Lach was the King of Manhattan's East Village and host of the longest running open mic night in New York. He now lives in Scotland and finds himself back at square one, playing in a dive bar on the wrong side of Edinburgh.

His night, held in various venues around New York, was called the Antihoot. He played host to Suzanne Vega, Jeff Buckley and many others, discovering and nurturing lots of talent including Beck, Regina Spektor and the Moldy Peaches. But nobody discovered him.

This week Lach remembers the time he spent in North Beach, San Francisco, hanging out with the beatniks.

Written and performed by Lach
Sound design: Al Lorraine and Sean Kerwin

Executive Producer: Richard Melvin
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4. Show less