following the pattern gig18

With no gigs lined up now for over a week i had the choice to go and watch one of 2, either i could go to pigeon hole, i do not know the guys that run that very well yet but it would be nice to go support the night anyway and maybe try get on one day if they think my set would suit. But the other option was to go to Can’t sing can’t dance don’t care in York and support Dale Downie making his comedy debut, and i took that option as there was also the possibility i could get to perform there (following a pattern from when i began which saw me debut at Mr Bens and then follow up at CSCDDC)

I arrived at the Gillygate where the night is held and only a handful of people were there, and they were all comedians!! No audience?? A guy had come all the way from Liverpool to perform tonight, this was not good. MC Adam Benericetti (hope i spelt that right) was a little embarrassed i’d say but these things happen on open mic nights, i have been to a few now where there is mainly other acts as an audience. There was talk of cancelling the gig but not really fair on the lad who came from Liverpool so it was agreed the show will take place, and as soon as Adam began a handful of people came in to watch, there were 2 initially then another 2 came in plus the 2 bar staff, so still not the lowest attended gig i have done. I say i have done because in the end i did take the opportunity to have a go, why not.... dress rehearsal in a way.

Dale went 1^st, he is good mates with James Dunn and was really looking forward to his debut, he’s a naturally witty guy and it showed, his set was very good for a debut and although he seemed a little anxious or nervous maybe he had some great laughs from a small audience, not easy.

Next went John Taylor from Liverpool, he had geek chic and deadpan style that was so relaxed he even stopped to take a phone call mid set (may have been part of the act?)

We then had John Newall, he had been gonged at Mr Bens on Monday but if only he had done todays set he would have possibly won, he was brilliant with very clever writing and also using the geek chic but he has some pretty dark moments too, i would say he is one to watch for as he get a little more confident.

Following him was James Dunn, he did a slightly longer set than at Hollybush and it was good to see him back in form, he used some of his best moments from the Cradley Heath trip including the movie sex routine which is very funny.

I was offered a spot so took my chance and went on last, i added a handful of new bits to my usual 5 min set just to test them, i delivered them badly tho and could tell i was not being as well received as other recent gigs, my bubble from doing fairly well was being burst.... good tho as it keeps me on my toes and reminds me i need to keep writing and working. Perhaps i rely too heavily on the cheap laughs and that was exposed tonight as i followed guys with darker stuff. It is as mentioned hard to get lots of laughs from a small crowd but this occasion all the other acts had managed it and i feel i killed the momentum, good thing i was on last. I will need to work out my delivery of the newer bits and try maintain confidence in the rest of my set. I am still trying to accept that i am not a comedians comedian, my stuff is not going to gain me masses of rave reviews but if there are people laughing at this stage that is all i need work on, build the laughs and maybe add to them.

So on reflection doing this tonight was a good thing for me, it was another gig albeit to only a handful of people, and it was another lesson that winning a couple of gong shows means little really.

I will keep plugging away and maybe just maybe one day i will be happy with what i have produced, but in the meantime i must keep working and enjoying gigging, meeting the other acts and the whole ride.

On a side note while i say gong show wins mean nothing, they don’t mean nothing at all, they are an instant review, do audiences like you, they are a way of keeping yourself motivated to hit a laughs per minute target i guess, they are a way of meeting plenty of other acts in similar positions.

Gong shows are the necessary evil of comedy in some way, i enjoy them, they are helping mould me into an act that may one day be bookable, i understand those who do not like them and i can see why, especially when acts like me can win them.

2 drunk girls is all it takes gig17

I made my debut in Comedy on March 5th 2012 at Mr Bens gong show, that was 16 gigs ago now and i returned to the scene of my debut with a different feeling going into the show. There was still apprehension, doubt, nerves but i knew how it all worked now and so i was less like a rabbit in the headlights and more like a guy who was just casual going through the motions, thats not to say i didn’t give it my all to try and be funny and entertaining.

Lewis Charlsworth was again the MC, i had not taken to him last time, i thought he was derogatory towards the acts at times but having seen him more and seen other MC’s i was wrong to formulate that opinion and there was nothing wrong with his style i guess i kinda blamed him for standing at the clap-off to almost silence when most other acts got cheers and applause.

