Sunday 30 September 2012

A Mazed Portion in Hell gigs61-63



If my confidence was low from my recent run of gigs the last thing I needed really would be a bad performance at a gong show, but conversely if i did well it might just be the trigger to return to form.
I have 3 gigs this week (well 4 actually but due to family issues in flooding York I would have to miss out on one) This week would take me to 63 gigs, a healthy number in just over 6months? I don’t know but my material still is not solid enough. I talked of ditching it all in my last blog, I most probably will but for now I don’t have enough good stuff so only a small new bit would be worked in.

Gig 61                       
The Nottingham Maze gong show was one of Spikey Mike’s and i wanted to do it to try and get myself in front of Mike for 10 spot bookings... well being gonged off on Saturday meant that it did not matter what i did tonight I would not be impressing really. Dave Mac joined me on the line up with the other names I knew being Raj Chowdry, Matt Forde and Martin Hastie.....yes this means it is a fight for 2nd... gong shows suit 1 liner comics but even so Martin’s jokes are excellent and therefore he is virtually invincible! I would be last of the 1st section, the mild compliment of being regarded one of the stronger acts? Im not sure. The audience were very forgiving this evening with some fairly ropey performances somehow surviving the gong all night. It was a strange one really as my performance on Saturday was better than some who made it through tonight (i sound bitter but just frustrated really as that gonging had set me back 6 months with Spikey Mike for certain)
A subdued start to the night with some good jokes and some less so left me feeling nervous about how nice the audience were as i went on and i started nervously but once I got my 1st laugh I was off, I felt in control again and was able to confidently try my new bit which killed it a little but I was back on form. I had only one act to worry about if i was to pick up the winners money.... and he nailed it..., Martin the joke machine Hastie had them in the palm of his hand, another great performance.
Dave Mac was also back in top form with the story telling type comedy not getting as many laughs but getting the biggest as he told his tale of getting older and waking upto a deep voice! I’d love to review all the acts but there were 16 so too many to mention but for me beating the gong was nice again but the final minute was never going to get me the win as my 1 joke not enough to beat Martins 3 belters!! Similarly Dave Mac was unable to produce enough and Martin won comfortably

Gig62
Portion of quips is my very own night running at the lovely Bojangles bar in Pudsey. I was strating it up again at this venue after a hiatus from previous venue the Royalty following the 2009 closure (bloody recessions eh!!) Jay Hampson would open and what a great job he did, I really enjoy watching him in action this now the 4th time i had seen him. His carpenter joke i have mentioned before is great. Steve Goodall was next up and he did what he does best, light up the audience with clever jokes and an amiable approach. Dean Mavros followed with a 7 minute comedy assault!! His material beautifully crafted and the audience lapped it up. Tom O Dair closed the second section with some nice wordplay, he struggled to make an impact on the audience with it but that because they were a low brow crowd i would guess. Paul Savage headlined, his material was nicely structured and it was fun to watch how he told his stories, he really built up the set and the crowd really looked to be enjoying every minute. It was nice for me to see a more experienced comic going through his set and pacings with which he did so. My Mcing was up and down, I knew most of the audience and tried to make a joke of asking them where they worked etc despite knowing the answers but this did not work as it was suggested to me I don’t do that by another act. I did however do a bit of crowd work with the few people i knew little about and the ones i did know a bit about i tried to get additional facts from. I also tested a lot of new material.... an awful liot!!... in that there was lots... and some of it was awful!!! Ha but i did enjoy it. I was pleased with the support from the venue too and the low drinks prices so this could be nice moving forward although i need to make sure this gig does not adversely affect Sam Brady’s gig in Pudsey. I would be happy to promote his gig to my crowd though as i believe it could be beneficial.

