a little but that is no great surprise to the lads. We got all the equipment in in good time and set up against the back wall (anybody looking to book a band for this venue need to make sure that the Hotel know how much room the band require to ensure that they are not asked to set up in the fire escape alcove in the middle of the room - a bit tight for a live band!). Once set up and sound checked we were ready to rock and roll, with a few familiar faces in the crowd we knew we were in for a good night. Lee and Caroline performed a dance routine to Wonderful Tonight (the first dance played by the band) to a raptous applause and then the show began. The dance floor stayed full! all night with two great spots performed by the band. Caroline accompanied by a couple of her friends performed a couple of numbers to a very appreciative audience. The band finished the night off with a few encores and also performed the first dance again. A great night was had by all, congratulations to Caroline and Lee all the best for the future from all the Lads from Matrix.
PS - the buffet was great as usual so was the chocolate fountain (and you thought that we had forgot!)

Sat 3rd June,Sutton Labour Club, Sutton in Ashfield.
Awaiting report

Friday 2nd June, The Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth.
Well, what can we say, another momentous evening at this great pub. This is the only pub that Matrix still play and this is mainly due to the great audiences and Les the infamous landlord! After a couple of weeks off, the Lads were up for it, and decided to go off piste! With no set lists, free
access to the hazer machine and Les managing the sound from the newly located sound desk we ROCKED the first set opening up with an old favourite and dropping 'Let Me Entertain You' with the crowd jumping around from the off. After a brief interval the lads returned to the stage to a warm
cheer. After rocking out for an hour it was time to call it a night however the audience would not let us lie so Bob played a game of 'what do you want to hear' – which basically means he asked the audience who they wanted us to play, they shout out, Bob cracks into a few riffs of the songs and then say's "no we don't know that" After what seemed like 10 minutes of this we finally got a song that we all knew completely and finished the night with some Bon Jovi and Free.
Another great gig at this 'Jewel in the Ponte Crown', it was just what we needed after the lay off and we are all looking forward to the next gig here on September the 1st.

Saturday 27th May, Bellhouse Road WMC, Sheffield.
Awaiting Gavs tale of extrordinary talent

Saturday 15th April, Leicester Railway Club, Leicester.
Awaiting Dave`s spectacular narrative of the evening event.

Saturday 8th April,Bentley West End Club, Bently, Doncaster.
The roads of Bentley. Twisting and turning. Some of length, some diminutive. Peaks and troughs of these manmade veins and arteries, which run to and from the heart of Bentley.
Like a burst of energy, the root of an adrenaline rush, Matrix entered the Aorta of Bentley, the West End Club.
The performance, sweet. The Audience, in awe. The result, amazement. Matrix toyed with the emotions of the crowd from start to end.
As sudden as it had started, the performance was over… leaving the crowd to calm over the days that followed… Here's to you, Bentley, Matrix will soon be re-circulated and the blood of the club circuit will energise the heart of Bentley once more.
Good proper pork scratchings too… the ones from a real pigs arse. None of yer bubbly, powdery pish neither. The fish man showed his face and vinegar'd a fair few prawns in the way only Mr Cockle knows too..

Saturday 25th March, Partington WMC, Urmston, Manchester.
This was Matrix's second outing to this little 'well hiden' jewel in the Manchester Crown, the lads were looking forward to returning to this club due to the fantastic lift in and spectacular in-house lights, after the previous nights lift this was certainly the main pull!
After a quick set up the lads set about fixing an earth problem with the Keyboards with a few creative electrical interventions the problem was solved and the band were sounding great.
The first set went down a storm with great appreciation from the band, this club is one of the club's that still do not allow the audience to dance in the first set (it is always worth knowing this prior to thinking you are going down like a fart in a wet suit).
After a brief break for bingo and chips the band cranked up for the second set, this went down a storm with rapturos applause for more, after a couple of encores the band handed over to the DJ who continued the good work of the band.
We were informed that we will be back hopefully soon and are looking forward to the return leg. Great little Club, nice respectful and appreciative audience. Come on Manchester!

Friday 24th March, Arundal Ex Servicemens Club, Sheffield.
Following a less-than-dry Southward journey to their pre-chosen Sheffield venue, Bob, Gav, Mark and Kay arrived in plenty of time to sample some of Colonel Sanders' offerings at the 'KFC emporium' located adjacent to the club.
Once Dave had arrived and polished off Mark's leftover 'Zinger Burger', it was time to inspect the interior of the club.The club was huge and plenty of regulars had already begun placing themselves in their seats, with drinks and bingo dabbers prepared. They were keen to see the evening's entertainment…. Matrix.
Unfortunately, the club resides on a steep hill on City Road, Sheffield. This may not sound that drastic, but the concert room was elevated at the lower end of the hill, approximately 20 metres above ground level. The only way in was to carry all gear up a multitude of wet, and more importantly, slippery metal fire escape stairs.
The nightmare lift was made 10 times worse thanks to the Friday evening M1 traffic making Kenny and the van arrive very late, leaving 40 minutes to get everything in and set up.
Phil, the concert sec, was more than happy when the van finally arrived and any friction was extinguished at half time when Dave kindly bought Phil a bottle of his favourite tipple, a Vodka / Iron Brew mix.
Carrying the hernia box up the stairs resulted in a few bruised arms and legs, and Kay's bottom met dance floor when she accidentally slipped on the rainwater we trailed across the dance floor. Thankfully her pride was only damaged.
Thankfully the club had it's own lighting system and Phil did a great job in keeping up with the music with his very own lights show.
The club was packed… not an empty seat in sight… Matrix played well… but the audience were not overly furnished on the clapping department.
Half time saw some BIG money bingo games being played and won. Matrix then took the regulars into the night with their second set. Dancing and clapping got better throughout the night and some signed posters were handed out to the fans.
Congratulations go out to Phil and his lovely young bride-to-be, Lele.
Keep on rockin Arundel Club, Sheffield…

Saturday 18th March, Wilnecote WMC, Wilnecote, Nr. Tamworth.
The great Cycling journalist, Ray Stevens once wrote about his first experience of the Peloton during the 1965 Tour de France. I am para-phrasing here but he equated the sight of 150 speeding cyclists rolling toward him as that of a 'great, speeding threshing machine'.- 'A sheer force of nature - unbridled, unknowing, blindly carrying on as if in a dream'.
I'm sure that if Ray had been at Wilnecote WMC, Wilnecote, Tamworth on Saturday he would have had that same feeling.
Matrix, when on form are what can only be described as that 'sheer force of nature'. They perform their repertoire with the professionalism & effortless that can only be associated with a band that has had many performances under their belt.
These high calibre musicians must have musical DNA hardwired into their genome. To say that performing is second nature to them would be to give them a disservice. It is definitely first nature.
From the first song (Let Me Entertain You) to the last (Alright Now) - they held the crowd as if in a trance. Their performance could only be described as a paean to life, with all its agonies & ecstasies, highs & lows. As usual the guide for the evening was front man Bobby Fenton who sings & plays the guitar with the emotion of what the great philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer would have called a 'knowing being'. He was ably helped by the other members of the band who also managed to create extra-ordinarily emotional performances from their voices & instruments.
A truly remarkable night. See them soon - Bands like this do not stay this good for too long.
Also thanks to Gary for doing some dancing.

Saturday 4th March, Acklam Iron & Steel Social Club, Acklam, Middlesborough.
Our first time for a while up the North East and the first time at this club. We were all made very welcome as we got set up and sound checked. A couple of technical faults on the desk had to be sorted out just before we had to go on stage...Well done Mark. We played our first set to the crowd who applauded and cheered after every song. A break for bingo and a general knowledge quiz before we got back on stage and got them up dancing in the second spot. We finally finished after giving them two encores. Great night great club, great crowd...if only they were all like this..

Saturday 18th February, Brooklands Social Club, Maltby.
This club is a regular venue for us and we knew that it would be a good gig. We were not disappointed. The crowd made us very welcome and a few had come especially to see us. We did the business with our normal two spots and a long encore. The crowd and ourselves enjoyed a great evening...Rock on til the next time guys!!

Saturday 11th February, Dunscroft Social Club, Dunscroft, Doncaster.
Yet another first time gig at this venue. We were all set up and soundchecked in the normal time. Played the first spot to an appreciative crowd. Then there was the normal break for the bingo before we got back on stage and played for a good hour before finally calling it a night. A good night was had by all at this friendly club, and no doubt we will be back again.

Saturday 4th February, Rowland Road WMC, Beeston, Leeds.
Another first time club for us.The club was nice and big and we were all set up with the big rig with plenty of time. The concert chairman did not like where we had set up the desk, and as a compromise we moved it towards the stage. That aside we were made very welcome. We played our usual spot to a responsive audience. Second spot had the usual results of the crowd up and dancing and yelling for more. We finished after giving two encores. Another great night!!

Sunday 29th January Moorthorpe Empire Club, Moorthorpe, Nr Wakefield.
Our first visit to this little club found all our gear even using our small rig a bit bewildering to the few locals that were in the room before us. To access the room you have to get through the main bar, so there were a few complaints about having the door open whilst unloading. Fine start we thought.The people were generally very friendly and the place filled up before we got up and played the first set. We played this to an appreciative audience, where one or two even got up to dance. Second spot was played to the cheering crowd who were up dancing in the aisles. A great night and a promise of a return gig.

Saturday 28th January, Wheatley WMC, Doncaster.
The second in our trio of gigs this weekend saw us in our regular haunt, the Wheatley WMC, a great friendly club. We know its set up now off pat, with us doing the 3x30min spots in between bingo. We got them up and dancing in the middle a nd last spots and they enjoyed the show. Another helping hand was required by Steve who again did a wonderful job on both sound and Lights.We`ll be back!!

Friday 27th January, TEVA Sports & Social Function, Morley Rugby Club, Leeds.
A works do for the TEVA workforce at the local rugby club. We arrived in plenty of time and got set up with the small rig. The room although large was very low and we had to play along the narrow part of the room. We got up and did our first spot to a great crowd who really enjoyed the show. A break for the buffet, then we were back up and playing to the crowd who were all up on the floor. A great night was had by all. Thanks to Steve who helped us out on the sound desk.Thanks also to our pal Alan who organised a bus full of friends to come and see us. Rock on.

Sunday 22nd January, Westminster Recreational Club, Doncaster.
We arrived nice and early and got set up in quick time, soundchecked and chilled before we even got a customer in the room!It partly filled up for the bingo then got busier as we went on for our first spot. After more bingo we played our second spot to the crowd who were cheering and dancing. We completed a couple of encores before calling it a night. No doubt we will be back here soon!!

Saturday 7th January 2006,Colley WMC, Sheffield.
Our first gig in 2006 brought us to this friendly club in Sheffield.Some of the band members had played here nearly ten years ago. We played the normal two spots to a quiet audience who looked like they were still hung over!! We managed a s always to get a few up dancing and all in all, everyone had a good night. Wonder if its going to be another nine years before we get to play here again!!

Saturday 30th December, Wedding Reception, The Parsonage Hotel, Escrick, Nr. York.
Our last gig for 2005, we were all ready for it. We arrived at around 6.00pm to find that we were unable to get into the room as it was till full of guests. After about 30 mins we finally got into the venue room and got set up and sound checked. We played our first spot about 8.15pm after the Bride and Groom`s first dance. The dancefloor was empty most of the spot, but there was an occasional dancer and an odd round of applause. After a break for the buffet, we took to the stage and filled up the dancefloor all through the spot..Amazing what a bit of alcohol does!! We finished just before 12 midnight and finished the night off with a couple of CD music requests.Our best wishes to the Bride and Groom and a Happy New Year to everyone!!

Saturday 17th December, Riccall Regen Centre, Riccall, Nr. Selby.
Another regular Christmas gig is here at Riccall. We set up as usual early in the afternoon and soundchecked with plenty of time to spare. We played our normal spot to the crowd of about 80 who got into the spirit by getting up and dancing. A break for a while and a chat with some old friends before getting back on stage and doing more than an hour to the full dance floor. Another great gig here at Riccall!! Thanks to Griff who did a wonderfull job on both Sound and Lights.

Friday 16th December, Bellhouse Road WMC, Sheffield.
We got this gig from the Alan Wood Agency who mentioned that the club likes rock. He did not tell us that it was Rock Night on Fridays and that the club was expecting a heavy rock band!! We got set up with our full rig and needed someone to operate both the sound and lights, as Mark was unavailable. Steve and Griff stepped in the breech and both did a great job.We altered our first spot to play more of a rocky set and the crowd enjoyed us. The second spot was interupted for a male stripper to do his thing for one of the bar staff who had a birthday. We finally managed to get one or two up dancing at the end and we finished the show by inviting young Carl (from the swallownest club) up to play 'crazy little thing called love' with the band. A good night in all considering they were expecting a Rock Band...Bloody Agents!! Thanks again to Steve and Griff on the sound and lights.