Tonight was quiet at Mr Bens, the audience was around 25 strong, Vikki was amongst them having bailed me out of a logistical situation with the car she decided to come support although she hadn’t had time to go shower after her footy game so was very self conscious which i feel i should mention if anyone sat near her!!! That didn’t stop her owning up to selling lube for a living however!!

There were to be 9 acts following an opening 15 from the excellent Fern Brady, i thought the running order was kind to me placing me in the 2^nd half allowing alcohol to make  me seem funnier to the predominantly student audience. Some familiar faces were on the bill too, Fern was there in Stockton where i did my 4^th gig to the most violent audience to date, Ross Brielrey, Si Finnigan, Patrick Draper and James Dunn all people i had gigged with previously and Eji Osigwe i had seen at HOWL, some very good comedians to go up against and that showed when of the 9 that performed 6 went through to the clap off. Also on the bill was a guy called Martin who sorry i didn’t get his surname, John Newall (again i’m not 100% sure i got the right name) and of course the legendary Mark Hayden, a man no one ever forgets seeing.

After Ferns superb warm up set the cards were handed out, Vikki was given a card and i tried to gesture to her that as my girlfriend she could not accept but she was not to know and Lewis did not ask her if she was here to support anyone, but i think she gave the card to the guy next to her anyway.. to be safe i told Lewis before i went on to be certain she didn’t have the card. Martin kicked off the show with some clever jokes and one liners, he was very funny i laughed a lot during his set, the thing that let him down was his stage presence and delivery, but he was only doing his 8^th gig so that will come and he will be great to watch then i imagine. Following him was J.Dunn the 4^th gig in a row i had done with him, he had been ill today and only came as it was me who booked him in and he didn’t want to let me down, commendable but if you’re ill you’re ill, he was doing better than any previous gong show and was on course to get through but around 3 and a half mins in his set vanished from his mind due to being unwell and he gonged himself of despite a mini recovery that got him big laughs. Following James was John, his opening joke was that he only had 4 mins of material and he needed to waste time! He was going well but his set slowed down a little and that saw him gonged. The excellent Patrick Draper was next, i saw him in Nottingham beat us all at the Maze gong show by a country mile, never have i seen such a polished new act. He didn’t disappoint although the room was proving tough with not many of them willing to laugh out loud. I thought it would be difficult to follow Patrick but if one man has the confidence and ability its Ross Brierley, he came bursting on to the stage with energy and a new set. He breezed through the 5 mins looking totally at ease on stage and as ever with a gong show i already had a winner in mind, tight between Ross and Patrick so far but i turned to Eji and said, Ross has won this already, i told Ross this too but he dismissed it modestly. There was a break then 4 more acts, Eji was the 1^st of those 4, he was doing great, his set included silly jokes and clever ones, he was through the gong no problem.

Si Finnigan followed, i like Si’s stuff, it’s different and he has a look of a guy who will make you laugh, his set included bits i have heard him do before and bits i haven’t, i laughed at most of it and really enjoyed the set almost forgetting i am on next. Again he eased past the gong.

My turn came, i was sticking to the set that served me so well in Manchester and Preston, i must try and learn to accept my set for what it is but i read so many things about comics feeding stag party humour to gong show crowds and not relaying any messages i sometimes feel ashamed of my jokes, but they are what i have right now and the sooner i have more belief in them the better i will be at delivering them.  I was not getting the same amount of laughs as i did in the North West but people were listening and taking my set in, one guy was really enjoying it i saw him laugh a lot while i noticed another sit stoney faced, then a card went up, the 1^st card i had received since being gonged off in Preston 4 or 5 weeks ago, i had come a long way since then i thought and only 1 card from 9 possible since that day so i’ll just ignore it and carry on, i finished my set and beat the gong. Phew.

Mark Hayden was to close the show, his set is unique, no other comedian would dare say what he says, whether or not it is what people view as good comedy depends on the viewer, this crowd were stunned, they had no idea where to look, there were guys laughing and girls..... well the girls were not too sure what to do and as it was now all girls with red cards (the guy who carded me passed his card to a girl in front row for some reason) the 2 min grace period up saw 3 cards straight up. Undeterred Mark Continued for a moment or 2 longer getting his Peter Kay joke in before leaving.