Gig63
I was invited to the lescar in Sheffield to do a gig for Steven Evetts on Friday 28th. I knew little about the gig but figured stage time is required for my confidence to rise. Rich Hodkin was also participating in what turned out to be a support role for Steven’s 90 minute show ‘burning in hell with the easter bunny’. The Boro born comedian has been doing comedy for 4 years and spent most of that time in the usa gigging in some major US venue’s i’m told. This show was all new material and was meant to be myself and Rich in the 1st section I think with steve’s show all in the second section. But I was having problems, I was going to need to get the train originally but Vik would lend me the car although she was late getting it to me, then there was no fuel in it and the battery charger on the sat nav stopped working so i used my phone.... which then ran out of battery!! So i was lost low on fuel and without communication but i eventually got there as Rich was beginning his set. He was having Mic troubles but cracked on to a fairly quiet unresponsive crowd despite Rich’s jokes being good quality... the reason i found out was there was no MC so it was supposed to be me who warmed them up.. oops! I felt bad. There was also no mic stand!! Rich had to walk on to the stage with no introduction pic the mic up off the floor and try get them laughing!! Steve decided to do the 1st half of his show although i was now here and to get me to start the second section. His show was very wordy and although some really nice ideas there were not a lot of punchlines  really making the pace slow. Steve did 45 mins but the audience were unresponsive and despite the £6 entry fee 7 people did not return for the second section unfortunately. I was of the belief the room just needed a bit of energy and a few silly jokes so i went on and tried to MC it for a while. I got a few laughs with my 1st few lines and then chatted to the audience getting some of them to even make their own jokes. There was load laughter and i was really enjoying it, i went into my set but referenced the audience as much as i could referring to a teacher that there may be 15 year old girls in the next room telling an Texan guy that Texas Pete offof superted was the only Texan i knew etc.
I was having a ball up there and although i was meant to do 10 mins i did just shy of 20, and it was deffo my best performance ever! I am not arrogant enough to say i stormed it but i was certainly applauded off which was nice. Steve went back on and i had a good feeling he would now pick up the pace but sadly this stuff was clearly all very new and he really struggled, he actually got in a very awkward argument with a Christian audience member who even shouted none of this has been funny it should at least be factual!! I felt for Steve now as he is a lovely guy but he seemed unphased and carried on. The show came to an end with the full 90minute rendition completed. I’m not sure if I would ever attempt this, I think Steve has talent but his writing needs a lot more jokes or funny bits but who am I to say? I wish him well with the tour, personally i stayed around for a few minutes and milked the audience compliments as they filtered out past me. I was buzzing again and my Mojo is back.

Next up it’s Mr Bens gong show with 100% new stuff so lets see if it beats the gong!!!

Sunday 23 September 2012

In the middle of a shit spell Gigs58-60


My last blog told the tale of a trip to Dronfield that did not go well, then I left you with the note I had just done Lawrence Batley Theatre new Yorkshire act of the year gig, this went better (more on that in a moment) but I have since done two other gigs that have been poor, and on reflection this means I have been right in the middle of a shit spell for a while! I struggled at Burscough gig52, died at Mr Bens gig 53 had an indifferent gig in Bolton gig 54 Dronfeild was gig 57 then gigs 59 and 60 were horror shows too as you will read shortly. So I really need to get a hold of myself and figure out where I’m going wrong at the moment. I could make excuses… I’m homeless at the moment as buying a house and being kicked out of the rented house I lived in are not seamlessly running side by side. All my life is in boxes and I’m crammed in between 2 houses living with a combination of 9 people and 2 dogs (which I am allergic to!) oh and my new job is basically dealing with complaints all day… people moaning like hell because they cant buy a handbag!!! But I cant blame those things really, I need to rise above it. If I want to make comedy my job I need to learn to be better so I will have a long hard look at myself!

So the gigs, Well as mentioned Huddersfield went well. It was a last minute gig booking so while there is the distinction of the title of the gig I had done nothing to earn my place. Damion Larkin would mc a strong line up that boasted Simon D Heaven, Steve Goodall, Sir Dickie Benson, Amy Gledhill, Tom Taylor, Nick Parry, Glen Moore and myself. 1st place would be £100, 2nd and 3rd place tickets to a pro show and a podium spot. The audience took a bit of warming up making it difficult for 1st act Simon to get momentum but he did great followed by eventual winner Steve Goodall. Steve I have to say is a superb act and a lovely guy and I’m so pleased to see him getting recognition. I felt all the acts on the night did great, I particularly enjoyed Sir Dickie Benson, especially when he smacked a 16 yr old audience member in the mouth with the mic!. I had a good time up there on a lovely stage to a friendly crowd and came in 2nd. It was also great to have support and feedback from an experienced act such as MC Damion who offered to give me details from the judges on facebook… invaluable.

