mostly david ephgrave

Phil Kay's first appearance at Mostly Comedy in March 2012 was a definite turning point for the club, marking one of the earliest instances of us booking an already well-established name that hadn't started out with us to grow to that point. He was on top form that night, so the fact his whole set is available to watch on YouTube is, frankly, a bit of a treat. The act of filming it was nothing special, as we've videoed pretty much every Mostly in its entirety for the ten years we've been running*. We did this initially to offer acts a copy of their set as part of their fee - and to put together short clips of edited highlights to help promote the club - but the videoing itself is a habit we've continued to this day, although we seldom make the footage available. In fact, we've only ever shown any of the material publically twice, when we played snippets of Paul Daniels and Sean Hughes' final sets at the club as a tribute after they sadly passed away. In ...

Tonight's Mostly Comedy was the perfect way to kick off our 2019 season, thanks to an exceptional line-up and a sold-out crowd who were with us from the get-go, giving the gig a boost that left me optimistic for the year ahead. For one, we had Phil Kay and Arthur Smith on the same bill, which any comedy aficionado would tell you is a very promising start point. On top of this we had the fab Katie Pritchard (who's one of the hardest-working people I know, always jumping from gig to gig) who was on sparkling form. The only fly-in-the-ointment was we were Glyn-less, as he was company-managing the adult panto tour in Dudley (lucky him), but despite his absence, the show was a slick problem-free affair, which is always a relief when I'm running it alone. Not that I was alone, really. First off, my friend (and one of the first acts to perform at the club when we kicked off in 2008) Stephen Halliday came down from his midlands base (which makes him sound like an evil genius) t...

Yesterday, in an attempt to break the tedium while waiting for a parcel to be delivered, I decided to treat myself to a little musical interlude by pulling out my acoustic to play through a couple of songs before having a jam on the piano too. The last time I’d played the guitar was almost a month ago, when I took it to the Sun Hotel for that night’s Mostly Comedy, after receiving a text from Phil Kay asking if he could borrow it for his set. Knowing how manic Phil can be, my impromptu busk after tuning it up for him felt like saying goodbye before it was sent to battle, perhaps never to return, at least not in one piece; I prayed to the God of Contents Insurance for a little mercy, before sticking it in a guitar stand on-stage to await its final destiny. For someone who’s earned a living (of sorts) from music in the past, I felt guilty for how long I hadn’t even taken my acoustic out of its case. Like my other guitars, it has remained untouched at...

Yesterday saw the second sold out Mostly Comedy in a row, though this time we were playing host to a line-up who’ve all performed at the club in the past; one of them, very regularly. (The bill - in case you're wondering - was Lucy Porter, Phil Kay and Brodi Snook.) I think it was inevitable yesterday’s show would be more relaxed than the day before, as we had less to prove by nature of the fact we knew everyone on the bill, and the gig hadn’t had the same dramatic ‘selling out in fourteen minutes to be cancelled and then reinstated’ lead-up. That said, there’s always a risk you’ll keep telling yourself it will be easier for you to be too laid back and make mistakes. Phil Kay, on top form last night (23.11.17) The glaringly big difference was I was hosting alone, as Glyn was in Wimborne, kicking off the adult panto tour he company manages every year. On paper, this shouldn’t have been too much of a challenge, as I was turning up t...

Sadly, tonight's preview was cancelled, as only one person turned up.  It was a shame, as the Water Poet has the perfect set-up for the show. There's a projector rigged, and the room (The Cellar Bar) is lovely. It was strange to be in control of the space, when I've been there so many times to do open mic spots. If nothing else, it will make me feel more comfortable next time I'm doing that; I'll stroll in with my best Gallagher swagger, issuing demands left, right and centre (or not, as the case may be).  In some senses, not doing the show was a blessing and not a curse. I had a late night last yesterday and didn't sleep well, so I wouldn't have been at my best. That said, I was hoping to use tonight to whittle down the running time to a tight hour for Monday's preview at The Etcetera Theatre, which can't overrun as there's a show immediately after it. I started doing a run-through, but it felt too weird, as my wife would've had to sit thr...

What I could really do with at this stage of putting my Edinburgh show together is an editor. I have so many little bits and pieces and ideas flying around that I can scarcely keep track of them, let alone decide what’s best 'in' and what’s best 'out'. This is partly thanks to my blog, which has been a fantastic source to call on, as I wouldn’t remember half of the things that crossed my mind over the past few years if it weren’t for it, but it can also be an overwhelming record to get to grips with; it can be luck of the draw as to whether I’ve picked the right entries, or whether there are some far better ideas that have been lost, under the weight of it. Yesterday was a case in point: before I started a run, I noted down a couple of rough ‘new’ ideas – i.e. old blogs that I hadn’t yet looked at in a stand-up context that had popped into my mind – to have a quick look. In doing so, I stumbled across a piece I’d half-worked up for ...

is it a cop-out to share the press release I wrote for this month's Mostly Comedy today in lieu of a proper blog post? Yes, it probably is...but when you're tired and preparing to nip off to Bath for a few days to perform at their comedy festival, you're allowed to give yourself a little break. It's only so much of a cheat anyway as I still wrote it - even if it wound up being a cut-and-shut of various other press releases in the past. I was pleased to see the resulting article is already displayed on the  Hertfordshire Mercury, plus we've also managed to shift a few more tickets today, which is presumably as a result of this, so that's good. See below for the press release that inspired it, and then visit www.mostlycomedy.co.uk to book. ---- Press Release – 04.04.16 mostly comedy a monthly comedy and music club, at the sun hotel in hitchin 21st April’s instalment of Doggett & Ephgrave’s Mostly Comedy sees a variety of familiar faces return to the cl...