It was vote time, most gong shows i have been to the winner is deserved, to win you must be funny enough to keep them entertained for 5 mins and likeable enough for them to want you to win, only one a few occasions has someone won because they have loads of friends or family in the crowd or they did not use original material but generally speaking the right person wins, i say all this because it seems tonight like the vote was not based on comedy but rather 2 drunk students opinions that Ross and I were quote ‘sexy funny guys’!! the final vote was between Martin, Patrick, Ross, Eji, Si and Myself. But it boiled down to just myself on Ross (a real benchmark when you can be up there with Patrick and Si i was proud of that alone)

The 2 girls were making the most noise, it was hard to tell who was funniest or who was winning a popularity contest? Ross was the best performer on the night for me, but the vote was so close, now i must add there were more than the 2 girls voting too so we did make people laugh and had a good reception but they could not distinguish who won largely thanks to the 2 might i add gorgeous ladies and it was declared a joint winner Ross and Myself. I’ll take that, a wins a win but i’m not sure how it reflected on my set if at all. It does however mean i have won the last 2 gong shows i have been in so the confidence is growing. I’m not sure if i now get to do an 8 spot at Mr Bens as a winner but if i do i will look forward to another gig, speaking of which i have a fair wait til my next one as i have nothing in for the rest of this week or next week, 31^st of May my next as i turn to MCing for the 1^st time so some writing and research to do before then.

Road trip, gig 16

Hollybush Cradley Heath was a gig I had heard about through the writing course I attended, having read more about the gig on the midlands comedy forum i decided to see if I could get a spot. Dave Francis who runs the gig was more than helpful and allowed me the opportunity to bring a car full from Leeds, so myself, Ben Gibson (doing his 2^nd gig) J.Dunn (doing his 4^th) and Dave McAndrew (doing 60 somethingth??) all took the available slots. A road trip was arranged. I had no idea at the point of organising exactly how much fun I was about to have simply in a car journey to and from the gig as well as at the gig itself. Now I’m aware the novelty of such road trips wares off and I have heard experienced comics say how un glamorous this aspect of comedy is... but we had chosen to do this trip to get some experience, to enjoy a gig outside of Leeds and avoid open spot saturation in the local area ect ect and I was going to enjoy my moment while the novelty exists.

I had met Dave and Ben via the forums (meeting men on the internet isn’t my usual pastime) and gigged for Dave at Vanilla. None of the guys had met each other before so we did introductions and set off. It was almost like we had all known each other years... well weeks at least!!

The journey was filled with banter, jokes and of course comedy talk, who we like who we don’t like and who is nice and who is not so nice, who is funny and so on. The rain battering my windscreen slowing us down was not an issue as we had plenty of time to do the 135 mile trip and it added to the banter. 3hours after we set off we were in Cradley Heath and at the venue. It was a nice little pub with locals already sat in awaiting the regular comedy night to take place. Hollybush Dave sought me out to introduce himself and see that we A, get on early so the place was busy enough after the journey (sometimes its a bit quieter) and B, get us all a drink. We were very well welcomed and it added to the enjoyment of the night.

We were to be 4 from 10 acts, i feel it best i do not review every act, one reason perhaps is that the 13 and a half hour round trip has affected my memory and the other reason being that a couple of the acts struggled a little, one guy forgot his set due to i believe a sabbatical from comedy and although he did attempt to improvise (classics such as didn’t there used to be a table there and how nice is that lamp) he did not recall his set, it could happen to anyone and such a shame. Another act who struggled did however bravely keep going and did his full 10 min set, his comic smile and cool shirt were not getting too much audience laughter however and as he is only very new i’m sure he will bounce back, there was clearly talent he just had not tapped into it yet... he does need to stop doing lists tho as we discussed on the way home.