From there I went on to gig 59 at Doncaster Uni. Another great line up and thanks to Gareth Urwin for booking me and also doing a fantastic job as MC despite a lay off from comedy. The gig was just a 1 off and was for the freshers or so I thought but I was expecting a room full of rowdy teenagers but it was more subdued and had older guys who worked on the campus mixed in with the 6 or 7 freshers. Laughter was muted but Adam Rushton and Steve Goodall  did superb as did Sam Brady and Kate Mccabe, in fact it was only I who struggled, granted I was doing new stuff but it was my older stuff that died! I enjoyed performing my new bit and that seemed to go ok despite my worry it is too similar to Rhod Gilberts style. But in front of 3 comedy bookers (Sam Brady, Gareth Urwin and the fantastic headline who has booked me last 2 gigs in Anthony J Brown) I was ashamed to do so badly. I’ll be honest I was surprised too, I had begun to have faith in my jokes even if I don’t like how hacky my topics are it really caught me out to get nothing, I looked at a girl who Gareth had chatted with called Hannah, she sat stony faced arms folded, I looked round the rest of the room.. stony faces… I did not expect this!
I would have to put it behind me and move on to better performances, little did I know it was to get worse!

Gig 60 back at a Spikey Mike gong show, I really wanted to do well and impress Spikey Mike so I could get a 10 spot somewhere, I was bringing my new material along for the ride and I felt confident although tired from a long week. Thankfully I would not have to drive for once as Daniel J Kennedy would take that responsibility on for both myself and Si finnigan who was a replacement for a replacement!
Spikey Mike gigs always bring out good acts and this would be no different, I had said in the car before a word was spoken I fancy Patrick Draper to win as he is sensational, but I also fancied Steve Goodall, James Billington or my 2 travel buddies Si and Daniel to do well. I was expecting to make 5 mins at the least and see how my new bits faired….. but my poor form continued as I went on 3rd in the 1st section and I failed to make it past 2 mins my worst gong show performance ever!!! I was getting laughs, my biggest came when I called one of the pub staff a snooker referee as he was wearing a bow tie and white shirt. But my pace was off, there was not a lot of love from the audience either, they groaned my tea bag line and although I could not see due to the glare I think all 5 judges went for red, another disaster and my confidence down in the gutter! Only 1 act from the 1st section made it through to the final, he went on just before me. He was a guy in his 60’s maybe? Sat on seat on stage and telling tales from a book like story time, actually very funny. Si Finnigan made it past 5 which is good up 1st at a Spikey Mike show, but he did not make the final.
As suspected Steve goodall was superb and Patrick Draper just a joy to watch but also Daniel Kennedy and Nick Parry doing great sets and a 19 year old lad who’s name I missed looked very good. There were a couple of 1st time giggers all doing well although one forgot his set and asked to be gonged so the audience kept him in it although he handled it very well.
At the final it boiled down to 2 guys, Steve and Patrick with Pat sneaking a close victory. I was trying not to sulk most of the rest of the night, I was still picking the bones out of where exactly I went wrong. I have decided as a result I am scrapping almost all of my current set, big cull of the cheap jokes, the hacky topics and the crap I have been spouting recently. I will keep some of it working it into a new re write but its only the odd joke I will keep, but I will also need to get  some confidence back, I will have a chance on Tuesday as I’m back in gong action in Nottingham again with a return to the Maze…. Hope I don’t get lost!

I also have my gig starting up this week, follow @jimbayes on twitter for updates

Saturday 15 September 2012

I don't like you either Gig57


I have competed in gong shows a plenty in my 1st 6 months although never won one with a cash prize often coming 2nd!!! (there is no such thing as second in a gong show you either win, are a finalist or are gonged). One thing I had not done before is taken part in a competition gig where I still get my 10 mins there is no gong but the audience decide who was best (from 7) which is what this Dronfield gig was to be so I was exited about the prospect of this.
My regular car share buddy Dave McAndrew was on board too along with his mate Martin who is a comedy show in himself!! Also joining us was Amy Gledhill a fairly new act who claimed not to have any jokes!! This despite having gigged for silky on 3 occasions, Amy you big fibber!