I was delighted with how last night’s Summer Special went.  Me, standing up. The fact it went so well was due in no small part to our technician Paul Williams, who’d rigged the lights and sound prior to our arrival, meaning for the first time in seven years, we arrived to a space that was nearly set up and ready for us. His attention to detail, particularly with lighting, gave the show an extra kick that lifted it from a standard Mostly Comedy to the ‘special’ of its title. (I would have worded that better if I’d had more sleep.) Glyn and me, standing up. We were pleasantly surprised with how well the show worked in the space. While we’re both very familiar with The Sun Hotel, having attending gigs and meetings there in the past (Glyn’s wife also used to work there), we weren’t sure if it would be right for comedy. I’m pleased to say that we were wrong; it was the best Summer Special by a long chalk, with a great atmosphere ...

At last night’s Mostly Comedy, Phil Kay complimented us on our material. He also briefly referenced it in his set. That's something I'll store in my head for a rainy day. Having him on the bill still excites me. The first time I watched him (in 2008, during our first Edinburgh run), he blew my mind. It was painfully funny. Literally. I laughed so hard and uncontrollably that my whole body ached, and I felt like my soul might escape through my mouth. It was the cleverest, most intelligent, most perfectly-constructed-while-being-off-the-cuff set I’d seen in my life.   His Hitchin Mostly Comedy debut was a turning point. He was the only big, established act we’d approached up to then who we didn’t know personally. Just the thought of him arriving was intimidating. Thankfully he's lovely. He performed to one of our first sold out crowds for well over an hour and left them wanting more. He’s been back many times since. We’ve also interviewed him for our pod...

I’ve spent the afternoon sifting through photos taken at Mostly Comedy over the past six years, then uploading them to Flickr. We’re lucky to have such a meticulous record of the club since it began. Looking through the pictures serves to remind me of how many people have appeared at Mostly Comedy (and our various side projects) through the years. They capture a mix of well-established and soon-to-be-huge comics, alongside a wealth of acts pitched somewhere in-between. Then me and Glyn, just to make up the numbers. The list of people who’ve appeared astounds me. Everyone from Phill Jupitus to Josh Widdicombe, Phil Kay to Nick Helm and Michael Barrymore through to Norman Lovett. The photos conjure up many memories. More than that: they bring those memories to life . We’ve also filmed every Mostly Comedy since the beginning. That’s a lot of footage. Alan Yentob will find the tapes invaluable in years to come. Doggett & Ephgrave have shar...

I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do today. I’ve got a number things I should be doing, but can’t really get started until I receive either an email or a phone call. As a result, I’m just sitting, waiting for something to happen. A lot of my life is spent doing this. This time next week, Doggett & Ephgrave perform our show at Dave’s Leicester Festival for two nights. I feel like we’re on schedule; I just hope that we have an audience. We did quite well for sales last year, amazingly, considering our relatively low profile, but that was on a Thursday and Friday. This time we’re performing on a Monday and Tuesday - so I’m expecting this to have a knock-on effect. We’ve also got our first London Mostly Comedy of 2014 next Wednesday, with Phil Kay and Sam Fletcher joining us on the bill. It will be nice to have a three-day run of gigs (we’ll also be doing our Leicester show in the second half), I just hope we have a sufficient...

Last night I finished a book I’ve been reading for the past few weeks – and I only stuck with it to the end out of politeness. I don’t know why I didn’t give up on it sooner. It's probably partly attributed to my slight obsessive-compulsiveness; I don’t like starting something and not seeing it through. It also cost me the best part of a tenner, so I was determined to get my money’s worth. Part of the reason for my disappointment was I didn’t realise it wasn’t a full-length novel until I’d started; I’ve never really been one for short stories. I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember – and always tend to have a book on the go. It’s how I unwind: if I haven’t had the chance to read during the day, I’ll always get through a chapter or two before bed. The last few books I’ve read prior to the one-that-shall-remain-nameless were Phil Kay’s autobiography (crazy and inspired), Ian MacDonald’s Beatles tome ‘Revolution in the Head...

Last night I had less than four hours sleep. Doesn't matter; I'm still buzzing. This is partially due to the two large black coffees that have already filtered their way past my oesophagus (not an enjoyable word to spell after a late night, nor a pleasing mental image). T he main reason for this morning's heightened sense of excitement , however, is that I’m still riding on the coattails of last night’s Mostly Comedy.  For those of you who are not in the know, Mostly Comedy is the monthly comedy & music club I run with my comedy partner, Glyn Doggett (no affection). We set it up on a whim, after taking our first show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008. It was called ‘The Balloon Debate’; a comedy three-hander set 2000 feet above East Anglia in the basket of a hot-air balloon (a basket we had to set-up and strike in less than seven minutes every night; such is the quick turn-around at the Festival).   ‘The Balloon Debate’ was Dogge...