Now this may sound a bit like i’m giving it the cocky big mister or something but i’m pleased to report that all 4 of us from Leeds were well received by the lovely Cradley Heath crowd, the most pleasing thing is that J.Dunn had struggled in Manchester, improved a bit in Preston but here they really liked him, he was getting good laughs all the way through and at the end one punter came to shake hands and congratulate him, a brilliant performance. Dave McAndrew also went down a treat, his set being flawlessly delivered and he was asked for an en core but modesty prevented. Ben too had some great moments, he was only on his second gig and it did not overly show, his almost Stewart Lee style especially during his random moment. I did ok, i was more flowery i guess than the other acts, my set had a few good moments but i dare say the Hollybush regulars enjoyed the other 3 more. But i always did understand my set was not the comedy gold i am hoping to achieve maybe in a few years?

Unfortunately i did not note down all the names of the other performers but there were some very good acts, my favourite was close between a guy who told a great Thunderbirds Zombie joke and a guy who had a compare the meerkat toy (that cost £100 quid!!) there was also a Lady i think from Solihull who the guys thought was great too. Lots of good acts, the final act had some great impressions and did a cool star wars bit but i’m not sure he realised how racist his mugger impersonation was, clearly not his intention however.

The night for me was fantastic, there were some great acts, we all (the Leeds 4) felt we did well enough, we enjoyed a number of the acts, oddly we enjoyed some more upon reflection during the drive home, we thought the crowd were fantastic and the venue is a great one to play in the early days of a newbie comedian.

We set about the 3 hr(ish) drive home all buzzing from the gig, the discussions about the gig, the feeling of doing well and i guess the as nasty as it sounds the superiority complex that kicks in when someone has not done so well too, yes that will happen to me one day to so i’m not gloating it was just natural to feel that way not a conscious decision and i will always try be fair and supportive of other acts as i would hope to have the same when i bomb... again! But all this added to the flavour of my 1^st big car share road trip in comedy. It was all like a big night out with my mates only a sober one. All of this and i was on stage for just over 8 mins!!! But i am not sure if as i progress in comedy (or IF i progress perhaps i should say) nights like this may not be the same, but i sincerely hope there are many more, i laughed all the way home at the conversations with my fellow performers and i really enjoyed the gig both watching all the other acts and performing myself. The comedy adventure (and it is an adventure at this stage childish tho that sounds) is proving to be the best thing i have done. Nights like tonight even with the 13.5 hour round trip for 8 mins stage time fully cement that feeling.

My next gig is a more local one, i return to where it began to have another go at Mr Bens Gong show.

back across the Pennines gig 15

Preston held a feeling of negativity for me but Wednesday 9th May was my original Preston booking for frog and bucket as the one i did 3 weeks ago was filling in for a drop out. So with J.Dunn on board i left Leeds and we headed off to try and beat the gong, I was on a high following being well received in Manchester this going some way to help me get over bombing in Preston last time, James slightly different as he had struggled so he was out to try prove a point in a way. Again we chatted comedy and cricket in the car journey as we ambled through the traffic back across the Pennines this time towards Preston.

We arrived early and parked in a multi storey that looked perfect for a Thelma and Louise style suicide if we both bombed!!  We walked the short distance from car park to venue my nerves would usually start twitching but the confidence i gained from Manchester maybe stopped this as i felt calm but arriving at the door that instantly changed, memories of being gonged here last time very fresh and although the gong doesn’t necessarily gauge how good or bad you are it does give an instant review on how much you are making the particular crowd at that time laugh.

We signed in, there were only 7 on the list this time i guess making it easier to be a winner. There were a few familiar faces from Monday, Gary Allen (who talks a lot of sense when we chatted pre gig when all us other newbies talk like seasoned pro’s) Rikki Burke and also the 8 spot opener Eddie O Dowd.

We thought we were the only acts there and we stood near the door to keep an eye out for other acts arriving, we were un aware that round the corner  Kayvan Khazaee (pronunciation still not sure on but i must point out he is one of the nicest blokes i have ever met who has a good word for everyone) and Owen McGough were sat chatting. Rikki arrived and we said our hello’s as we did not get chance to chat to him on Monday when he made his debut. Then the 2 lads round the corner twigged we were also acts and came and joined us, it was clear that Owen had an illness or disability but i have no idea what the etiquette is wish establishing what that was and just tried to act as if he was like anyone else, although my mentioning this means i clearly haven’t and i felt bad that i was not ignoring it and instead trying to figure out what. Gary Allen then arrived and i think i called him Kev Allen about 3 times!! No idea why? We all stood round a table and talked comedy.... it is too easy to slip into this subject but we really do not know what we are talking about with barley 100 gigs between us possibly?? Thankfully as mentioned Kev.. or Gary as he’s actually known was very down to earth in  his summing up although some people talked over him and i dare say did not listen to what he said.