We arrived at the venue parking in the tightest space eve (I think it might have been for bikes…. And I mean pedal bikes!) and went inside to find a nice little locals pub.
Daniel Kennedy was again on the bill with me, nice to see him again sat in the bar confused as to where we wait as we all were. Organiser Anthony J Brown was not present so the Fantastic Carl Hutchinson was to MC but he had not yet arrived, taking charge in the meantime was a guy called chris, I’m not sure if he was pub staff or worked for Anthony but I know he had a poor attitude in the way he spoke to people belittling them and being generally sarcastic as if everyone was a moron but him, I kept it to myself that I did not like him but it later became apparent he was not well liked by the other acts especially after he gave Carl grief and heckled him while he was trying to warm the audience up. While on that note the audience were in no mood to laugh either, a strange atmosphere generated which was not helped by Chris heckling Carl never seemed to pick up. Now Carl I have seen headline twice at weekend clubs and is a great act, he should not be struggling but it was not his fault at all. The audience twice told him to get on with it when he tried to chat with them and just had no oomph. It was going to be hard work for 1st act Dave Mac to make any impact and he struggled at 1st but won them over a bit towards the middle and end with the audience liking his Uncle bit the most, but they did not laugh aloud. Carl tried again to gee them up but midway through a bit he just called me to the stage deciding they weren’t going for it. So I struggled, I do not yet have the skills to win these kind of audiences over, I tried so hard, I did not reference how miserable they looked I just did what I could but they were not having any of it. At one point I said to a guy who I knew to be called Peter, “I don’t know why im looking at you” as a playful part of my stuff but he just replied “I don’t like you either” so not only was he not listening but he was not a fan!, I was dying on my arse again but this time I felt it was not my fault totally but a bit 50/50 between me and the audience on who to blame. I got through about 8 mins and decided to get the hell off stage to minimal applause! This ended the 1st section. I felt nothing, none of the shame of a bad gig nor the joy of a good one, just nothing, as if I had not even been on, and I suspected they audience would not remember me within 15 mins, sadly I will remember them for a while. The one pleasing element of this was that Carl Hutchinson, an act I really liked came over to me and said he really liked my stuff, this compliment was not hollow either as he need not have said anything so I was happy.

Carl addressed the 1st section having gone badly when going up to begin the 2nd section and he asked the audience if we could start again in terms of them enjoying the show, they seemed to go with that a bit more, but only a bit as the next act struggled too even stopping at one point to ask Carl how to win them back?? But to his credit he carried on and it got better, he had some good stuff and they were coming round. It was the best reaction of the night to be fair.
Amy was next, claiming to be nervous (another porky Amy!! Ha) if she was nervous her drama degree was worth every penny as she looked a seasoned pro up there, confidently delivering her ‘jokes’ and intelligently utilising the room demographic to her advantage. It was an excellent performance and the audience were beginning to show some pleasure to be there! But that soon went as Joe White took the stage, Joe not totally to blame but I have seen him perform better and his jokes are very good although he is very defensive off stage to the point of being a bit twatty when I try talk to him, all three times I have met him now he has had a smart arse remark to a question or enquiry and or general chat, no idea why maybe he’s nervous maybe he’s a dick? I’m guessing it’s not intentional. 2nd section completed only 2 acts to go, Adam Blaize who is it seems Joe’s car share buddy as they rather like Dave Mac and I are often gigging together. Adam has what I call an acquired taste of material but perhaps I’m wrong to use that term, what I mean is I think you like parts of it while other parts let it down and its those parts that might stop him from winning shows like this as the good parts are brilliantly good, but this is just my viewpoint I could be wrong! On this particular night the reception he got was as bland as everyone else’s as was to be final act Daniel Kennedy’s response. Daniel has superb confident delivery and looked to really have this audience on board with his start but sadly he seemed to lose them a little with his normally reliable poem section, perhaps the poem should have come 1st then all the energy he builds up come later? Or perhaps nothing would please this audience?

Well something had to as they were scoring every one, I would love to know the full scores but we only got to find out the £50 cash prize winner which was of course Amy Gledhill and full deserved.

It was a night to put down to experience and one I really enjoyed apart from the 8 or so mins I was on stage!!

