Back in 2009 when I began hosting and curating The Brownbread Mixtape show in Dublin, I decided on a silly whim to create a homemade applause sign. With a handful of crayons, a wire coat hanger and a borrowed laminator, I crafted a makeshift sign to prompt the audience into a response. It was supposed to be flimsy and slightly silly. Little did I know that it would become a signature item for me as an MC, and it has followed me around the world at various gigs. In fact, on the rare occasion I have forgotten to bring it along, I have scrambled to make a similar one, such is the expectation that I will wave it around for a Pavlovian response. Perhaps the funniest thing is that it always sparks a positive response from the audience. Once the sight gag is overcome, it becomes part of the fabric of any gig I am hosting, and even though it is battered and weather worn at this stage, it is a vital part of my stagecraft now. Round of applause please!