The second annual Shoctopus Christmas Blow Out. Every year Shoctopus put on a Christmas show to thank their fans for all the support during the year. This year saw Shoctopus and the amazing Mother Mooch deliver some awesome music, Bad Santa and Miss Santa Claws handing out much needed and useful presents to the children of the black wardrobe, and Cha, Stavis and Jay getting themselves waxed to raise money for the charity Focus Ireland. For those that couldn't make the show, we have some photographic evidence to prove that every bad thing you heard about the show is true!

We want to thank the amazing Pauline Lawless for the pictures, and the various other people who sent us pictures, videos, compliments and complaints about the show. Pauline, you are a star! Good to have you in the Shoctoposse.

The night started off in a generally normal rock and roll fashion with an amazing set by Mother Mooch.

Chloë being very angelic. No hint of the madness to come...

Some quiet alone time during the set.

Shoctopus take to the stage. All very standard issue rock and roll so far...

Stavis, a guitar and the legacy of Chuck Berry.

Bringing down the house - a song inspired by a night of madness in Fibbers Rock Bar. Here are some of the lyrics:

Mick the bladder, booze artillery commanders' bombarding us with Jägerbombs

Mick the Bladder, the greatest Shoctopus fan ever. Mick, have you ever missed a show?

And as always, shirts are optional for the band members...

Mick was apparently mortified by being dragged onstage. If only he knew what we were planning for the next show...

Stavis, as a child, used to pretend to shoot down planes in his back garden. Some boys never grow up...

Keith Anderson, the legend, who filled in for three Shoctopus shows and saved our butts.

And you thought your tattoo was cool!

Backstage, Bad Santa gets fuelled up for the show.

Bad Santa (Keith Anderson) and Miss Santa Claws (Dom Dumecz) get ready to hand out the pressies.

P-Mu (Beltbuckle Overdrive) makes a visit to Santa.

Still acting strangely normal. Santa obviously didn't get enough fuel...

OK, this is more like it...

We know that there is a perfectly good explanation for this picture, but we can't remember exactly what it was.

Bad Santa finishes his second bottle of fuel.

Miss Claws does some impromto palm reading. Some people miss the point of Santa totally...

The lipstick on the cheek can be explained. Apparently...

Bad Santa gets a tummy rub.

Why didn't you use Santa's lap? Um, come to think of it, maybe you knew the danger...

I have the winning raffle ticket. Honest. I just can't find it...

Miss Claws gets a handful...

I would also be afraid if Santa was doing that behind me...

Not quite the santa you knew when growing up...

The Claws family gets a bit overwhelmed...

And there is a perfectly innocent explanation for this picture... really, there is...

Sometimes it helps if Santa holds your head up for the photo...

We can't really explain the expression on the face of either one.

We think the eyeball that Santa is sporting here says it all.

Some people just love Santa. Whether it is appropriate or not doesn't seem to matter...

Miss Claws wipes off her excess lipstick. Well, we think that is what she is doing...

Bad Santa living up to his reputation. See what happens when you are a bad boy during the year...

Managing Shoctopus can be a pain in the nuts...

Go on, have another sip Santa.

What is it with all this crotch grabbing? Christmas seems to be a special time.

Come sit on Santa's lap, and we will talk about the first thing that pops up.

Mick the Bladder. The man is everywhere!

You are never too old to sit on Santa's lap...

Presents from Santa, lovingly wrapped in the paper we found in the dumpster outside....

Man, that burrito you had earlier is really causing a stink...

Some people are just SOOOOO happy. Until they see the gifts that Santa gave them...

Miss Claws keeps a watchful eye on exactly WHAT Santa is up to.

And what do you want from Santa? "I just want to sit on your lap and wriggle..."

The age-old custom of drinking your beer from Santa's crotch. Apparently big in Iceland...

That's right, you can smile now, wait till you see what we are going to do to your boyfriend later...

Why do the people from Boojum smile so much? (Shameless commercial plug: Buy your burrito's here:http://www.boojummex.com/)

And the photographer gets molested. No-one is safe.

We had to cut off the bottom half of this picture, just in case the children stumble accross this website...

Santa has an elf. Sue Culley as Santa's little helper...

We would like to explain the smile, but this is a family friendly website.

Some people really love Santa, and some people REALLY love Miss Claws.

Santa's other elf. Classic shoes dude!!

Matt Smith (Beltbuckle Overdrive), and no, we don't know why he is so happy...

And we know why he is so happy, but again, we can't tell you that on a family friendly website.

OK, we lied, we will show you why Jay is so happy!!

Everyone should feel like a king once in a while...

We just love happy people. Not very goth of us, is it?

Now the work is over, the Claws family can relax...

OK then, if you don't want to relax...

Sue Culley and an elf. No, we can't explain any of this...

Sue Culley, elf-like, getting ready to inflict pain. (Shameless commercial plug: http://www.facebook.com/sueculley.beautyartistry)

The crowd waits for the spectacle. Thanks to the generosity of this crowd, we managed to raise €300 for the charity Focus Ireland. Thanks, you people rock!!

First up, Cha Bla, lead singer of Shoctopus, getting his back waxed for charity. Like we said, we did this for charity, not because we like to see people in pain.

Ah hell, who are we kidding, we love to see them scream...

And scream, and scream...

Now, are we having fun yet?

So, just how rock and roll is your band? Ours brings it to the next level...

Jay, the coolest pub manager in all of Dublin, doing his bit for charity.

Sue Culley, master of her trade and recently returned from her spell of work at the Spanish Inquisition.

I have a cowboy hat! Your argument is invalid...

And everyone took turns, tearing the flesh off your boss is always fun...

Yes Sue, I did warn you, this is not your common or garden variety beauty treatment.

I did warn you...

Next up, Stavis, guitar player and general lunatic, doing his bit for charity.

And no, we don't know why Stavis owns a studded thong...

Just how rock and roll can you get? Bet you AC/DC have easier ways of raising money for charity.

When you enrolled at beauty therapy school you never thought you would end up here...

And for this picture I am not even going to attempt a caption...

Shoctopus 2011. We would sincerely like to thank all the following people for the great help this year, and for making it all worthwhile. Without all of you, we are just four idiots jumping around a stage.

Firstly to the staff of Fibbers: Jay, Olga, Matt, Dom and Charlie.

To the band members who have travelled the long road with us for a while: Ripper and Tank, you guys are legends, and Keith, you are the dude!!!!!

Sue Culley for the waxing, Anna for the help at the door and the merchandise stand, Anne for the graphic design, and all the people who have helped hand out flyers, raise money for charity and kept the faith.

To the other bands who have shared stages, equipment, drinks, smokes, laughs, tears, bum notes and bad sound systems with us: Beltbuckle Overdrive, Mother Mooch, Mitzi Turbo, Warcrux, Xerosun, Dirty Jezabel, Dog Star Shine, Flashback, Last Known Addiction, Macilligog, Red House Blues Band, Sinner Falls, The Boys in the Attic, The ourz, Words That Burn, Psykosis, Melted, Lace Weeper, Black Svan and many others that we were too drunk too remember...

To Helgard, the guy who tries and fails miserably to manage us into something resembling a band.

And finally, we want to thank the Shoctoposse for the sing-a-longs, the drinks, the cheers, the support at the gigs, on the web, at the bar, and for making us love this job. You guys are the greatest fans a band could ever want!

And of course, the great Anto "Horsebox" Cumiskey, the man who manages to make Shoctopus sound like they know how to play their instruments.

And the great Pauline Lawless, thanks for all the pictures.

And last, but not least. We don't know who, why or how, but we just had to include the picture. You can make your own caption.