Next for me another Anthony J Brown gig, Yorkshire act of the year at the Lawrence Batley theatre in Huddersfield (I have already done the gig I will write the blog Tueasday)

Friday 7 September 2012

So Waco isnt that famous then Gig 56



I clearly have no issues travelling for gigs (well its clear if you follow my blogs/comedy) but it’s always nice to have a home gig, Mr Bens is my usual home gig but I was really looking forward to HOWL run by Thom Milson, Si Finnigan and the returning Mickey Sterrett (he has been back in Ireland for a while). I had a good feeling about this gig although when initially offered it i was worried i would not fit the alternative brand HOWL is championing. It was to be an exciting line up too with Peter Marshall the MC being the only act I did not know already on the bill. It was nice to have a gig falling in my 6 month anniversary week but even nicer to have one with so many acts who have helped me understand the open comedy scene. I think my opinion on what is funny and how comedy should be differs from some of these guys but given how subjective comedy is this does not cause any issues, there is no one telling me how i should think and i respect that even if they think i’m wrong. This thinking is more prevalent with Thom from HOWL, he is one of if not the most hard working acts on the scene and has some strong opinions on how comedy should work, i think i flow against that tide in some ways but yet Thom was happy to book me and support my style.

So the gig itself, i had spread word at work hoping to get a few along and all day people were asking me, are you nervous? No.... not at 10.30, no not when asked again at 12.16, nor again at 1.47 or again at 3.22!!!!! in fact my nerves now are restricted to about 20 mins before going on and then the 1st min or so while i am on. As it turns out there would have been no need to drum up support for the gig as when i arrived it was already clear it was going to be busy, Si Finnigan was warning me not to try new material as there was a special guest too (Ben Breier offof Mr Bens) A game it is (i don’t have any new stuff to try yet really anyway)
The other acts were all gathering outside too and it was nice to catch up with them before the running order was decided. I had made a polite request to go on in the second section which was granted. The room packed, the scene set for a great gig our host warming them up nicely 1st act Jed Salisbury burst on to the stage with his energy and got the night off to a great start. They room crammed with varying age groups lapping up Jeds set, brilliant opening. Andy Woolston followed with a performance a million miles better than his last one at Mr Bens, Andy was in fine form working the room beautifully, a joy to watch. The final act of the 1st section was to be the fabulous Mickey Sterrett, i was looking forward to this and not let down... Daddy had been drinking! Mickey just owns every set he does and killed it. The night was buzzing the audience loving it, well except for a small few at the back which someone had decided MUST be my friends (they were not i had only 1 of my friends who was talking... although she was the loudest!!!)
I only mention that one negative to an otherwise superb night because i was on 1st after the break and they were still talking through my set... but i enjoyed one of the best gigs of my 56 none the less, there was at least 40 people in and it seemed at some point or other i was able to make them all giggle. My set was the usual stuff but i added some ad lib stuff which worked ok... well apart from the Waco BBQ bit... i guess not many people know what Waco was so the idea of the FBI being invited for a BBQ was not remotely funny!! But that said i had a great time really enjoying my moment on stage in a great line up.
Next on was Simon Gutherless, he has a creepy essence but he did not have his shovel and rubber gloves this time, the 1st 2 mins of his set was slightly disturbed by the creaky door but undeterred Simon won over the audience with his joke rate keeping the theme of the night and the standard high. Thom went next and looked uber confident. Thom’s performance was excellent, the kind of performance he has been churning out recently and the audience were enjoying every minute of it as was I, Jon Newell pointing out Thom has been nailing it every gig recently, true dat.
Si Finnigan would close the night. I have seen Si close HOWL before and this was similar. Si has pacing and timing that work perfectly and can jump off from his set to attack hecklers like a comedy pit bull before reverting back to jokes as if nothing happened. I particularly like the French lessons bit and date night stuff from his new material and thought it was a great end to the night.
Would just like to mention MC Peter Marshall as his will Smith joke was best joke of the night (although the guys in my office all thought Jed was best act of the night)
What a great night, i really hope for many more great gigs like this in the future and to be booked to do HOWL again one day.

Next for me Dronfeild

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Lessons from Christopher and Kelly gigs 54-55