Saturday 10th December,The Reed Xmas Party, The Midland Hotel, Manchester.
One of our regular functions and we knew that they were going to party. we got there in plenty of time to find that the room this year was going to be the worst lift we have had for a long time..located in the centre of the hotel, we had to negotiate three flights of stairs and a run of about 200m or more to get to the room. After we had off loaded and got our breath back, we got set up and soundchecked. Met a few of the Reed crew, Jules and Martin before nipping off for something to eat. We dined in Pizza hut and tucked into large helpings of pizza and soft drinks. Doggy bags full of pizza accompanied us back to the venue, where we found two parking ladies about to fix a parking ticket to the van.We were in a loading area only and had to move.We explained that we were playing at the hotel and that we would be loading the van later. She told us we had to move it and would return later. We scoured the area but could not find anywhere to park the van. A band decision was made to leave the van and see if we get a ticket. We played our first spot to a full dance floor and got Martin and Jules up at different times to sing 'Sexbomb' and 'I will survive'. A quick break before going on a gain and finally finishing well past the finishing time of 1.00am. A long lift and load awaited us, along with a £30 parking ticket. Merry Xmas. Thanks to Kay who gave us and Mark a hand with the sound and lights.

Sunday 4th December, Great Ayton WMC, Middlesborough.
Back to clubland!! We arrived before the club had opened and we quickly got set up and sound checked after we had made sure we were not in anyones seat! The club played what seemed like an endless amount of bingo games before we were on to play our first set, which went down well considering the amount elderly customers! After another marathon bingo session, we played our second spot where we got up a few dancers and got a lot of applause. No doubt we will be playing here again next year..Merry Xmas!

Saturday 3rd December, Wedding Reception, Newton Park Hotel, Nr. Burton on Trent.
We arrived in plenty of time and had to wait around a bit before being allowed into the reception room to get set up. We quickly set up and sound checked then went to source out some food. We arrived back to play our first spot to the crowd, where one grumpy old man sitting in front of the speaker complained about us being to loud!! Bob quickly put him to rights and the crowd had a bit of a giggle at him. We finished the first spot to a full dance floor. After a buffet break, we started our second spot and once again played to a full dance floor. All in all a good night was had.Our best wishes to the bride and groom from the band.

Sunday 13th November, Darfield Road WMC, Cudworth, Barnsley.
This is the second visit for the band.. the last time being in 2003!! We arrived in plenty of time to find the club closed. After a bit of a wait outside in the cold, the steward finally let us in. We unloaded the van and found that there was one person in the club..and he had decided to sit where we were going to put the sound desk..We asked him if it was possible for him to move a bit for us, but we were told no..because he always sat there... what a misery..Never mind, we set up somewhere else..just took us a bit longer. Set up and soundchecked with time to spare before going on stage for our first spot of 45 mins at 8.30pm. There was a good crowd there, but we had limited response in the clapping department. A break for the bingo where a lot of people disappeared, only to come back after the housey. We started our second spot at 10.15pm and went on well after our 45min plus encore. The crowd did a bit of dancing, and a bit of clapping. In the end they seemed to enjoy it.....Wonder if its another two years before we play here again!!

Saturday 29th October, Wedding Reception, St Andrews Golf Hotel, St Andrews, Scotland.
What a venue to play!! A 600 mile round trip saw some of the lads setting off on Friday and staying at Kennys Dads in South Shields before setting off again on Sat, some others set off Sat morning and did the trip in one!! We arrived near enough together at about 4.30pm and were shown to the stage..It was tiny!! more like Dave`s drum riser!! We had a chat with the manageress and after a bit of a debate, finally managed to make some room for us to get set up..we never bothered with the stage and got the porters to remove it. Set up but unable to soundcheck due to the arrival of the wedding reception, we went off into the town to get something to eat and a wander around,but with the typical Scottish weather of rain, we never wandered far. Arrived back at the venue and soundchecked before starting our first spot at about 8.30pm.We had a few up dancing and a lot clapping. We played some Irish music the guests requested, then had a bite to eat from the buffet. We started playing again around 10.30pm and played our long set to a lot of dancers. We had a bit of a moan from a neighbour about the noise after 11.00pm, but got the go ahead to play anyway. Another complaint just before 12.00pm meant we had to stop, but that did not stop Bob from playing a couple of songs solo and getting a great response from the crowd. Later some of the lads had a beer or two in the travelodge we booked for the night.. some others had their beers earlier and went straight to bed..Then that long drive back home on Sun....A great night....The things we do for the love of rock n roll!

Saturday 22nd October, Wedding Reception, Camelot Theme Park, Wigan.
A nice drive up on a beautiful day saw us arrive at the Camelot Theme Park. We arrived there early as we had to be set up and out the road for the Bride and Groom to host their wedding feast. We quickly got set up and soundchecked just as the guests started to arrive. We went off for a bite to eat at the local village before arriving back to take the stage at about 9.00pm. The hall was made out as a medieval castle and it had great acoustics for the band. We did our normal set then a break for the buffet before playing our second spot to a full dance floor. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and had a great time. A good venue for playing...Rock on!!

Saturday 8th October, 25th Anniversary Party, Gomersal Public Hall, Gomersal, Nr Bradford
A triple party...Our friends Virginia & Alan celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, as well as Virginia celebrating her 60th and Alans mum about to celebrate her 90th, so there was plenty to celebrate!!. We arrived in plenty of time to a warm welcome and quickly got set up and soundchecked before the couple (and Alans mum ) arrived. The lights were turned out for them to arrive and when they got into the room the light switch was flicked and they all got a bit of a shock. That all over we had a quick chat and played our first set . There was a few dancers and everyone enjoyed the show. A break for a speech from Alans best man then from big Alan, then something to eat from the excellent buffet. Back on for our second spot saw a few more dancers and there was time for a bit of improvisation for a Nirvana request!!. All in all a great night, we wish Virginia and Alan all the best for the future, And Happy Birthdays to Virginia and Alans mum from the boys at Matrix..No doubt see you lot at another gig soon!!

Saturday 1st October, Stainforth Central Club, Stainforth, Doncaster.
All of the lads arrived at the club in plenty of time and got set up with the setting up of the gear.The broken horns were repaired during the week and quickly tested and found to be working ok.The club was totally empty for a long time until Harold, the C/C had a chat with us. He explained that we were the first of a month of live bands that the club were putting on in an attempt to attract some customers. He also asked if we would perform three spots.We got ready to play our first spot, there were about fifteen people in the room..and one of them was Mark, our sound guru! The crowd (all fifteen) really enjoyed us. By the time we started our middle spot the place had filled up a bit and again everyone was enjoying the show..including Harold who was delighted that the room was filling up. By the time we started our third spot, everyone was really enjoying themselves, and the crowd had increased in size again. When we finished we were told lots of times by people that they really enjoyed the band.. and seeing some live music!! Our thanks to Harold who made us very welcome and Rambo, who enjoyed himself and insisted he took our poster away with him!! We hope the next month starts to bring more people into the club..We are sure we will play this gig again..Rock N Roll !!

Sunday 25 September, Ings Lane Sports & Social Club, Bolton on Dearne, Rotherham.
We arrived at this club in the middle of a housing estate with plenty of time and no steward to let us in, so we had to wait outside for best part of an hour until he arrived just before 7.00pm. We still got set up and soundchecked in plenty of time,even after finding we had blown a pair of horns.We started our first set at about 8.15pm to a good crowd who enjoyed the show. A quick game of bingo, then on for our second spot where we got the crowd up and dancing. We all ended up having a great night with everyone enjoying themselves..Rock on!!

Saturday 24 September, Partington WMC, Urmston, Manchester.
The club was a bit awkward to find and so we were rushing a bit to keep on track and get set up.The club stage had a lot of lights, and a committee man to work them, so we never had to set up our own. We were up and soundchecked in time and were met by the resident DJ who told us the show times. We played our first set to an appreciative audience, then we had a break. We found out that they don`t play bingo at this club... a rarity in club land!! Back on for our second spot found us playing to an almost empty dancefloor..almost unheard of for us. We played the rest of the set and although the audience were cheering and clapping, there was not much action on the dance floor. The DJ finished off the last half hour with some music which got a few dancers. We found out later that the crowd just don`t dance, they would rather watch the band.. I think they enjoyed us!!

Saturday 17th September, Wedding Reception, Brandon Golf Club, Burton On Trent.
We were all keen to get back on the road again after our little break. We arrived in plenty of time to find we were going to be the first entertainment to play in the brand new club house. In fact it was the first of any function to be held there, so some of the staff were a little bit over protective of the new building and followed us around while we carried in our gear. We set up and tested our sound and lights, put on a bit smoke and set off the fire alarm!! They quickly turned them off, and no smoke was the order of the day! (I must point out that our smoke m/c uses water based fluid and generally does not affect most fire alarm systems) We played a short spot of about thirty five minutes before the buffet at 9.00pm. We then completed another set of about one hour in which the bride and groom Debbie & Graham had their first dance.The crowd were all up and dancing and were straight up on the floor again when we started our final spot about 10.50pm. We played for well over an hour to a full dance floor, before finally getting off stage for the crowd to have a final 15 mins or so with the Disco. Another great night was had by all. Our congratulations and best wishes to Debbie & Graham from all of us at Matrix.

Saturday 10th September, Birth of Baby Lydia Harrison.
Congratulations to Emma and Gav on the birth of their daughter Lydia Niamh who was born at 2.25pm.Best wishes from all of us XX

Saturday 20th August, Bentley West End Club, Doncaster.
Another regular place we gig is this friendly club. We arrived about 6.30 and already there were a few familiar faces in. We had a chat as we set up and by the time we soundchecked, the club was full.We played first of the three half hour spots to the crowd who gave us good applause. Second spot was the same crowd wise. The third and final spot got the crowd on the floor and they were dancing in the aisles. We finally finished after giving them two encores. No doubt we will be back again next year!!

Saturday 13th August, Ebeneezers, Peterborough.
Back to see our old friends from the south. We arrived to the usual banter from the audience and as usual they were all up and dancing. We played the usual (in this venue anyway!)three spots, with the crowd up and dancing throughout. A long way to travel, but very enjoyable. A good venue, Rock on!!

Friday 12 August, Wedding Reception, Redworth Hall, Darlington.
We all arrived at the reception for 6.00pm only to find that the speeches were still ongoing, so after waiting around a bit, we managed to get started setting up about 6.30pm The room was very high and when we set up Mark got the sound just right. The groom had asked if he could jam a song with us during the show and so before any of the guests came into the room, he had a quick try with us. Then the guests came into the room before disappearing outside to sample the evening BBQ. While this was happening, we went into a nearby village and bought fish and chips, eating them in the estates garden area. Then we were up onstage playing our first spot to a the crowd who were all up dancing. We finished our first spot with the groom onstage playing Bobs PRS to 'hard to handle' the crowd went mad, so he played 'stuck in the middle' with us as well. Second spot was more of the same, with the crowd all dancing. We got the groom on stage again just before we finished for him to play 'hard to handle ' another time. A great time was had by all, and a wonderful venue!!

Saturday 6th July, Wedding Reception, Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel, Pontefract.
Our first gig in almost a month, and we were all up for it. We arrived in plenty of time and after moving around the staff and their seating arrangements, found we had a tiny spot between the disco stand and the doors into the kitchen. We managed to get set up with the minimum of gear and lights, Mark the sound guy was parked with his desk next to the PA speakers!! After the guests had their buffet, we got started on our first spot and played to the crowd who enjoyed the show. A bit of a break then back on to entertain the guests who responded by having a good old dance. Best wishes to the Bride and Groom, Sandra and Paul, from Matrix

Saturday 8th July, Wedding Of Lucy and Bob.
Yes!! The day that Lucy finally got her man. Bob and Lucy were wed in Garforth then a reception at Wood Hall. The lads were all in attendance and a good time was had by all.Then off to honeymoon in foreign parts while the rest of us have a musical break for a week or too!!
Best wishes to you both from the rest of the guys in and around Matrix...... xxx

Saturday 25th June, Wheatley WMC, Doncaster.
Still a bit tired after the long drive to and from London the day before, we arrived at the club and decided that the small rig would suffice for the club. We have played here a few times and have always had a good night.We set up and had a chat with the C/C Les, who was nice and friendly. First set went really well considering there was only a few people in. A break for the usual bingo and blind cards then back on stage to do our second set. The club had filled out a bit more when we went back on and we had a few up and dancing. We finished at normal time doing a couple of encores for the crowd. Then we loaded up dear old chuggaboom.. our old van for the last time as she was getting a bit too old for the rock n roll lifestyle!!

