2004 saw Jimmy on his Public Display of Affection tour. By now he’d been gigging since late 1998 and done a lot of TV work (including 2 series of Your Face or Mine – see the Brighton posthere) and was in demand at Comedy Festivals.

The Newcastle Comedy Festival dates (October 2004, from the 1^st to 10^th) partially clashed with the Brighton one (here – 8^th to 23^rd) and Jimmy also was due at the Q Awards on the 4^th (here).

This meant he only squeezed in one show, in Newcastle, on Saturday October 2^nd.

This festival hadn’t been run for 3 years and 2004 saw them try it in a “1,000-seater theatre marquee” in Exhibition Park. Surrounded by a “festival village” of beer tents, food venues and street theatre.

It turns out that this probably wasn’t such a good idea. The North East in October was apparently too cold even for the Geordies and tickets were said to be overpriced. It was seen as a flop and a 2005 event cancelled, with it eventually trying again in 2006. But back indoors.

The 2004 opening night was compered by Richard Morton and featured:

• Danny Bhoy
• Paul Provenza
• Trevor Crook
• Gavin Webster
• Addy Borgh
• Adam Bloom
• Boothby Graffoe
• Al Murray

Performers participating in the rest of the festival were advertised as:

• Jimmy Carr
• Sean Lock
• Nicholas Parsons
• John Hegley
• Jeff Green
• Dave Johns
• Ed Byrne
• Jerry Sadowitz
• Ross Noble
• Richard Whiteley
• Dylan Moran