It came to show time and the memories from last time were heavier in my mind than the buzz of doing well in Manchester, there were about 35/40 in and as MC Dave Williams began it seemed they were not in the mood but gradually they warmed up.

We then got to see Eddie a former winner try his 8 set again to a different crowd, he did well. What was to follow was just bizarre but after wondering if it was just genius or just odd i suggest it was very clever, it was a character act... clearly but thanks to Kayvan for pointing it out to me. Geoff the entertainer he was called. I could not really describe his act, there were not a lot of jokes yet it was funny, very funny!! He was essentially a tramp, one of his key attributes were the props he used including old newspaper for his birthday cake referring to the pages as plates!!

We then had a break and the competition began, the 3 cards were again handed to all women like last time i was here... i won’t do my fat bitch joke again then.

Rikki again opened as with on Monday, oddly he performed his set a lot better this time but sadly it was not enough and he was gonged this time, they had sharpened their claws early...gulp!

Joe Dowson followed, we didn’t even know he was here he did not mingle with us (not that he has to) so we knew nothing of him, but he was clearly the oldest newbie with his grey hair the biggest giveaway, his set had some good moments but again it was not enough and he was shocked to be gonged exclaiming “you’re joking!!” which made me giggle for some reason, no they aren’t.

Owen was next, i had chatted to him about his experiences and he told me he had won here 6 times and was also a magician, i was looking forward to this and he began by telling us it was Cerebral palsy that was what effected his speech and hand movement and if we didn’t understand him properly.... fuck off!! His set was very good drawing on the experiences of being called mong by chavs or being pulled by police thinking he’s drunk, our 1^st gong survivor and once again i had picked my winner.

A short break and the next act began, Kayvan was next, he had got a train from Newcastle for this and was staying in a tent overnight before getting the train back home next day, a long way to travel for 5 mins lets hope he makes it.... unfortunately he did not, he began with banter someone didn’t get it and he attempted to make light of this by calling them all c***s which i thought was funny but after only 1 min 14 secs he was gonged, if only they knew what a nice bloke he was offstage they would have given him longer.

I was next, very aware that last time i was here i failed, i followed someone who was gonged quickly, and all 3 card holders were women if that made any difference. I slowed my set down a little, my opening included mentioning my Yorkshire roots which lead to 2 cards up last time, and a guy in front row turned to one of the card holders this time and motioned to her to put the card up as i said it, 30 seconds in he didn’t like me, the irony i suppose being that he cheered loudest for me at the end, my set built momentum and they liked it, 5 mins came and again i was through, my Preston demon gone and another lesson learnt.

J.Dunn followed me as he did in Manchester. He performed better this time, he was getting laughs where there were none in Manchester, but the ladies didn’t get his humour and again he suffered a gong, but he was going in the right direction.

Gary Allen was last, his set is clever in places, gross in places and smooth in places. He was gonged in Manc but here he was doing better, one card went up but i could see one of the older card holders a woman in her 40’s in tears laughing so i knew he would survive and i was glad.

So clap off time, myself Owen and Gary stood at clap off, i knew my winner and waited for the usual, you came close but not quite Jim, but Owen received applause and a few cheers then it was me and lead by the guy who wanted the card up i got a great cheer and big applause, it felt great maybe i had a chance, Owen was my winner but Dave told him he had not won and he went back to his seat, it was then between myself and Gary, Gary got a good cheer too but i had actually won one!! Wow what a turnaround from when i was here last. I felt superb, im under no illusions i’m suddenly an amazing comedian but i am going in the right direction at least, i know there will be more bad days too but now i know i’ll get over it and bounce back, and yet more experience behind means as much if not more than winning the gong show, i’ll enjoy my moment and then return to reality tomorrow i think.

HollyBush Cradley heath next..... arguably one of my most enjoyable experiences so i will enjoy writing the blog for that.