Friday 24th June, The Grovenor Hotel, London
We set off from Yorkshire at lunchtime to get here in plenty of time for this gig for Denplan. We finally arrived at 6.00pm totally shattered after a long crawl through busy London rush hour traffic. We had to go to the rear of the hotel to unload, on double yellow lines and which also was the start of the congestion charge area. There were parking wardens keeping their beady eyes on us as we unloaded. Bob unloaded his car and parked it in the hotel car park. Just as well we asked for complimentary car parking as it would of cost £24!! After unloading we managed to park the van nearby on a parking meter, which was free after 6.30pm. Finally we got our stuff together and set up. The lads all did really well putting up a full rig,light show and soundchecked in record time and were all ready for the guests. We tucked into our meal with the waiters and servants before getting ready for the first spot. This went down really really well, with the whole crowd up and dancing. We had a break while the disco played for a while. Second spot was again played to a really spontaneous crowd who joined in with everything. We finally stopped playing about 12.00am. We stacked most of the gear down while the disco played the last hour and we had the van loaded for 2.00am,having to take the gear out through the main doors now, which involved lifting up two sets of stairs. Then the long journey back to Yorkshire and finally bed...ah.

Saturday 18th June, Wilnecote WMC, Wilnecote, Nr. Tamworth.
Another regular haunt for us is this friendly club.We arrived as usual at 6.00pm only to find that the regular steward was on holiday, and the relief would not be at the club to open up till 6.30ish. We waited around till he let us in and got the gear out of the van. Mark our soundie was unable to do this gig and we were unable to find a stand in. The only solution was for us to set the desk up on stage and rig up only the minimum of lights and let them run on chase. We set up and soundchecked with about 10 min to spare before our first spot. The night was really humid and we were all sweating buckets! After our first spot on stage we were really melting..It has been a very long time since we have been so wet and sticky!! Although the club was only about half full, probably due to the fine weather, a few of the regulars were there to cheer us on.. Gary got up and gave us a dancing session and crazy frog was giving it some!! Another great night and it won`t be long till November when we next play here, so it should be a little cooler by then!!

Saturday 11th June, Wedding Reception, The Parsonage Hotel, Escrick, Nr. York
We arranged to be at the venue for 6.00pm to get set up, but the reception was running a bit late, so we could not get in the room till about 7.30. We quite often have this problem, but we got all set up and soundchecked in plenty of time. We played our first set to a rather quiet audience, some of whom danced a bit. A break for the buffet then onto the second spot which went down a storm! Nearly every guest was up dancing and everyone had a good time, with shouts for more well after our second encore!! Best wishes to the newly weds from the band.

Friday 10th June, Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth.
Another gig at this great venue. We arrived at about 8.00pm and quickly set up our backline and used Les`s PA system.The pub was a bit quiet at first, but when we started the first spot at about 9.15 the place soon started to fill up. The usual dancing and clapping during the first spot was conducted by the crowd, then we played the second spot from about 10.30pm till way past last orders. As we have said before, a great band pub where the crowd really appreciate us and have a good time!!

Sunday 5th June, Wedding Reception, Chevin Lodge Hotel, Chevin, Otley, Nr. Leeds.
The second wedding gig here in two weeks..and both on a Sunday! The hotel is situated in Chevin forest and the acess to it is via a few steep roads. The poor old band van nearly went on strike after it had to negociate the steep climb for the second time so soon..so much so that it could not make it up one of the hills, so we had to turn around and go another route!. Anyway 'chuggaboom' did not let us down and we duly arrived at the venue. The room was almost vacant when we arrived, and we quickly set up. We set up and tried our lights and would you believe that another intelligent light decided not to work!! We started off the evening with the bride and groom Claire and John dancing, which then was followed by the rest of the guests.We did the usual two spots which was enjoyed by the guests. Our Best wishes to the Claire and John from the lads.

Sunday 29th May, Wedding Reception, Chevin Lodge Hotel, Chevin, Otley, Nr. Leeds.
This is a beautiful hotel which consist of log cabins spread around the grounds. We arrived there nice and early to find that the wedding speeches had run over slightly and the reception room was still in use. Thats not a problem to us as most weddings run over at some time in the day, so we went and chilled for a while in the bar until they were finished. At about 6.50pm we started setting up the small rig and lights, only to find one of the intelligent lights was not working.With no time to try and fix it we had to manage with what we had. A soundcheck and a change into our clothes while the buffet was on and we were on stage by 9.30pm for our first spot, to which the audience really enjoyed. A quick break then back on stage till 12.00 midnight, the crowd up and dancing and having a good time. We played 'basketcase' as a request for the brides father, which went down a storm..not bad considering we had not even rehearsed it!! Best wishes from the band for the bride and groom, Tori and Andy.

Saturday 28th May, Rossington Labour Club, Doncaster.
The last time we played here was in Sept 2002, and since that time the club has been totally refurbed inside, and quite nice too!! We arrived nice and early as Mark our techie could not make the gig, so we had to set up the sound desk on stage and operate it ourselves, which is not something we like to do to often. Soundcheck and setting up went really well and we were pleased to get a decent sound without to much of a problem. We played our first set to a full house, and even got a few up dancing! We then had a break whie the club played the bingo, then back on to do the second spot, which had the dance floor full from start to finish. Everyone had a real good night and a quite few people came up and told us exactly that! Another gig here is on the cards!! A great club with a fine audience...great gig!!

Saturday 14th May, Dreamflight Charity Show, Gosforth Park Marriot Hotel, Newcastle.
This was a charity show for dreamflight, who raise funds to take a group of sick and terminally ill children to Disneyland in Florida. We arrived early afternoon and quickly got set up and soundchecked. We were left to our own devices for a time while the meal and fundraising auction took place. We sat around outside with some of the hotel guests, including a glimpse of Jose Morinho and some of the Chelsea team, who were up to play Newcastle United on the Sunday. Unfortunately he or the team were not part of the function, but I wonder if we helped Newcastle get a draw in the match because we kept them awake till late!! We played two long sets, to which the crowd never stopped dancing and clapping.In all the event on the day raised over £8000 and we were glad to be a part of it. Plans are being made for next years show and we hope to to be able to play.

Saturday 7th May, Wedding Reception, The Merchants Hall, York.
We get to play some wonderful reception rooms, and this was no exception. The Merchants Hall dates back to the 12th Century and over that period of time the room has seen some musicians from minstrals to matrix!! While the Bride & Groom held their reception in the upstairs hall, the band started to set up in the hall downstairs. We had to quickly unload the van as the Merchants Hall is in the centre of York, and there is no parking anywhere near, so we had to park the van on the outskirts of the old city wall, and had a ten minute walk back again!!. We played our usual first spot to an audience who were quickly up and a dancing. A ten minute break for us whilst the groom and a few of his mates got up and did a few of their own songs, then we got on and started the second spot. We included a request for 'time warp' and ' I am the ressurection' which went down a storm. We finished the evening a little over time but everyone enjoying the show..Rock On!!

Saturday 2nd April, Ebeneezers, Peterborough.
What can I say, another gig at this fine little club. We love playing here, as the people are all really nice. We arrived at 6.45pm and were set up and soundchecked not much later.The regulars started to pile in, and we had the usual banter over our various football teams.We played the first 45 min spot with the usual dancers. Bob commented on the almost non existent clapping from the audience, but they all were having a good time. Second 45min was the 'erection section' - most of the set being slow hip grinding songs,which they enjoyed. We played our final spot for about an hour, which included a improvised version of 'living on a prayer' assisted by Mark, our tech Guru, who played guitar. Ironic really that as we played that song it came to light that the Pope had passed away!! I hope it had nothing to do with our version of the song.

Monday 28th March, Easter Monday, The Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth.
We got invited for this one from Les, the pub landlord, who when we arrived at about 3.30 in the afternoon what the crack was. We had to get set up soundchecked and ready for 5.00pm, which we duly did. We played our first song to only a handful of people, but as they heard the music they soon filled the place up. Gavs young son witnessed his first ever live band as he watched his dad tickle the ivories!! A quick break for a drink then back on stage for the show. We still managed to get a fair few people dancing and we played for over an hour, finally calling it a day about 7.15pm. It made a change getting all the gear away and arriving back home to have a beer and relax with the family and TV...Must try that afternoon gig lark again sometime..

Saturday 26th March, Denaby Main Social Club, Connisborough, Doncaster.
Another new club to play, and when we arrived found a nice set of steps which we had to carry our gear up. When we got inside we were told by a guy on the committee that there would not be many people in. We were disapointed, as we like an audience to play to!! Anyway it filled out to a respectable 50 or more people. We played our first set to the few, who enjoyed the show. A break for a drink and a burger from the stall outside while the club played the bingo. We got on with the second spot, and managed to get a few up dancing near the end. We finished well with a couple of encores and left the stage with them shouting for more. A nice club, but for some reason, as the c/c mentioned to us, it cannot get the people in...

Sunday 13th March, Westminster Recreational Club, Doncaster.
This was the first time we have been to this club, and was nice to find a large stage, lighting and a friendly concert chairman. The downside was as we were told was that band night is normally on a Friday, so we were told not to expect many in. We got set up and soundchecked and waited around for a while for the audience. Finally the room filled out to about 50 people as we took to the stage. The few enjoyed our spot and responded really well. After bingo the place filled up a bit more and we got on with the second set, the small audience enjoying the show and getting up and dancing. After the show the crowd and concert chairman insisted that we would come back on a Friday night and do our bit. We were all up for that, as the club is a good venue. But we will see, as it sometimes gets Political with agents who at the end of the day give out the bookings.

Friday 11th March, The Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth
A welcome return to this great venue which we all love to play. Les has now invested in a better sound desk, so it was quite quick and easy for us to just plug in and play! A soundcheck or too was quickly done before we went on and done our first set. The crowd were in good spirits and filled up quickly. Second spot saw the usual dancers and we finished as usual well after time!! Been invited to play here on Easter Monday afternoon, so we are all looking forward to that!! Rock On!!

Saturday 5th March, The Miners Welfare Hall, Garforth, Leeds.
The Garforth Rugby club invited the band to perform at their bi annual bash and were ready for a good time.We were lucky enough to have three roadies this evening to help with the full rig set up. With Mark unavailable, Spence kindly operated the sound, while Anthony operated the lights. Our web designer pal Cookie and Anthonys brother were also there to lend a hand. We set up and soundchecked, which took a while as the room acoustics were really toppy. The first spot was played to a rather quiet audience, more eager to get to the bar then to dance. That all changed in the second spot when the beer kicked in and everyone ended up having a good time. We finished at 11.30pm and had to start to get everything stripped down as soon as possible, which we completed an hour later. Roll on to the next one!!

Thursday 3rd March, The Podger Pub, Garforth, Leeds.
A phone call around the lads was all that was needed to confirm this last minute booking, due to another band cancellation. We arrived there and got set up and sound checked just before we were due to start our first set. We played to a rather quiet audience for our first spot, then had a quick drink before playing through our second spot. There were a few enjoying the show, although there was not many up dancing. The last few songs were assisted by the landlord, who was celebrating his birthday. All in all it was a quiet night, neither the band or the audience were really up for any serious partying...more like ready for bed..but thats rock and roll!!

Saturday 26th February,Handsworth Social Club, Sheffield.
This is the first time we played here and we were made to feel very welcome. The C/C introduced himself and showed us into the dressing room, where there was tea and coffee making facitities.We set up and soundchecked, then went off for a cuppa while the club played their flier. We then played our first set to a responsive audience, some dancing. Another cuppa whilst the bingo was on then on for our second spot where the crowd had a few dances but were not up in their usual numbers we are used to. What they lacked in the dancing department, they made up for in the singing, joining in with gusto to Bob leading them with Land of 1000 dances and Mustang Sally. A great club, made very welcome and a promise of another visit later on in the year. A special thanks to Spence, who helped us out again with sound and lights.

Saturday 12th February, 50th Birthday Party, Selby Old Town Hall, Selby.
We got this gig from our friend Colin Wallwork, who put in a word for us. The old town hall is really quite small, but they had managed to sort out a bit of a stage on which we set up.We did a soundcheck before any of the guests arrived and tried to make sure we were not too loud. We played our first set to about 60 guests, who enjoyed the show and had a few dances. A break for the buffet and a spot of line dancing for the audience, then we were back on stage. We had chatted to the birthday girl and her husband who told us to finish at 11.30pm. Second spot was enjoyed by everyone and we duly finished our set. We started to turn off the PA when the husband who obviously had too much to drink demanded the music should be put back on..after a bit of a debate telling him that he told us to turn the music off for that time, we put their line dancin CD back on till about 12.10am. We were annoyed about the whole episode and his attitude, so much so that his poor wife who`s birthday it was had to apologize for him for making an arsehole out of himself..I guess she has done it many times before and no doubt it won`t be the last.

Saturday 5thFebruary, Brooklands WMC, Maltby, Rotherham.
Another gig at this great little club. Arrived on time and got set up and soundchecked quickly. Mark again doing both sound and lights.We were warmly welcomed by the C/C who had a good chat with us before we went on to do our first spot. The crowd were up dancing after the first song and clapped throughout the set. A break for the usual bingo before we got up and played the second set to a lot of dancers, before playing our third encore at about 11.30pm..well past our finishing time. Another great night at this club, back again in the summer!!

