It was a cold windy November night and a few hardly souls shuffled to the welcoming lights of La Rosa Hotel in Whitby. Upon entry drinks were ordered, folk nodded politely to one another before descending the stairs into a red lit dungeon where the dead walk and lost souls howl for flesh and blood.
If you're not familiar with La Rosa I'd urge you to check out this unique experience. It's a hotel with three floors and every room is themed. I stayed in the Little Red room themed on Little Red Riding Hood. There are little quirks and curios in everywhere. Our room contained a red cape hung upon the door and a wolf skull in glass armoire. Other room include the Lewis, Caravan, Sacrė Couer and if you dare stay there the Stoker....
Everywhere you look in the hotel there is a surprise. So therefore it was only fitting that the Jonny Vegas dubbed Mad Professor of Comedy, Mik Artistik, should perform in the basement which incidentally contained a Victorian seance table and a fortune telling machine.
It was a very intimate gig with just room for a half a dozen tables and about thirty people in attendance. The limitations of the room meant that we were treated to an acoustic gig which included a banjo and accordion for a couple of tracks.
Mik's set included Plastic Fox, Rastafarian Wiring, Sweet Leaf of the North and Condolisa Rice. Mik's banter was on top form and he engages directly with an audience like no other artist I've ever seen. Benson J.Walker was to his left singing the occasional vocal providing a solid back bone on bass and quite obviously loving every minute of it. To Mik's right Jonny Flockton whose talents on guitar help to shape the bands unique sound. All present had a fantastic night and we left the dungeon eager for our next night with Mik Artistik's ego trip.