Gig 54
Having done a gig in Bolton for radio fallout at the railway venue the organisers Tim and Lee invited me to take part in their pro night at Bleachworks in Bolton. This is a pro night in the sense that their is a pro headliner, all the other acts are still amateur acts. Liam Pickford would be opening and he would be paid for 15 mins while the rest of us did 10’s followed by 30 mins from Phoenix nights star Archie Kelly in the headline slot. On the bill were Ryan Brown, David Harltey-williams, Lindsay Davies and Myself with opener break, 2 acts 2nd break, 2 more acts 3rd break and then headliner. In between there would be a text joke competition where the audience text in their jokes to try and win a pint and a hat!!! It was a bit of fun that kept the interest up.
The venue itself looked very posh, it’s a member’s bar and kind of gave the feel of a strip club when I 1st walked in. The layout of the room was a kind of L shape with the bar at the top of the L and the entry at the bottom, nice but the audience were not close enough to the stage so the worry was that they would talk at the bar although this proved not to be an issue. MC Lee Tommo welcomed the audience to the night and explained what was happening before introducing Liam on to the stage in an unorthodox manner which Liam was able to reference as he started his set. The room was very cold and this made life a bit difficult for Liam although he was doing a better job than it seemed and this being the 1st time i had seen him i was loving his whimsical stuff. Liam finished his set and the audience had warmed a little ready for the next 2 acts. 1st after the break was 1 liner merchant Ryan Brown, his jokes followed by a little giggle were warmly welcomed and Ryan had done well, David followed, it was his 1st gig for over a month and the small signs of rustiness showed in terms of deliver but his confidence and charm made up for it ending the 2nd section nicely despite sound issues at the beginning of his set.
I went next, i had support again from old school pal Ian Adamczyk and his beautiful girlfriend Laura (who we established can tuck her feet behind her head pre gig so it was nice that he stayed to watch me having learned this!!!!) i too had some small feedback issues but i decided not to let it become a problem and tried to engage with the audience before moving into my set. I feel it went ok but i had to work hard for the laughs and really get into the audience for some energy which in fairness they responded nicely to. I was happy enough with an ok performance. Lindsay was next, she just goes out there looking all innocent and sweet then delivers filth!! And some good jokes too, this very well received by the 50+ crowd and they cheered her off at the end.
Archie Kelly then took the stage and gave us all a lesson in stand up, his materiel was similar to a lot of the Peter Kay brigade, it could have easily been Dave Spikey, Paddy Mguinness or Justin Moorhouse in terms of content but the timing, delivery and way he dealt with the rooms quirks and audience interactions were sensational to watch. Very enjoyable

Gig 55
My 6 month anniversary gig was in Keighley at the Exchange arts centre. With me in the car were Kappa Llewellyn a really lovely guy from Wales (what with a name like that??) who now lives in Rotherham.... why Rotherham given how beautiful Wales is i’ll never know! Also on board was the mental and great fun Dave McAndrew. We got a bit lost in Keighley as sat nav took us to within half a mile of the venue but we couldn’t see it, we asked a guy in a kebab shop but his response of never heard of it filled us with confidence, although we were actually just a left turn and 300 yards away. Upon going inside we saw it was a bit like a community club or working mens club set up with a lovely stage to work with. Local act Robin Leitch would be MCing (his debut as MC) and Dave Mac would open, there were about 20 in which is good for a Monday. Dave did a mix of materiel and winging it with stories from his holiday, he didn’t do his uncle routine (on the way home it became clear he didn’t remember he had an uncle routine) but did his holiday stuff and opened the night nicely. Following Dave was Danny Cox, Danny was in usual casual form, he went through his jokes old and new with a confidence i never had at age18. Mc Robin called the 1st section of 3 to a close doing a lovely job on his MC debut. 2nd section was opened by Kappa, this was only his 8th gig but i thought he had done more. Kappa was doing mostly new stuff and looked more at ease on stage than he does at gong show’s, kappa has a likeability and is moulding a comedy persona nicely. Daniel Kennedy went next, it was fitting that i gigged on my 6 month anniversary with a guy i gigged with on day 1, Daniel has confidence, delivery and good jokes so it was no surprise he looked like he belonged up there on the stage. He is doing gigs for Silky and going nicely, tonight’s performance was no different keeping the standard high.
I was next straight after the final break, i was determined to perform well to see how i had developed in the 6 months i have been gigging. It was a good start, my opening joke the main survivor from gig 1 but now i know how to deliver it.  There was a guy in the audience who coincidently when thinking of the previous gig looked like Justin Moorhouse, that was belly laughing at all the acts, i gigged towards him for the 1st minute to gain confidence but i made sure i looked all round the room to see what all the audience were like and if they were enjoying my stuff, it seemed to be going ok. I did the chicken routine which went well, i did the Otley stuff, went nicely, then i did the arrested bit which went a bit flat, got it back a little bit with the hen night routine. It was clear i had moved on from the crap i was spieling 6 months ago but it is also abundantly clear i need to work harder and harder to tighten the set up and add more jokes. Overall i was pleased though.
Headlining the gig was James Christopher, James showed me how it’s done, timing, jokes, no overly wordy bits, and above all a stage presence. This was the 4th time i had seen James in action and he stormed it. This capped off a great night nicely.
There is always one final part about gigging with Dave Mac that is great fun, the drive home... and with a Smart car carrying 5 people, Danny cox, James Christopher and the 3 that came out with me this was a crammed comedy drive home that included a post mortem of the evening and Dave’s comedy stylings!! I should film the next car share and post it on you tube!!