Saturday 29th January, Ebeneezers, Peterborough.
Finally at about the forth time playing this venue, all the band found the club and made it in time.We met all the regulars as we set up and soundchecked. Being FA cup 4th round weekend there were a few happy faces, and a few sad ones,but we all had a bit of banter regarding who supports who. We played our first of three 45min spots at about 8.30pm. The crowd were up and dancing as usual. A quick break before another spot, which comprised of a lot of slow songs as requested..the 'erection section' as Bob called it. Another break was had while the crowd got their breath back..and other things, then up again for the final part of the show, where all the audience were up and dancing. Another great night at Peterborough...Rock on.

Saturday 22nd January, 50th Birtday Party, Garforth Sports and Squash Club.
This was a great gig to play as it was Bobs mum Jean who`s honour the birthday party was being held.We arrived and set up with our small PA and lights and were just about soundchecked when the guests started to arrive. We played our first set to about 80 guests who had a dance and joined in a few songs. A quick break for the buffet, which included pickled eggs, something we had not had in a long time.. yummy!! Then back on stage where we performed most of our normal second spot. A special request for 'Wonderful Tonight' and 'Angel Eyes' by Jean was played as our encores. When we finished at about 11.30pm we had to rush to get our gear down and loaded up by midnight before the place closed down for the night. We just managed it, with a little help from the guests who helped carry out the gear while they were waiting for their taxis. Another great night was enjoyed by all. The band would like to wish Jean a Happy Birthday!!!

Saturday 8th January, Wedding Reception,The Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa.
Our first Wedding of this year was of Liz and Dan, who had their reception at the very lavish Royal Pump Rooms. The building is listed, so we were under strict instructions not to use any pyro`s, smoke or bubbles. The room was rectangular shaped, and the stage was situated at the centre of the small side. Also the room was very high, and with no carpets or any sound deadening had lots of reverb, and credit to Mark, he managed to get our sound right. Buffet was served at 9.pm then we played our first spot, where the guests danced all the way through the set. A quick break before playing an hour or more to the crowd, who now were really enjoying the show. A great response was given by the crowd on the participation bits, especially '1000 dances'. A great night, our congratulations to Liz and Dan, and thanks again to Mark who did a grand job yet again on Sound, Lights and Camera!! Rock on!!

Friday 7th January, The Boot & Shoe, Ackworth.
When we arrived at the pub and checked the stage area, we found Les had been busy since we last played, and built a drum riser on the stage.This meant that we had to move around the riser, and as such had to swap about usual positions of the lads. After setting up our backline and cabling through Les's PA we played a few songs for soundcheck and after a while finally got the settings something like. Our usual 'fan club' of Alan and his party, who regularly travel around to see us were there to say hello. The pub was quiet a first, then as we started playing, the place filled out a bit. We did our normal spot at 9.15pm, then had a break and went back on at about 10.30pm. The lads played for about an hour, and got some people up dancing, but in general the place felt very lethargic and tired, including the band,probably all the over indulgences over Xmas!!

Saturday 1st January 2005, Bentley West End Club, Doncaster.
We arrived at the club in plenty of time, but could not get in till 6.30pm. Everyone seemed to be feeling the effects of new years eve, and when we finally got inside the club, the audience looked to be in the same way. We quickly got set up and sound checked, and ready to play our first of three half hour spots at 8.30pm. We played the first to an appreciative but 'delicate' audience. Second spot was played at 9.30pm when we had another few up dancing. Our last spot was at 10.35pm and we played for nearly an hour to a cheering dancing audience, the highlight being when one of the audience asked us to play Guns `n Roses sweet child of mine, a song we don`t do, but Mark, our sound techie knew how to play it, so Mark took lead guitar and Bob took the vocals and the rest of the band jammed along. The crowd loved it!! Were informed by lots of the crowd that they had a lousy turn this new years eve and the club emptied, they were all pleased to see a decent group of musicians for a change.The club this evening was not full, but they all stayed and enjoyed themselves. Special thanks again to Mark and Spencer who were on sound and lights,who when introduced to the audience by Bob amongst a few laughs told the crowd that they were not any relation to the high street retailer of the same name.Rock On!!

Friday 31st December, Hawthorn WMC, Cantley, Doncaster.
Another new years eve..don`t time fly!! It only seems like yesterday since we played here, but it was in the summer!! This was our third time in a row we have played here on NYE so we know a lot of the regulars. We got into the club at 6.00pm and got set up and ready just as they opened the concert room doors at 7.00pm. The room soon filled up and with the band playing disco music thru the PA started to liven up the crowd. New concert chairman Steve wanted us to do three spots during the evening to spread the night out informing us that strangely the club would be not playing bingo that evening. We did a half hour set starting at 8.30pm with a few of the audience getting into the spirit of things by having a dance.An hours break followed where we got stuck into the snacks and sandwiches the girls had brought along. Another half hour set followed, again the crowd up and dancing. Another break for the disco, the audience now getting warmed up and ready for seeing in the new year. We took stage for the final time that evening at 11.15pm and at 11.59 counted down the seconds with the crowd, then at 12 setting off a pyro popper!! We played on till after 12.30am to a full house, before having to wind the evening down. A special thanks to techie stand ins Spence and old band pal Griff.....Happy new year to all our friends!!!

Monday 27th December, Wilnecote WMC, Wilnecote, Nr. Tamworth.
After an enjoyable xmas break the lads were all keen for the gig at this great little club.We set up quickly and without any problems even though we were a man down as Jonny the lighting guy is still poorly.We started our first set at the usual time of about 8.30pm, the club wanting us to do three shorter spots which we duly obliged. Gary the dancer was first up as usual, dancing around in his new loud shirt. Second spot was simmilar again only about half an hour long and very hard for the band to get going...except for Gary of course!! After a break and a game of "play your cards right"ran by the club, we started our final spot which we played for nearly an hour to a packed dance floor. Our finale was the eagles xmas song 'please come home for xmas' Which everyone enjoyed. A pat on the back for Mark our soundie, who again pulled out the stops and opereated both Sound and lighting Desks brilliantly!! Will see you all in the new year Wilnecote!!

Saturday 18th December,Riccall Regen Centre,Riccall, Nr. Selby.
We missed playing here last xmas,due to unforeseen circumstances, so we all up for it .We arrived really early to get set up and provided a little bit of a disco for the local kids in the afternoon. We soundchecked and went on stage at 9.15pm to thunderous applause. The audience sat out a few songs before they were up and dancing around. A quick break then back on at 10.30pm where we played till just over 12.00am to the audience who were all up and dancing. The crowd really got into the swing of things, singing both as group and individually. We really missed playing here and the crowd were pleased we were back. Another great night at Riccall!! Special thanks again to Spence and Anthony who were brill on sound and lights..Merry Xmas everybody!!

Saturday 11th December, Reed North West Xmas Party,The Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.
The Lads met in a local motorway services for a bargain bucket (or two) of KFC before we set off for Blackpool. The car guys arrived a bit earlier then Kenny and Dave in the van, and had arranged the floor space ready for us to unload. We had a prime parking place right next to the grand doors and right onto our acces doors to the room. We quickly got set up and soundchecked with plenty of time to show our two part time sound and lighting guys Anthony and Spence the finer points of our rig. We went for a walk into Blackpool and had a bit to eat while the party was having their meal and presentations. After getting changed and adjusting our mics we started our first spot at about 10.30pm, the crowd up dancing and clapping right the way through. Another new song performed to the crowds approval was 'I Wish It Would Rain Down'. and along with Martin on vocals, played 'Angels' and 'Suspicious Minds' to loud applause.A quick break we were back on and played right through till 01.20am, way past our time. A special thanks to Jules, who sang 'Love Shack' with the band and everyone who had a little bit of band 'participation'. Also thanks again to Anthony and Spence who did a great job on sound and lights. A little light relief was had as we were loading up the van when none other than Shane Ritchie (who was staying at the hotel) came over to the van and had a chat to us. A great night again!!!

Saturday 4th December, Wheatley WMC, Doncaster.
Our sickness problems continue, Johnny had to cancel again as he was still to ill with the flu virus, so Mark offered to operate the lights as well as the sound. We all arrived bang on 6.00pm and quickly got set up and soundchecked. We also tested our new set of upgraded horn units for the HF part of our speakers.The club is nice and large and quickly filled up. We were informed that we had to do 3 spots, so we quickly altered our set list before going on at 8.45 for half an hour. The crowd danced a few times and cheered, then off for a break while the bingo was on. We went back on again at 10.20pm and again the crowd started singing and dancing, before we went off again at 10.50pm. Ten minutes later we were back on and rocking as the dance floor filled up and the crowd cheering and clapping. We were under orders to finish by 11.50pm, so we partied on till a little before our time then played 'Please come home for xmas' as an encore. we left the crowd screaming for more, and the c/c sorting out another three bookings for next year..Special thanks again to Mark for working both sound and lights...A great venue..Keep on rocking Doncaster!!

Sunday 28th November, The Ship Inn, Mortlake, London.
We all had a good lie in, not getting to bed till after 4am, so after a bit of breakfast, said goodbye to Mark, who was travelling home by train for work on Monday, then had a walk along the Thames riverbank and along to tonights venue, the Ship. We met John the Landlord, who then gave us our Sunday lunch..and very nice it was too!! An afternoon of chilling before getting down to the pub for 6.00pm to find out the speaker problem. Detailed examination found the diaphragm blown in one of them, so we had to use Gav and Kenny`s monitors for FOH and use the HF less speakers as monitors. We got it all sorted for about 7.30pm and started chatting with the regulars. The place was about half full when we started our first spot and got thunderous applause throughout. A quick beer break before we started the second spot. A raffle had been going on and when the draw was taking place we added a Matrix CD as an extra prize, as it was for a childrens charity. We started our second spot and the place really filled up, lots of people now up and dancing and clapping. We played well past our alloted time, but the crowd wanted more. We agreed to play another if someone from the audience bought a CD of the band, the money going to the charity. We got rid of our last six CD`s, so £30 was added to the good cause, and everyone was happy!! After stacking down, Gav was off driving on his way home while the rest of the lads had a few beers with John the landlord, his wife and a few regulars, then off to Angies again for a few more beers and bed..another 4am job!! In all a great three days, but we love this venue, can`t wait to play the old smoke again next year!!

Saturday 27th November, Reed Company Xmas Party, Kempton Park Racecourse, London.
Saturday morning and news that Bob has borrowed a pedal board from our old mate Tony Brown,so one less problem. We arrange to meet at a service station on the M1 a little after lunchtime, which turned out to be Watford Gap!! With plenty of time we had a nice run down and making good time, especially in the van, when the motorway signs tell of the motorway closed ahead due to an accident. We finally made it into Kempton park at 5.45pm and told we had to be set up by 7.00pm!! Bob and Kenny started unloading the van, as the rest of the lads had not arrived, being detoured to collect Daves pal Sid who would assist us with the lights as Jonny was really ill with cold. The lads finally arrived about 6.15pm, being caught in Traffic. We got set up and soundchecked a little over time, but there was no problem. About 100 guests enjoyed our first spot, about half filling the dancefloor. Second spot came and the dancefloor filled up.Everyone was having a great time dancing and cheering. We finally finished our spot and played a CD for the last ten minutes or so..then the Horns went off again..It was late, we all were tired and wanted to get to our digs and have a beer or two, so we decided to check them out tomorrow. Another great London gig, everyone enjoyed themselves. We stopped off on the way and picked up a pizza then off to Angie Bee`s B&B for our pizza, beer and rest. Thanks again for the help from Sid, who filled in for Johnny....on his birthday...bless!!

Friday 26th November, Denplan Xmas Party, Hazelwood Castle Hotel, Nr. York.
We were all really looking forward to this weekend of gigs as we have been quiet for nearly a month and have been raring to go!! We arrived and got set up nice and early, just as well as it soon became very busy as over 180 guests started taking their seats for their meal. We had a bit of a problem in which we could not get any output from the HF horns on our system, both speaker horns would not work. We rectified the problem by bringing in a second pair of speakers which worked no problem. We then retired to the bar area while the guests enjoyed their meal. We started playing our first spot around 10.30pm and the crowd were up and dancing away. The dance floor was really quite small and so was really full and made passing by the dance floor almost impossible!! We had a quick break then got started on the second spot which went down a storm, everybody dancing and singing away. We lost count of the number of people gathering around and trying to sing into the band mics.We completed our long spot before being cheered on for one or two more. Thats when we found that one of the singing girls had put her stilletto heel right through Bobs effects pedal board and through the circuit board,making it useles and destined for the bin...With no effects we had to play a couple of slow songs to end the night. A great night really, pity about the broken PA and pedal, but Bob took it on the chin and started trying to sort something for the London gig next day..Rock and Roll!!

