Battling Bacteria.


Despite starting both with next-to-no voice, my last two shows have been most fun of the run so far.

I was discussing it with Fraser after today’s show, and how being ill can give you extra fire, when he pointed out how it does something strange to your nerves, particularly at the Fringe; you adopt a ‘let’s just get through this’ attitude, and your buckling down and concentrating on working around how you fell makes you forget your usual pre-show anxiety.

It helps that the last two gigs were on a Friday and a Saturday, which definitely boost numbers (even at midday). They were probably the busiest up to now, with people who were attuned to what I’m aiming at, instead of being confused. I’ve also been working harder to get past the tiredness, the mucus and the phlegm (pleasant), becoming more playful in the process. I’ve been ad-libbing more than usual, with sharper results. There are moments when I even feel like an actual comedian; STOP PRESS.

Yesterday, my longest-term friend – thirty years and counting – Chris came down from Glasgow, where he’s recently moved, to watch the show and stay the night. It was great to sense his presence in the venue during the gig and to be able to catch up. We talked until 3am (not the best move when I have an early start), which was a welcome break (not the service station) from the isolation of the run. I hope to visit him in his new home soon. I’m glad that he’s  loving living in Scotland. I can see the appeal, as long as no-one expected me to a show every day I for the rest of my life; while I’m enjoying my first solo Edinburgh run, there are limits.

Popular posts from this blog

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Image
Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera...
Read more

Stevenage: A (Tiny) River Runs Through it.

If ever a river was mis-sold, it’s the Roaring Meg in Stevenage. I just walked past it on my way to the retail park that has taken its name. They’re similarly uninspiring. The river is less of a roar and more of a dribble; cystitis sufferers produce greater flow. The retail park is soulless. What was once a thriving enterprise is nearly devoid of atmosphere, save an underlying essence of emptiness and despair. With a Toys R Us. When it was first built I was excited. Back then, the thought of a bowling alley, an ice rink, a Harvester and a Blockbuster Video within a small surface area was enticing. I celebrated many birthdays on site. There was an indoor cricket pitch there for a while where I once had a joint party with a friend. Why someone with an almost pathological fear of sport would agree to such a venture is beyond me, but I did it. Now, there’s very little at the Roaring Meg of note. The river would be a metaphor for the shopping ce...
Read more

Hoo-ray and up She Rises.

So much has happened since my last post in March that this blog risks sounding like an itinerary. The main news is that Hitchin Mostly Comedy will return in the summer at a new venue, the Queen Mother Theatre . The road to this decision was convoluted, though enough fell into place en route to leave me optimistic about this new start. The catalyst was a survey I ran via our mailing list a few months back, in which I asked, "If the club returned in the current climate, with tickets still around £15 (and with similar line-ups), would you still attend?"; the response to which, in simple terms, was a resounding yes. Nearly 250 mailing list subscribers responded in a single week, with around a hundred also taking the option to leave some feedback. And only two people were abusive, which counts as a win when you consider they posted their comments online anonymously. Imagine how many more insults we would have received if the comedy club was a woman. Particularly if she was Diane ...
Read more