Next gig for me is HOWL with team Awesome.

Sunday 2 September 2012

6 months in comedy. mini self review


Sunday 2nd September 2012, its another Sunday i’m sat in my living room watching the Paralympics. In 2 weeks time i will be moving house but my mind is not on that, my mind is on tomorrow because tomorrow i have a gig that will be exactly 6 months since my 1st gig. I will film it tomorrow, i should film every gig but i still hate my material, the sound of my own voice and my face! Perhaps i have the wrong hobby? More on that in a moment but the reason i will film tomorrows gig is to see where i compare to 6 months ago. I’m still very much a newbie and learning often from much younger people as at 32 i’m no spring chicken. I only have 2 jokes that have survived from my 1st gig but i’m not a strong or clever writer so the newer jokes aren’t that much better. What is my performance like? I need to know as i’m not a confident person generally which is another reason why comedy is not a great choice for me. So why do i do it? Well as hobbies go it is one of the most rewarding, i play a lot of football and spend most of my time on the pitch moaning at team mates opponents and the ref, i love football but yet i seem to not be enjoying it, comedy is different from a sporting hobby. You stand on a stage with a light in your eyes, blank faces fixed on you all waiting to hear what you have to say and judging you ability to make them laugh, and why not? You are up on stage essentially telling them you can be funny and when this works and they laugh the feeling is better than a sporting success, its kind of euphoric. But before you even step foot on stage you need to write a set, this does not mean go on sickipedia take your favourite jokes from there change a word here and there and then add a few personalisation’s..... that is not writing. Writing is taking you own ideas and making your own jokes, structuring a set from these ideas, they may not all be funny and you may have to work hard at them but they are your own and with work you can find the funny in any idea. So what have i written? Well i mentioned earlier that i hate my set and this is true but i’m, not going to be Bill Hicks overnight so i have jokes that i at least trust and know work even if i’m not a fan of my own comedy. I am always writing and have been described by fellow open acts as a man with a plan, i guess i do have a plan. The plan is to keep performing the set i have, my best 10 if you like. Add to that best 10 and keep tweaking and tightening. Build stage craft and learn how to get the most from any audience, never pre judge an audience or even a gig, some look awful but are great and vice verse. All the time keep seeking gigs and learn from other acts, i might not make it in comedy but i need to be able to understand why if i don’t and be self aware, i’m not gods gift to comedy i have no right to assume i will do well with a certain crown i should never outstay my welcome if i’m bombing and things like this need to register in my head. While i’m gigging with my current set i’m writing, i mentioned i’m not a strong writer so i will learn how to write better materiel as i go. I’m in the funny’s funny camp and have no idea what is alternative comedy but i do believe there needs to be more intelligence in my comedy although people tell me i have clever stuff i don’t see it as clever though. The funny’s funny point being that things that make people laugh however cheap a joke are still achieving the goal of comedy, if your goal is to tell a political message then become a politician, otherwise learn the rules of comedy 1st then when you know the rules off by heart you can break them, so this statement alone tells why i perform a set i don’t really like. I don’t have a political agenda however, my agenda is selfish as all i simply want is my time in the spotlight and to be liked for doing it, is there any shame in wanting to be liked? I’m not sure but this is why i do it. I have no secrets on my plans, i am fairly transparent in where i’m going or at least trying to go.

So tomorrow i will stand on a stage at the 6 months land mark, i will do my best to be funny and i will enjoy all the other acts doing their thing too. i will go home review the video and hope that i deliver each line properly, remember the flow of the set, deal with any interaction or heckles (heckles are rare to be honest) and then hope i compare favourable to my 1st gig so that i can keep going as if i have not progressed at 6 months i should probably give up and let the real comedians have a my stage time. But if i have progressed properly then maybe i will give it another 6 months before i review myself again and have a new idea on my plan, maybe some new jokes and maybe i will be past 100 gigs by then too which will be a nice landmark albeit one that has little relevance in the grand scheme of things.