Friday 29th October, Cromwell WMC, Grimsby.
Its been over a year since we played here, when we took ages to find the place, this time everyone was early and got there before the club opened for the evening, so we went to the kebab shop next door and had our tea,then off to unload the van. We could not set up our lighting rig as the stage was too small, but we got a few lights set up and used the clubs pars to light us up. Our sound guy was unavailable, so Jonny, our lighting chappie, stepped into the breech and operated the sound desk..and a very good job he did of it too!! We played our first set at about 9.15pm, after the club finished their first marathon bingo session, to a responsive audience, some up dancing to AC/DC!! not bad considering the audience was mostly in the 'older' age group! More bingo followed us, then we were back on at 10.15pm for our second spot, which we had to cut short due to time. The crowd were all up dancing and clapping. Another good night was had by all..rock on Grimsby!!!

Thursday 21st October,The Podger, Garforth.
We all arrived at about 7.45pm and proceeded to get the gear up and running.On trying out the PA we found one of the HF speakers was not working, so we had to get out a spare before we could get soundchecked. This all sorted and soundchecked we all proceeded to have a chat with the large group of friends,workmates and relations who had gathered to see us. We played our usual set to the crowd who were singing and clapping along. A quick break and beer before we had to get back on and get the show on the road. We played most of our set, but had orders to be off at 11.10pm, so the crowd were not very happy at the end when we were allowed only one encore. A good venue to play, the crowd are great, a nice way to spend a Thursday night.

Saturday 16th October, Ferry Fryston Miners Welfare, Castleford.
We arrived at the club nice and early to give us plenty of time to negotiate the awkward stairs of the club entry. With this challenge finally overcome we got to work and got set up quickly, being a man down as well.(Mark our regular sound tech was unavailable tonight). We soundchecked and guided stand in soundie Jim around the desk. Said a quick hello to Kev, the concert chairman before starting our first set at 8.30. The crowd enjoyed the set, with an odd couple of dancers. Break time was from 9.15 to 10.30. When the cass crowd played their bingo, Kenny took the opportunity to chat to some of his old mates, while the rest of the lads had a chat to old friend Alan and his company who hired a minibus to come and see us. Second spot went down well again, with dancers and clapping. We did not even have time to put in 'Gimme some Lovin' as we had to be off stage by 11.30!..The crowd wanting us to play on. Then it was stripping down the gear and back over the hurdle of the Fryston rear entrance (no pun intended!) Another good night, another gig here on the cards!!

Saturday 9th October, The Three Horseshoes Pub, Otley.
Its been a long time since we played here, back in the early Matrix days, so we were all quite keen to return when asked by Derek, the local agent. We arrived in time and got set up and soundchecked. Had a chat with Derek and kicked off about 9.30pm to an audience of about twenty.This soon filled up as they heard the band strike up and the room was quite full by the end of our first spot, the audience quite responsive, but lacking in the applause department. A break and a beer before we went back on at 10.30pm to by now a full house. The crowd really got into it as we worked through our set, cheering and clapping, before we had to stop at 11.30pm. The crowd were still shouting for more, but time is time as the landlord said. Lots of people came and praised us, Gav been heaped praise on his keyboard skills..but unfortunately Gav developed a migraine and had to go and sit in the car. This is a great little venue and one we would to repeat again sometime...Rock and Roll Man!!!

Friday 8th October,The Rose & Crown Pub, Methley.
This was the farewell gig to the pubs Landlord and Landlady as they are moving to pastures new, so we were hoping for a few more people in than last time to see them off. Kenny and his workmates were also saying goodbye to a colleague, Dave, so decided to all come and watch the band .Bob also brought in a few pals, so by 9.00pm the place was buzzing. We played our usual first spot to the friendy crowd, with even a few up and dancing.A quick chat and refreshment before starting our second spot.. The crowd started up dancing with a front row of ladies dancing and bouncing around, one girl dancing with Bruce the boxer dog until he dropped a fart....We finished after an hour or more of playing, the crowd still wanting more. The landlady got up and sang "Bed of Roses", then Bob got up his mates who are in bands and they played the Jam`s "Thats Entertainment". The finale being us playing "Alright Now", helped along by Kenny`s mate Dave playing the cowbell..very badly!! If you can play a cowbell out of tune... he can!! A great night was had by all, Best wishes for the future to the Landlords and Dave from the Band

Saturday 2nd October, Wilnecote WMC, Nr. Tamworth.
A mix up with our gig diaries meant that we did not have a front of house sound engineer for this gig, so when we arrived a man down we had to rush to get set up and soundchecked,always more difficult when mixing from stage. We got soundchecked and all the lights up and running with about ten minutes to spare before we had to start our first spot at 8.30pm. The crowd remembered us from last time and had a few dances to our set. Then it was break time while the club played bingo and "play your cards right", before we went back on at 10.20pm. We played our second spot to the crowd whoi were all up dancing away, including Gary, the clubs star dancer, giving it some!! near the end of the show when introducing our lighting guy Johnny, the circuit breaker tripped causing us all to lose power, before getting it reset and finishing off our set. Another good night, roll on Dec 27th!! our next gig here.

Saturday 18th September, Ebeneezers, Peterborough.
When we have played here in the past, as always we bring all our gear down but never use a lot of the lights,due to lack of space as the stage is a small triangular effort stuck in the corner of the room.So we decided to take only what we normally used at the previous gigs here. To our surprise when we got to the room, the stage area had all been re done and extended along the room length..its now a massive stage area and we would of been able to put on our full show!! Typical aint it!! Never mind, we set up on the cavernous stage quickly and sound checked. The place was very slow to fill up, but it finally did and we had all the regulars up and dancing to both spots, the last spot finishing at 11.30pm. This place is even better to play now we have the stage room, so the regulars can look forward to a full light show next time!!

Friday 3rd September, Wedding Reception, Monk Fryston Hall, Nr. Selby.
We arrived just as the afternoon reception was breaking up,so we had a clear access to get in our gear. The room is quite small, so we could not bring in all the lighting and only the small rig was used.Quickly set up and soundchecked, we played CD music to the guests as they arrived and took their seats. A first dance by the Bride and Groom followed by the evening buffet, then came our first set, which we played to a full dance floor. We did the normal 50min spot, before we had a break for ten minutes. At this point the room emptied as the guests went to the bar in the next room to refill their glasses and cool off in the hotel gardens. On striking up for our second spot, they all re appeared and began dancing all the way through our show, until we had to stop at 12.00. Another good wedding gig, although the room was really a bit small.

Saturday 28th August, Wedding Reception,Three Tuns Hotel, Durham.
The beautiful city of Durham and the Three Tuns Hotel, near the town centre was the venue. We arrived on time and after negotiating the van through the hotels tiny (and full) car park, managed to get somewhere near the loading bay. The reception of Luke & Laura was still going on behind the room partition, and the DJ Steve had set up his gear around the small stage area. After moving his gear about to accommodate us we started setting up, minus the back bar, as the stage was way too small for it. A quick soundcheck when the reception finished and we were all done and dusted with loads of time left!! The guests started to appear at about 7pm, and after the buffet (which was very nice!!) we played our first set at about 8.30pm, it lasting about an hour, with the dance floor in good attendance. The DJ played us off our spot and played till we returned at about 10.30, to play another hour or more of good old party music!! The crowd loving it and joining in. We finished near the midnight hour, leaving the DJ to wind down the evening...Another great night..best wishes Laura & Luke from us all.

Saturday 21st August, Wedding Reception, Aldwark Manor Hotel,Alne, Nr. Boroughbridge.
This was the wedding reception of Duncan & Katherine Oates,who booked us through their wedding photographer, Colin Wallwork, a good pal of ours. We arranged to get there at 6.30pm and load our gear in the corridor ready to set up in the room when the speeches finished at 7.00pm...at 8.30pm they finally cleared the room to allow us to start setting up..they were running so late that the evening guests had started arriving and had to be directed to the bar area. We quickly got set up and soundchecked by about 9.30 then allowed the guests into the room. We were asked by the grooms father that he wanted to introduce the Bride and Groom into the room, this he duly did about 9.55pm and gave another speech along with the head bridesmaid for another 20 mins!! We finally got up for our first set at 10.30pm!! The audience were all up dancing, and we did a 45 min spot before grabbing a bacon butty from the buffet...yummy!! then back on stage where we did almost a full set until we had to stop at 12.40am. The duty manager, Victoria kindly allowed us to play over our 12.30am finish time, and was duly impressed with us. The audience were also very keen, with the Bride, Groom, best man and all up front with us giving their all on the mics to Alright Now!! A good time was had by all dare I say!! Best wishes to Duncan and Katherine for the future.

Saturday 14th August, Wedding Reception,Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield, Co Durham.
What a beautiful place to have a wedding!! The staff were really helpful and helped us out sorting the mains supply for the lights and amps.A stage had already been provided and we got set up and sound checked just as the evening guests started to arrive. The room was quite large so we set up the full rig. A disco at the reception next door was blasting away, but inside our room it was not too bad. We started our first set at about 8.30pm. and did a normal first spot, which got up a lot of people dancing and having fun. After tucking into the buffet, we played a good hour or more to the audience who never stopped dancing and cheering. Even some of the guests next door were standing at the doorway watching us!! A special thanks to Ronnie who operated the lights for us and Mark for another faultless sound control, even with the new monitor system which was unveiled to him for the first time this gig!! A great night, thats what its all about!! Best wishes for the future to Bride and Groom Marie and Stephen Brown from all the guys here at Matrix.

Friday 13th August, The Prince Pub, Hoyland Barnsley.
It had been a while since we played here,and we decided to set up in the same place but pointing more to the bar area rather than to a brick wall like we did previously.We set up and soundchecked, then had a beer with Rossi and his missus before starting our first set to about twenty people. A quick break and a chat with Rossi and another pal Kev Oats before playing to a lively audience who had now swelled considerably. Plenty of dancers and a couple of females who helped out on Mustang Sally and Bed of Roses made the night. A return visit here later on in the year is now being organised..Rock on!!

Saturday 31st July, Swarcliffe WMC, Leeds.
What a difference a week makes...After all the problems we encountered last week, this club could not of been more different. Everyone here was really helpful and we set up the full rig and lights really quickly. A quick soundcheck and we were ready for our first spot well before time. A look on the musicians noticeboard - the changing room wall - warned us about the crowd being unreceptive and lacking in the applause dept. We went on stage wondering what to expect, and for the first few songs they were quiet..by the end of the spot they were giving some good applause. Bingo time allowed us to go to the club cafe where we all tucked into a good meal, then it was back on stage for the second spot. We played our spot and the crowd were up dancing and joining in with Bob in ''everybody needs somebody'. We played up to our 11.10pm mark and were only allowed to play one more for encore...the crowd were really booing the concert chairman, but he stuck to his guns saying time up,so off we went to a good applause from the audience. A great club, the people were friendly, the food was good and a great atmosphere.

Saturday 24th July, East Herringthorpe Social Club, Rotherham.
Well, how do I start? its one of those nights where everything goes wrong..firstly the club -its situated three quarters of the way up a very steep hill, the van could not get up near the club because it was so steep..we had to drive up past the club,turn around and as we were coming down the hill drive over a grass verge into the car park. even then we were about fifty yards short of the entrance. We emptied the gear and moved the van closer when it was empty. Next problem was when we started to set up and found there was only four power points on stage. Then it was Kenny`s monitor buzzing and farting when we soundchecked. Gav gave Kenny his monitor to use and Gav shared Bobs. First set started at 8.30 and near the end of the first song a strange thing happened..both Kenny and Bobs amps went off then came on again..knocking off all the amp settings. The PA also sounded a bit muddy and quiet,although soundcheck sounded fine,with Mark trying to sort out the problem.We got through the first set then had to re soundcheck after the bingo. Second spot was a lot lot better and we had the crowd up dancing.We still don`t know what went off with the sound, but Mark managed to sort it out. We managed to pull this gig back from the brink and shows that bit of determination we have to get things right. Thanks to the lads,Mark and Johnny for being a big part in that.

Friday 16th July, The Boot & Shoe, Ackworth.
Time to pop down here again and see Les and company for another good night at this excellent venue. As normal we plugged into Les`s PA and completed a soundcheck, but found a bad noise coming from the PA. We traced it to a duff monitor lead and changed it.We played ur normal first spot to a good crowd, including our regular fan club here, not forgetting Alan and a full minibus, plus the usual pub regulars.A quick break then back on stage for our second spot. We played well over an hour to the crowd with a lot of dancing and singing going on.We included our new soul medley and it went down a treat! We finished off the evening with Bob and his pal singing 'Alright Now' Another great night at this great pub!!!

