Skip to main content

Mostly Phill.


Tonight’s performance of Phill Jupitus’ tour show at Hitchin Mostly Comedy was a very easy night to contend with, thanks largely to just how nice and easygoing Phill is.

Waking up on the day of the event felt strange, what with it being the first and only time in ten years that we weren’t performing in some form of other; normally I’d be looking over set notes or finalising our slideshow for the night, but today, I was at a bit of a loose end. It made absolute sense for us not to host in the usual way, what with it being a freestanding two-act show, and in a way it made for a pleasant change, but it’s not something I’d want to make a habit of loosely speaking, as it’s just not what the club is; having us top and tail each half is what gives the night its identity. That said, today it worked nicely, plus it freed us up to do everything necessary to cue the show for Phill.

I’ve said it before, but I can’t understate how lovely he is. The very fact he arrived at the venue alone with his set and gear in the back of his car - and no need for a tour manager - just served to reiterate how low-key and unassuming he is. Prior to the event, we’d been sent a rider which had nothing outlandish in it, but when it came to it, he was just grateful for us picking everything up, but didn’t seem to need it. Far lesser-known comics have been more demanding, and would never have considered offering on popping to ASDA prior to the gig, “Does anybody want anything?”. He was also very generous with his time and more than happy to pose for countless selfies, even having the self-awareness to offer to take the photo on the punters' behalf as “Their hands will be shaking”, an observation he made with the least amount of self-aggrandising; he was just trying to help people out.

Perhaps the most striking example of his attention to detail happened at the end of his set, when he read out the list of everyone who’d worked on the gig, down to the door and bar staff; Glyn had written both our full names separately, but without a moment’s hesitation, Phill thanked us as Doggett & Ephgrave, without having heard anyone describe us as that all night; he just remembered it. Also, one of the first things he mentioned on arriving was the podcast we recorded together four years previously, and one of the last things he said before driving away was how he’d happily record another one soon; again, people we know better have offered far less.

Popular posts from this blog

Shakerpuppetmaker.

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...

Comedy That's Worth a Letch.

Today, I nipped to Letchworth to meet with illustrator (and one-time - two-time - comedy poet) Mushybees, to discuss an event Mostly Comedy will act as surrogate parents to as part of Letchworth’s Arts Takeover in a couple of weeks. Months ago he got into contact to see if we’d be up for co-organising a comedy stage as part of Letchworth’s weekend of arts-based attractions in July; something I’d provisionally said yes to, before things got hectic in the lead-up to Edinburgh and we didn’t take it any further. Despite not getting down to the nitty-gritty straight away, we managed to pull a line-up together in a back-and-forth of emails yesterday, leading to me getting Glyn’s blessing and us deciding we’d officially go ahead with it (whatever ‘officially’ means in this context). In reality, it’s not complicated: from 12pm until 6pm-ish on the 22 nd July, Glyn, Mushybees and I will host four Edinburgh previews from four acts (including me), before Nor...

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...