Sunday 11th July, Bentley West End Club, Doncaster.
Our third night on the road, and we were all a bit tired, but got on with the job. We have played this club many times, but this was the first Sunday. We got everything set up before being told to move the desk, as it was causing a fire escape hazard...We thought otherwise, but we had to move it...Why dont they tell you straight away to move, rather than watch you set it all up before telling you..but thats clubland I suppose.We started our first 30min spot at about 8.30pm to a lively audience, before a break for bingo and a visit to the fish man selling seafood in the bar! Second spot was played to a responsive crowd, and we played well, but not as lively around stage as normal. Another break and it was on for the final spot..We got stuck in and the crowd responded by dancing and singing along. Two encores later and they were still shouting for more..Much as we would live to oblige, the c/c said no more as it was gone 11.20pm. We played the soul medly again and it gets better every time we play it!! A great little club, and an end to another long weekend of gigs...rock and roll man!!

Saturday 10th July, Wedding Reception, Maynard Arms Hotel, Grindleford, Derbyshire.
The second wedding reception of our busy weekend was for Emma and Dominic, who had hired out the entire hotel for the occasion. We were met by Bob, Emma`s Dad, who tried to get us a drink in before we even got started!! We got out the gear and started to set up, only to find that there was only four mains plugs for us to supply our PA, Lights and backline..and also a disco!! We set up and soundchecked to a full room, before playing our first spot of about 50mins to a good dancing crowd. A quick break for the buffet before we started our second spot to a now full dance floor. Then disaster, as predicted, the band was taking too much power from them four plugs and we tripped a fuse...We had a quiet five minutes while Bob went to sort out the fuse..It reset ok and we got on with the job of entertaining the crowd. A complaint to the police from a neighbour about the noise threatened to put a dampener on things, but it turns out that it is a regular weekend event now, as relations between the hotel and neighbour deteriorate!! We carried on regardless before blowing the fuse yet again near the end of our spot. We played for over an hour (not including the enforced silence caused by the power trip) And everyone had a great time....except the moaning neighbour!!! Good venue, but needs more power sockets!!!Best wishes to Emma and Dominic from us all.

Friday 9th July, Wedding Reception, Briars Hall,Lathun,Nr. Liverpool.
The reception of Nicola and Adam were having a break in the lovely evening sunshine when we arrived at 6.00pm and started to load the gear into the reception room, the staff were in the middle of changing the place settings for the evening do, so we were bang on time!! We quickly got set up and soundchecked, the lads all pulling together, the sound and lighting rig going up really quickly. We started our first set at 8.30 after the Bride and Grooms first dance and the audience started dancing straight away. About 9.00pm the venue started bringing through the buffet..right between the dance floor and the band..the smell of the food was delicious!! After a bite to eat and a short break we started our second set, and as requested previously, we tried our new "soul medley" for the first time..and it went down a storm!! We finally got finished in time for the DJ to play a few songs while we started to strip down.. A good venue to play, best of luck to Emma and Andrew.

Sunday 27th June, Hawthorn Social Club, Cantly, Doncaster.
We were really looking forward to this gig,the club has an easy lift, a nice big stage and a great audience! We were a little shocked to find out that the crowds of the past had dwindled down to a handful, in fact, so much so that the band that played a week earlier played to eight people! The club had announced that they were going to stop Sunday entertainment due to lack of interest. We got set up and sound checked to about 20 people, then went for a beer. When we returned to start our first spot at 8.30pm the room was half full..good start! We started playing and a few more people entered the room. We finished our first spot to a good clapping audience. C/C Derek was well pleased with the crowd we had pulled in and said it was the bigest crowd on a Sunday for over six months!! We started our second spot dead on 10pm, the room filling up even more. We finally finished our set at 11.15pm, with the now full club still shouting for more!!! Another request to play New Years Eve there again is being sorted with the agent. A great club and audience..Rock on the Hawthorn!!!

Saturday 26th June, Selby Trades Club, Micklegate,Selby.
Arrived at the club in a real downpour!! and to cap it off a car was parked in the loading bay,so we got even wetter!! We all had a good sweat on after carrying all the gear upstairs,We got set up and soundchecked, we then met Henry our concert chairman who informed us that we were playing 3x 30 min spots. We duly obliged and played to a full house, audience full of applause. We finished the last spot well over the 30mins we were supposed to, the band temporally becoming a 3 piece as Bob got caught short and had to make an emergency visit to the bog!! He recovered enough to finish the last encore with the band. It was a good night with plenty of people dancing and clapping..who said Selby was dull!!

Saturday 12 June, Scarthingwell Golf Club, Nr Sherburn in Elmet.
Bobs pal, Andy sorted out this gig for his golf club presentation evening. The clubhouse is situated just away from the car park, through some trees and after trimming some of the trees with the van, managed to get somewhere near the entrance. On a beautiful evening we set up and soundchecked before slipping away to the local village for a beer while the presentations were being made.We played our first set at 9.45, and from the first song till the last, the crowd were on the floor dancing away, the band playing for an hour, then a quick break and drink before playing our second spot. Again the dance floor filled up and stayed that way until the band finished!! Two encores were played before finally calling time. An excellent gig to play, with a full house all dancing and clapping..Brill!! What a difference compared to last weekend!!

Saturday 5th June, Mexborough WMC, Doncaster.
We new what the lift would be like at this club, as we played here last December, but it still does not make the lifting any easier!! We decided that not all the back bar lights were required, so we loaded and set up relatively quickly considering we were using two rookie sound and lighting guys, Dan and Johnny. The first problem came to light when we could not get the intelligent lights to be intelligent and work correctly, this finally diagnosed to a wiring fault. We played our first set to a full house, who altough a little quiet, enjoyed us. After bingo, a lot of the audience disappeared, leaving a handful of punters who danced and enjoyed the show, ending with two encores. The concert chairman was well happy, A nice sized club to play, pity about the lift into the room!!!

Friday 4th June, Rose & Crown Pub, Methley
As usual we arrived with time enough to get set up and soundchecked before 9pm, we were all set up and ready but something was missing...ah yes, an Audience!! The place was really quiet with only a handful of regulars...Some of Bobs friends turned up to swell the ranks to double figures..Even Manager Chris and his missus were away at a wedding,But being good pros, we carried on regardless, doing both sets. As we finished our final song, Chris the manager returned and we had to do another few for him.Not even Bruce, the farting boxer dog was around till after closing..A good venue to play, but better with an audience!

Saturday 29th May, Wilnecote WMC, Nr. Tamworth
We arrived outside the club at 6.00pm after having a nice run down, the club being easy to find and with first impressions, looked really small, with an upstairs fire escape. The stewart let us in and to our surprise he revealed a large downstairs concert room that was on the ground floor!! We decided to use our full lighting rig as the stage area was quite large. We were all set up and soundchecked by about 7.45pm, and spent a further few minutes replacing a few blown bulbs from our lighting rig..The club wanted us to start our first set at 8.30 which we duly played, to a by then a busy concert room. Had a couple of dancers the first spot, and lots of cheeering from the audience. After the spot, the Concert Secretary Steve spoke to us and was very impressed, saying we were the best band they have had there for a long time, and they have bands on every week!! He was so impressed that he has booked us for a gig just after Christmas!!. Second spot came and after playing way past the deadline of 11.20pm (with C/C`s permission)everyone was really pleased with our performance,Sec Steve wants us back there in September as well as Christmas!! These will be sorted with the agent soon and put onto our gigs page. A great club, the audience were really nice and complimentary to us after the show...roll on the next gig here!!

Saturday 15th May, Scawthorpe Social Club, Doncaster
This was a last minute booking from our agent and as we were local we decided to give it a go. The club was quite easy to find, and the C/C was quite pleasant and informed us that we had to do 3x30 min spots, no real problem for us, but we normally find the crowd just get going then we have to finish. We loaded the gear out of the van and started to set up only to find Dave had forgotten his cymbals..Problem solved when Sound guy Mark offered to go and borrow his brothers cymbals from nearby. That sorted we had to be on stage by 8.05pm, so we did not have time to set up all the lights, just the bare minimum.We played the two first half hours to a full house who enjoyed our songs. After a final game of bingo we were told we had to be finished by 11.15pm..our third set 35min long..we got to 11.15 as requested..by 11.30 we were still playing to a full house dancing and cheering, including the C/C!!. Everyone went home happy, The Chairman wanting to book us again, as soon as possible!!

Saturday 8th May, The Reed Company Conference, The Hilton Metropole Hotel, London
We Got out of our beds to the venue room for about 7.30am and found the event organiser about storing our gear backstage. The room was huge, and the events company had built a large stage with video screens either side, along with lights..lots of them. After talking to the sound engineer we were informed that we only had two lines to their PA..we were under the impression that Mark was going to use their desk and PA during our performance. It was finally decided that we used our desk and multicore and patched into their 8.5K rig. We loaded the gear from the van backstage and went for some breakfast, where we were met by the rest of the lads. We wasted the next few hours back in the room watching TV and chilling till 1.00pm when we went for lunch.
We arrived backstage at about 2.50pm just in time to catch the end of the conference, then at 3.00pm the delegates went for lunch while we set up our desk and backline onto the stage. We completed our sound checks and waited to get started.At about 4.00pm people started to wander back to the venue, by 4.15pm there was over 800 people waiting for the show to start and start it did.With a couple bangs from the pyro`s the two main incentive prizes were unveiled either side of the stage..mini cooper cars, after a few moments our que to start was given. We started with 'Let Me Entertain You' behind the stage curtain, and as Bob started to sing the curtain fell and pyros went off to reveal the band. We played one long set of over an hour and a half, with the audience really enjoying the show and joining in singing. A few people were encouraged to get up and sing with the band..Pugsy singing 'brown eyed girl', Julie singing 'Love shack' with Kenny and Martin Wainman who sang 'Suspicious minds' and 'Angels' to thunderous applause. After a couple of encores we finished at 6.30pm. An hour later we were loaded up and heading up the M1 back home.The gig was the end to a perfect weekend and a lot of travelling..but thats only rock and roll..and we like it!!

Friday 7th May, The Ship Inn, Thames Bank, London
This was our warm up gig before Saturdays big one, Organised by Dave`s pal Sid, we navigated Londons busy traffic, managed to find the pub, only to find that the car park was under water..at high tide, twice a day, the river Thames takes over the car park, okay if you know the tide times,but not if like the poor soul who parked his Golf there and found the water had risen to half way up his door...oops. Although the pub was largeish with a few rooms serving good food,the bands 'stage area' was tiny. We had a bite to eat then brought in our gear,(the tide had now gone down)after a bit of sorting , we managed to get up and do a sound check.We found out that the manager Jim was a Norwich City fan and had organised a 'promotion party' complete with yellow and green balloons and a Delia Smith cookbook. We played our first set to a cheering audience, then had a short break where Jim sorted out drinks for us. We played our second spot with the audience singing, dancing and enjoying themselves.We got up the canaries who warbled a couple of footy songs, then got the audience involved with 'land of 1000 dances'. We finished the night with Jim singing with the band to a busked version of 'Sweet Home Alabama' Another few rounds of drinks ended a really enjoyable gig.Jim paid us the ultimate compliment by saying we were the best band that had played there, a comment echoed by some of the audience.A great night and we all agreed that we were going to play there again some time in the near future.Thanks to Sid who sorted the gig and digs for us, Jim who kept us well supplied with refreshments and the audience who made us all very welcome. We loaded up the gear before some of the lads headed to the digs....Angie Bee`s B&B. Kenny & Bob had arranged to drive and stay at Sats gig venue and sort out the loading of the gear first thing in the morning... the venue...The Hilton Metropole Hotel.

Thursday 6th May, The Podger Pub, Garforth
This pub is Bobs local, so a lot of friends turned out to see Bob and the band. Friends from work also filled the bar. We played a normal set to an appreciative audience, then had a ten minute break before having to play the second spot early as we had to be finished by 11.00pm at the latest...Needless to say we played over that..with the consent of the manager, as everyone was enjoying themselves.A brill venue to play, and a great start to our busy weekend!!!

Saturday 1st May Brooklands WMC, Maltby, Rotherham
We were notified of this gig at the last moment, along with the club, who were originally expecting an all girl trio singing to karaoke tracks, so they were a bit disapointed to find half a dozen guys instead of the skirt to look at. We quickly set up using the minimum of lights and after a game of bingo we started our first spot. The crowd was a bit thin on the ground when we went into the dressing room, when we came out for the spot, the room was full!! they must of came out of the woodwork!! (or the lounge!) We started playing and theaudience reacted warmly, after a bit of banter a quick re adjustment of the stage lights was in requested as they were shining into the audience eyes. We finished off the spot. Another game of housey and we went back on at 10.30 playing for over an hour to a cheering, dancing audience. Derek the C/C looked after us and requested another visit by us ASAP. Thanks also to our sound guy Mark who did another splendid job along with his partner Gill and also thanks to Johnny, Dave`s pal who stood in at late notice to help us out. A good little club who appreciate "live" music!!

Friday 23rd April The Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth
St Georges day was celebrated in bunting, as Les the manager had put lots of it around the pub,the weather also being warm brought out the people ready to party. We set up, had a quick drink and got on with the show to a packed pub. We played our usual set which the crowd loved and had a bit dance. The heat from the lights and the bodies was almost unbearable, as the air con was not working..We had to go outside during the break to cool off!! Second spot resulted in the crowd dancing about, some where they stood, as the dance floor was not big enough to take all the dancers!! We finally finished at 11.50pm, giving the audience over an hour for the second set .Another great night at this excellent venue. Thanks to Alan who arrived with a minibus full of people, and to all the others there who made it a brill St. Georges Day!!

Friday 16th April 21st Birthday Party,Normanton Golf Glub,Normanton, Stanley
We had originally been told by the agent that it was a wedding we were playing and only found out about a week before the event that it was indeed Gaz's 21st Birthday bash. We arrived and set up quickly before the guests arrived, We took up part of the dance floor to set up, as the band, disco and about 100 guests were in a small room. We tucked into Chicken pie, chips and peas before playing our first set to an appreciative audience. A quick break and we were back again for our second spot and played a couple of Oasis numbers, which Gaz sang, with a little help from his friends. The evening ended with everyone well and truely f***ed up as Gaz pointed out in his birthday speech!!

Friday 2nd April The Rose & Crown Pub, Methley, N r. Castleford
This gig came at very short notice, as the band that should of played the gig cancelled and Cliff the manager asked if we could stand in. We arrived at the pub and found it very quiet, we set up and played the first spot to about a dozen people, most of them friends who came to see the band.After playing for half an hour through Bruce the managers boxer dog farting, the place filled up and started to liven up. Second spot was bouncing with every one in the pub enjoying themselves, including Bruce who was jumping around barking and farting.This is a great venue to play with everyone enjoying themselves. Boxer dog Bruce was well on form with his farts as usual, Hosts Amanda and Cliff looked after us very well with a few beers...The locals took it all in their stride..they are used to Bruce's farts!!! A good night!

Saturday 20th March, Ebeneezers, Peterborough
We finally arrived at the venue about 8pm as the A1 was shut southbound and so we had to find an alternative route. A mad rush then ensued to get the gear up and running as quickly as possible.More problems appeared in the PA and its lack of volume and clarity. Sound guy Dan was having a nightmare trying to sort out the problem while we had to take to the stage and try to put on the show. We did a couple of numbers before having to stop because the of the problem. We took a 10min break and checked all wiring, before finding a speaker output lead put into the wrong connection...our "experienced"PA builder Kenny finding the fault and owning up to the mistake. That got us back the PA volume, and we played the rest of the spot to the patient audience, who were up dancing straight away. Another break between spots found the lack of clarity in the PA was caused by a blown horn, probably due to being connected wrongly.Speaker was changed and finally we had our PA back to normal for our second spot, which the audience appreciated, dancing right through. We were assisted by a couple of the younger members of the audience at the end of the night to put away our gear and pack the van. A great little venue, with a friendly audience who like a good dance!! We are going to have to get there a little bit earlier next time!!

Saturday 13th March Royal York Hotel, York
We arrived at the hotel on the day expecting to use the hotels PA and lighting system, as previously agreed,but the duty manager had other ideas. We finally compromised by using the hotels PA and using our lights.This was a charity function arranged by Gaynor Goulding who did a great job. We set up and got our best togs on as this was a black jacket event .Another problem of the resident DJ not being able to turn up was solved by using our pro DJ mixed CD`s.This helped the charity, as the hotel made a donation for the lack of a DJ.After tucking into a three course dinner Matrix played two long spots to an audience who never stopped dancing, then finishing of the evening by playing a few CD`s.A well organized event in a very nice hotel. The two benefiting charities will each receive over £800 each.Well done Gaynor!!

Saturday 21st February Ferry Fryston Miners Welfare
The club looked easy to find on the map, but in reality it was really hard, as none of the nearby streets seemed to have any street name signs, but we finally found it.Next step was to get our gear through a narrow 90 degree turn at the back of the club, which we managed by taking the lights out of their 'coffin' boxes to get them in. Nevermind we quickly set up and were ready in plenty of time. We did two spots to a warm audience, the second spot seemed to take them a while to get into dancing mode, but when they started, you could not stop them!! We did two encores and did not get off stage until 11.40pm. Our thanks to C/C Kevin who looked after us and Cookie who stood in and operated our lights for us. A good crowd and a nice big club to play!!

Saturday 14 February Western Social Club, Middlesborough
Arrived at the club about slightly late at 6.30.......to find the club filling up really quickly with the audience. We quickly set up and sound checked.. not bad as we were a roadie down.. Jon our lighting guy broke down in Sheffield earlier that day, so was unable to make the gig..so Darren, Kenny`s son, on a night out with the band stood in and operated the lights.. and did a excellent job with them too!! The band played two spots to an appreciative audience. The club has a rule that no person can dance before 10.30pm.. so lots of people were dancing in their seats till the time came, then they were all up on the floor!! Also thanks to Darrens partner Sue, who spent all night taking pics of us lot!! Also Marks partner Gill, who as well as helping us stack up and down, shot some video of us as well!! We really enjoyed playing this club.. the audience were great and it was an easy lift onto stage!! We found out later that the club is in the centre of the City`s red light district... Not that it made any difference to us!!

Saturday 31st January Swallow Nest Social Club, Sheffield
The club took some getting into, after finding the area easily, it has a car park tucked away like the secret garden!! We have just built a new light show and this was the place where it was unleashed to an unsuspecting audience.. The club let us in early so we could make sure the lights worked ok , but we had no problems. We played two spots to a responsive audience, who although they did not dance in droves, they were very vocal, cheering and clapping!! The lights worked very well, and credit must be given to Jon, our lighting guy, who was put on the spot a bit with the new 48 channel desk he was given to operate, instead of the normal 12 channel...but manage he did and the audience were treated to a good sound and light show... as well as a little bit of entertainment from us.. The end of the night brought us young Carl, a budding guitar player who borrowed Bobs guitar and started playing crazy little thing called love really well...the rest of the lads all joined in and played right through the song, young Carl playing the lead bit really well!! A future entertainer no doubt!! A invitation to return here has already been expressed by the committee...I hope the agent sorts it out soon!!!

Friday 9th January 2004 Boot & Shoe, Ackworth
Our first gig for the new year, and what a place to start off the year!! The place is a great venue, and being the first time we played on a Friday instead of a Saturday did not make any difference, as the crowd thoroughly enjoyed our set...well passed closing time!! No tits out this time, but you can`t win them all. Thanks to Les who always looks after us...cheers mate!!

Wednesday 31st December Hawthorn Social Club, Doncaster
This was our second new year at this club, and they get better every time...A great night was had by all, everyone in a party atmosphere..A great gig, although it started snowing at the end of the night, so by the time we had to pack the van it was chucking it down, and making it very slippery underfoot!! but we managed. Enquiries are being made about next years booking...so you never know, three years on the trot!! A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!

Saturday 27th December Mexborough WMC, Mexborough, Doncaster
Our first gig after the Christmas festivities and we arrived at Mexborough to find the main entry to the concert room was off a main road with double yellows along it, and a bit of a dirt track across the road serving as a car park. We opened the room doors to find we had to carry gear down some steps from street level to club level, along the length of the room to the stage area then lift all the gear onto a high stage!! not the best time to have a work out after all that xmas pud!! We hoped that it would be worth it setting up the full light and sound showfor the expected large audience..unfortunately that never happened as the club audience did not get above about 30, but the few enjoyed us and did a bit of partying...hope it fills out a bit more next time we play here...in July.

Saturday 20th December Bentley West End Club, Bentley, Doncaster
A regular venue for Matrix this place has become...and we love the place, a nice club and great atmosphere. As usual in this venue we played two spots to a very responsive audience, even more excited as Christmas was only a few days away.. Merry Xmas to you all !!!

Saturday 13th December Police Academy, Wakefield
The original policemans ball, This is a great little venue to play, with a nice stage and a wonderful audience. We played two spots to a very enthusiastic audience who thoroughly enjoyed the evening, singing in a marathon version of 1000 dances. We were well looked after, and thoroughly enjoyed the gig. Merry xmas to you all!! I bet there are a few hangovers on Sunday!!

Wednesday 10th December ARUP Xmas Party, Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds
Arrived here late as we got stuck in the busy Leeds traffic, but we still managed to get set up in time, even after spending a bit of time looking for our PA poles, which we must of left at our last gig in Manchester. We played our normal first set to a very quiet audience, and we found it hard work to get them going.. but we managed to get them up dancing at the end before the interval. Second spot was a different story with everyone up dancing and having a good time. A good place to play, the stage is massive!!

Saturday 6 December Reed Company Xmas Party, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Manchester.
We got off on a fine footing with the management before we even started, as they had left us with only a tiny space in the middle of the small room in which to set up, so they had to alter it all. The party started at 7.00pm with drinks, the meal and then a presentation, and as we were not needed until or start time of 10.00pm we went onto the streets of Manchester and had a bite to eat and a pint. We arrived back at the hotel and got into our first spot at about 11.00pm playing to a very merry audience, as there was a free bar!! We had a quick drink before playing our second spot to a great atmosphere, concluding with some of the audience dancing on tables and window ledges!! A great night. Thanks to Julie who sang a wonderful version of 'love shack' with Kenny, and also 'New York, New York' Martin, who sang 'Angels' and 'Mama Told Me' and all the other females, who, sang, played tambourine and danced with us...Merry Xmas!!

Wednesday 3rd December Selby Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, Selby Fork, Selby.
Our pal and photographer Colin Wallwork got us this gig, and we played to a small but appreciative audience who thoroughly enjoyed themselves as much as the band. We did two long sets before Ian the resident DJ managed to play a few songs before the end of the evening. The highlight of the evening being Colin singing 'Alright Now' with the band!! I'll say no more!!

Saturday 22nd November The Owl Hotel, Hambleton, Selby
I don't know how, but it was written in the diary that this was a wedding reception we were playing, it turned out to be a joint 40th birthday party of Angie and Darren!!. The venue room was very small, but we managed to fit into our space and play our two spots. The audience danced all evening, even though there was not much room. The evening ended with all the kids at the party singing along with the band on the microphones!! Another good night.

Saturday 15th November Ebeneezers, Peterborough
This is a nice little venue which took a little finding for some of the band, but eventually we all made it. We started setting up and were entertained by two ladies who were quite merry, joking and singing. John, the owner made us welcome by supplying us all with a drink before asking if we could do three 45 minute spots. We duly obliged, and had all the crowd dancing through it all. We finally finished the last spot after about an hour, John was well pleased with our performance, so much so that he got us all in another round and booked us for another three gigs next year!! A great little venue, with a good dancing audience, even though a little lacking in the applause department!!!

Saturday 8th November Wedding Reception of Sue & Graeme Jones, Lose Hill Hall Castleton, Derbyshire
The setting for Sue and Graemes wedding was in the beautiful surroundings of the Peak District National Park, unfortunately we did not get to see the scenery as it was dark when we arrived and left!! The reception had 'taken over' Losehill Hall and there was a bit of something going on all over the place...We had to wait until the afternoon band had stripped down and left the room before we could begin to set up.. the room was quite small, so we could only set up the smallest PA and minimum of lights. We played the couples request of 'everybody needs somebody' as their opening song, then started our normal first set, with the guests all dancing away. Second set started at about 10.45pm to about four people...that soon changed when they all realised we were back on and filled the room, dancing right through and finishing with three encores.. A great night.. Best of luck to the Bride and Groom, also thanks to Steve who did an excellent job on sound, standing in at the last moment.

Saturday 1st November Manor Social Club, Sheffield
A booking from our agent, Bill Turner, this is a large club in an awkward location as far as the band van was concerned!! it had a bit of trouble getting up the bank behind the club to access the concert room...you could certainly smell the clutch as it slowly drew up to the door. All the gear had to be positioned on stage, this turned out to be a bit of a ball ache as the stage level was about 4'6" high, and that 'hernia box' is heavy. Andy the c/c looked after us ok and we played our two spots, unusually for us, nobody got up to dance, but we did three encores at the end of the evening, so the crowd certainly enjoyed us!! Also thanks to Allan who stood in at short notice and operated our lights for us...

Saturday 4th October 25th Wedding Anniversary Vicky & Steve Gratton, Regen Centre, Riccall
Steve and Vicky booked us about 18 months ago for this gig and after changing its original venue to the Regen Centre, they were ready to party!! About 140 guests witnessed the pair get ready for their first dance 'You were always on my mind' by Elvis, followed by the band playing a first spot of 45mins before taking a break and getting the buffet started. Second spot lasted for over an hour with requests for 'Bed of Roses' played to a packed dance floor. Bob was often kept in check by Vicky's mum, who never stopped dancing!! A good night was had by all..and a special thanks to Steve who stood in on short notice to operate our lighting...a good job done..We at Matrix wish all the best to Vicky and Steve.

Wednesday 1st October Chicago Rock Cafe/Bar, Barnsley
DJ Rossi, our pal and part time agent got us this gig at this quite prestigious venue! The venue was large enough to hold 700 people, unfortunately there was only about 30 people in tonight, but they eventually got into the spirit of things, joining in to 'Land of 1000 Dances' and 'Mustang Sally'. We did one set of about 75 mins, starting at 10.30pm, so it was a bit of a late one by the time we got stacked down!! Another gig at this venue is on the cards, but hopefully not midweek again!!

Saturday 27th September Wedding Reception, Garforth Hilton Hotel, Garforth
This was the wedding reception of Beth & Simon, close friends of Bob, who arranged for us to play. We set up most of our light show and PA before the DJ arrived, and although we thought we had left him enough room, a compromise was reached in which we removed some of our lighting so he could get his in. We played two long sets to a really happy audience, some of which were rugby players who every now and then had a bit of a 'pile on' in the middle of the dance floor, to everyone's amusement. A great night to round of an exhausting, but enjoyable three nights of gigging!! Best of luck to the Bride & Groom from all at Matrix.

Friday 26th September 21st/50th Birthday Bash, Carlton in Lindrick,Nr. Worksop
This was a gig from one of our agents to play a 21st/50th birthday party for mum and son. We arrived at the location after some difficulty (for some) in finding it, to find the venue was a church hall..and very nice it was too!! We set up the sound desk and light controller in the gallery above the bar..and played to an appreciative audience for two sets, the audience dancing for the most part!! Problems with Kenny's bass guitar going ape with a dead battery, and his amp having a off moment by deciding to shut itself off!! Mark, the father/husband and organiser of the event was well pleased with the bands performance, and wants to book for his other son's 21st in two years time!! A nice cosy venue to play....maybe again someday in the future!!

Thursday 25th September The Podger Pub, Garforth
Bobs local pub invited us to play and we certainly played!! A little rusty from not playing for a month did not stop the lads in the band from giving it some to a full house . Another great night was had by all, a further gig is being arranged for the near future..Its good to be playing again!!

Saturday 23rd August The Boot & Shoe, Ackworth
Another Saturday night, and another great gig at this excellent venue. We went down a storm as usual, playing even later then ever as there was a bar extension on till 12.00!! Pauline and her hubby were here, and although she tried to sing 'cotton fields' she was too drunk to perform, and thank god, she kept her tits covered!! Les, the pub manager, as ever, sorting out and fine tuning the pubs PA system. Great venue, nice staff. brill manager and most of all...a fantastic audience!!

Friday 15th August The Bush Pub, Royston, Barnsley
Our old mate DJ Rossi rang us up and asked if we could do this gig due to a band cancelling. Unfortunately Friday night at the Bush is for Rock Bands, so the crowd were not too enthusiastic about our set. We still got one or two up to dance, but to be honest it was bloody hard work!! We worked through our set anyway as would any set of professionals...the show must go on!! Manager Les thanked us for helping out at the last minute, but I don't think we will be playing here again on a Friday!!

Saturday 9th August The Rose & Crown Pub, Methley, Nr Castleford
This little pub is a great venue to play...as well as the warm welcome we always receive from Mine Hosts Amanda and Cliff, the pub has its own PA system, so we just plug in and play!! The crowd was a bit thin on the ground, but we put it down to the hot summers evening and a chance for a Barbie!! The crowd that were there and braved the heat were happy enough to engage in the odd chorus. Another treat was the performance of the hosts' boxer dog Bruce who decided the stage was the best place to have a snooze and show off its bollocks, then drop the odd fart every few minutes!! have you ever tried singing when your surrounded in the smell of dog shit? not nice, ill tell you...smells nearly as bad as Bob...but that's another story.

Friday 11th July G&T`s Bar, Hoyland, Barnsley
This was another gig which we got from our old friend DJ Rossi. The pub is a venue for rock bands on a Friday night, so we were a bit unsure about playing Wet Wet Wet to a crowd of rockers, but the first spot went down fine, spoilt by Kenny's Trace Elliot amp deciding to pack in just before the break. With amp replaced with its smaller Trace Elliot brother, the band started the second spot. The crowd got into the swing of things and were up dancing and singing to 'Mustang Sally' before Kenny's spare amp decides to start buzzing and making a terrible racket!! Unable to play the last few songs before having to finish, Kenny reverted to dancing with Bob!! The band played well considering the lack of a regular bass beat during the end of each set, and credit to the boys for playing on as the bass popped and buzzed its way through the last few songs. Another two amps in for repair!!. All in all this is a great venue, where the band only brings its own backline - the pub provides the PA system and lightshow...and the fee!!

Sunday 06 July The Hawthorn Social Club, Cantley, Doncaster
This was the first time back at the club since we played there on New Years Eve. We got a great reception then, and we got another at this gig. The band played to a full house of appreciating people dancing and enjoying themselves...this is what its all about!! The club was still buzzin` at 11.30 when we finally had to call time! We would like to thank compares Terry and Tony for their enthusiastic support, and birthday wishes to c/c Benny. These guys have booked us for New Years Eve 2003. We are so looking forward to playing here again, the place and atmosphere is great, and everyone is so friendly...A great club.. If you are looking for somewhere to go on NYE, this has to be the place to be!!!

Friday 04 July Wedding Reception of Jody & Simon Walker, Hilton Hotel, Sheffield
The Hotel is situated in the middle of Sheffield, next to a canal, and traffic was pretty busy, but we all got there one way or another. We set up and did our sound checks to a empty room..... where are all the guests? we found them all sitting outside by the canal, chilling in a warm evening sun. We put back our start time till after the buffet, where they started drifting into the function room. We played two spots to a very quiet, but appreciative audience, then left them with ten minutes of disco music through the PA system. Best wishes to Jody and Simon from all the band.

Saturday 21st June Wedding of Pippa & Matt, National Railway Museum, York
What an impressive place to have a wedding reception!! The band played on end of a railway platform alongside steam locos and the royal carriages, in front of over 220 guests. Speeches and the wedding buffet took the time to after 10.30 before the band took to stage. We played continuously for two hours before having to call it a night. The audience enjoyed the performance, and we loved playing in such a wonderful and unusual venue. Best wishes to the bride and groom, Pippa and Matt.

Friday 20th June The Prince Pub, Hoyland, Barnsley
We should of played this gig on 06th June, but had to cancel at the last minute, a gig which was organised by DJ Rossi, a new workmate who manages a couple of venues in Barnsley, who changed dates for us no problem. The venue is small and setting up was a bit awkward as we were playing more to a wall than to the audience, but we got set up and started our first set to about two dozen appreciative people. The place filled up later on during the second spot and we got some dancers up, one or two of the ladies getting a bit too excited with Bob's performance that they took to dancing and gyrating in front of him!! Pub manager Ken was well pleased with us, and being a former bassist, was very impressed with the band - and Kenny's fretless bass playing! The playing went on till midnight, before we called time, or they would of wanted us to play all night!!
A good little venue, albeit a little quiet early on and awkward for the audience to see the band.

Saturday 31st May Wedding Reception at Whitley Hall Hotel, Sheffield
This was the wedding reception of Sarah and Stewart Joce. The couple bless them, were a little worried about the size of the function room after looking at the website and seeing some of our pictures. They were put at ease when we set up using the small rig and lights, as we were well aware of the size of the venue - we had played another wedding there last year. We chatted with the functions manager Ronnie, who again looked after us with a room for changing etc. The couple had their first dance together, then were up rockin on the dance floor with their guests all through the first spot, even the younger guests, who were dancing and chasing bubbles from the bubble machine.. It was a very hot night, so everyone did well staying in the room and dancing till we stopped for a breather. Everyone then congregated outside cooling off or chilling in the buffet room. Starting up for the second spot brought them all back in again dancing the night away. Another great night was had by all. Although the venue is small for a performing venue and the various hills to climb to get there, made the band van work hard, the place is set in beautiful countryside and has an excellent atmosphere. We all at matrix would like to wish Stewart and Sarah all the best for the future.

Friday 30th May Cromwell Social Club, Grimsby
This was the first time the band has played in Grimsby, and hopefully it will not be the last. The club is a very smart but very awkward to find club, tucked away behind a Toyota garage and some shops. Some of the band had trouble finding the place, as it is set away from the main street, but we all managed to get there in the end. We were all set up and ready to play to an audience who looked a little older than the norm, but were soon up and dancing to some of our rock 'n roll songs. Griff did an excellent job doing both sound and lights, the band played well into the night and the happy c/c promised us another gig there soon!! Lets hope its not too long. A nice club, and a good crowd.

Saturday 24th May Bentley West End Club, Bentley, Doncaster
The West End club is a nice small club, unfortunately we could not get into the club till 7.00 to set up our gear. Needless to say it was a rush trying to get all the PA and lights set up and sound check before we started our first spot at 8.30. The club also insists on 3x half hour spots, rather than 2x45. The club was well packed and we played our sets to a very appreciative audience. The last set went on for a good 45 minutes or more, the C/C having to draw the show to a close at about 11.25 to get people out of the club!! We had a really good night, the band played well and the audience loved it!! Long live rock 'n roll!!

Saturday 17th May The Rose & Crown Pub, Methley, Nr. Castleford
We organised this gig at short notice due to the cancellation of the Smawthorn Hotel gig. When we arrived we thought that we had got the date wrong as there was a disco in full swing! But it was only the last couple of songs that it was playing before finishing at 8.00 We then loaded in our gear only then to find an in house PA system was available, so back into the van went our PA gear. Finally set up for 8.45 we enjoyed a drink courtesy of the landlady. This was Dave's first gig with us and he played great!. We played from 9.00 for over 45 min before having a break and another free drink!! Second set started at 10.30 and we finally finished at about 11.45 after jamming through "love is all around" with a member of the audience. We finished the evening with the landlady singing "Bed of Roses" with us. A great first night for Dave and a great gig all round! So much so we booked another couple of dates!!

Sunday 20th April Wedding Reception at Hazelwood Castle Hotel, Nr York
The end of an era! Graham finally played his last gig with Matrix and the band played well and rocked, considering the space between this and the last gig! The lads presented Graham with a framed picture of himself with hair on drums, and one with the lads. He seemed really chuffed with his prezzy, and I suspect there was the makings of a tear in his eye! The night was a great success as usual, with plenty of people dancing and having fun till the end of the night. A canny Geordie function manager gave us a hand and a laugh!! A good gig and memorable in the fact that we'll miss old Charlie!!

Saturday 22nd March Wedding Reception at the Chevin Lodge Hotel, Otley
This was a private wedding reception of Carole & Paul, held in a nice hotel in the wilds of the Yorkshire countryside. Finding it was a problem for me anyway, but Graham had been there before and told me over the phone how to get there. We were told that the room we were playing in was large, so we brought along the large rig and lights, unfortunately the room was only large enough for us to set up our small PA and use only the minimum of lights. Another problem we had was roadies - or lack of them. All three had been unavailable for the night, so Dave stepped in again to help us out. The night went off really well, with us playing two spots and playing music in between with the CD player. Dave's now getting really excited at playing with the band. Only one more gig for Graham before he retires...he's looking forward to that also!!

Saturday 15th March The Boot & Shoe Pub, Ackworth, West Yorks
This was a memorable gig, as it was Graham's last gig playing with us in public. The place has a great atmosphere and after setting up through the in house PA we had a drink with Les, the manager of the pub, and a live band fanatic. We started on stage at 9.15 and rocked till 10.00. Another round of drinks and a chat with the public before we got back on stage and played long and loud till after 11.30. After a few encores we finally finished hot, sticky and knackered and retired to a seat for a rest before stripping down. The locals were in singing mode, so regular Pauline got up with her husband and did their version of "she taught me how to yodel"
and then decides to flash her tits!! not a pretty sight, that late in the evening I can tell you!! A great gig, we are all looking forward to the next time we play here, Especially Dave, as his debut draws near!

Sunday 09 March Darfield Road WMC, Cudworth, Barnsley
This was our first gig back in the Barnsley area for a while and we were eager to put on a good show, but due to unforeseen circumstances, our Sound Engineer could not make the gig, so our new drummer to be Dave, stepped in and manned the sound desk and assisted by Bob's partner Lucy, they did a terrific job. We struggled to set up the gear partly cause we could not enter the club till 6.45 and having to set up the sound desk ourselves. Sound check was managed at 8.25 and we started first set on time at 8.30. The first set went down well and the absence of the pyros went unnoticed - we did not have time to set them up! Terry the concert secretary was well pleased at the interval, then after a rest and a game of bingo, played our second set and managed to get a few locals up dancing and cheering. We finished well late after two encores.
In all a pleasant friendly club to play and apart from the agent not providing the club with our posters, the evening went down very well.