A strange week saw me turn up to 2 gigs that were cancelled due to no audience, drop out of one gig in lovely Hull due to work (Gutted as I was really looking forward to that one) and also turn a gig down only to go to one with no audience as previously mentioned. But the 3 gigs that I did do this week were all great lessons to the open spot comic that I am and another step towards being a strong act.
Gig 116.
This would see me return to the Lescar where I had performed once before but not for its resident comedy night the Last Laugh, this time it would be for last laugh as a middle open for a pro night headlined by Gav Webster and MC'd by Phil Ellis. As I arrived Jools from Last laugh was very welcoming and Phil plus anoth open act Rob Thomas were there and were also very welcoming which helped as I had a little bit of an attack of nerves! The opening act was unable to attend so things changed to myself going 1st after Phil had done his MC bit then Rob with headliner Gav doing a longer set, although he was yet to arrive.
The room filled up very quickly once doors were opened and there was standing room only, I reckon about 70 in the room and a buzzing atmosphere. Phil showed me how to get to the stage and then went up and did his bit. He has a very relaxed persona and was clearly liked by the audience as he worked the room skillfully and with charm. He was great to watch although I was watching most of it from behind as I was ready to go up. My set started steadily, there was laughter but it was slightly muted. It piked up a little as I got going but then I decided to work in a newer bit as there was an aeronautics engineer in the room which suited my bit.... MISTAKE!!! it did not get a laugh as it was clearly too wordy and not rehearsed... I waffled through it for about 2 mins to total silence before blurting out.. Holidays!! lets talk about those seeing as how the car stuff was going so well, this got a laugh of relief I think, almost like they thought.. ok he knows that was shit we'll forgive him. I then went on the the Big Julie set which has recently been criticised by some of my fellow open spot acts and as thus I had lost faith in the set. It was however my biggest laugh of the night and thankfully I had won back an audience I stupidly lost.
Rob went up and was just solid all the way through, he is a scouser and the accent adds to his witty observations and slightly aggressive style. I say slightly aggressive, it is shouty but in no way offensive or too much and he has everything just in the right measure. A very nice set.
Gav Webster went last, minus his ukulele he went straight on the comedy offensive with neatly placed lines and jokes in his opening gambit including an observation about how the room had contravened fire regulations due to how busy it was. As a long standing pro i'm sure he needs little compliment from me so all I will say is, FUCK!!! How will I ever be that good!!! Holy crap!! it was brilliant and yet I think he was barely out of 1st gear!! So yet again working with Pro acts such as Phil and Gav I have seen what I need to do.
I had some nice advice from Jools too, he said where he thought I was on the comedy Ladder (not that high) and what he thought I could do to improve inviting me to apply again for another 10 spot at last laugh in the future. The key thing was my set, and what I should do and I noted that he feels new acts change their set too often or write new sets too often and as a result promoters can't trust they will perform a solid 10, so I no longer feel like I don't write enough and this for me was a great gig even if i fucked things up a little.
Gig 117
I had another chance to be middle open at a pro night as I traveled to Solihull to do a gig for Mirth Control. The gig was being put on by Village hotel and they were responsible for the running of things, I arrived and the manager a pleasant enough guy but a little wet, showed me to the green room where MC Chris Norton Walker was sat waiting. Chris rather like Phil at Lescar was welcoming and showed me the room. There was a stage and DJ box where a rather twatty DJ was doing his level best to not help us organise things claiming that having a stage light would cost extra and that plugging a guitar into his amp was not viable due to liability insurance! anyway stuff him he will die in an accident due to being too busy filling out a jobsworth disclaimer form!!
The gig had sold out at 150 people but the room layout was not ideal with a large number of people facing away from the stage but this was a small problem... when considered against how things went, it was very small. The other acts arrived with Mark Cram 1st to arrive looking very laid back about the whole thing while I was still quite nervy, then opener Neil McFarlane arrived closely followed by headline act Mark Felgate who was keen to be referred to as guy who's going on last in a humble attempt to not be viewed as being any more important. The guys were again all very friendly and easier to chat to than open spots in that they were less tense, or not as soon as a gig is mentioned pouncing on it.. WHO BOOKS THAT!!!!
It was all very casual and Mark even said, we are all in this together I hope everyone does well.
The gig began, it began with a real whimper though. Chris had done his level best to get good lighting but there was nothing much the venue could do, there was a fully lit room, the Mic was a radio Mic that was clearly a Maplin cheapy effort and not really fit for purpose so it was not great sound... and then hen night to the far right of the room from the stage, well they just figured it was time for a chat and could not care less that comedy was happening. Chris worked hard doing all he could to get the room ready for comedy but it just did not ever kick off into a gig. Neil has a slightly deadpan style which with the poor sound system and the chatting hens was difficult for some to pick up, but his jokes were great!! I cant believe they didnt get more!! this was a great comedy set well delivered and yet only half the room were with him!
Chris tried to address this in the break and to be fair in the middle section it was not as bad as Mark did a superb job of trying to keep the noisy hens at bay! then my turn came up and I was immediately aware how difficult it was to hear the comedy due to the laughing (not at us) and chatting from the big table of women who cared not one bit for comedy. One audience member told me she could not hear, one yelled tell them Gypo's to shut up, they did not hear this. My set was incidental really, I got some laughs and some nice bits with a mini applause break started by Chris as he willed the gig to improve.
AS the final section got underway and Mark began his set word had got round the Hens that they were not liked by the rest of the room, suddenly one got up and started yelling who called us Gypo's and began pacing towards a random table with daughter following behind yelling leave it mum!! This classy outburst saw them leave but most of the group stayed and continued to be a problem. Mark now addressed this to large applause before a woman yelled I quote 'There is no need to Fucking swear at us' A, Mark did not swear and B,.... well B is obvious really. Mark did return fire though swearing this time much to the delight of the rest of the audience. AS they left the mother of the bride saw me stood in the doorway watching the gig and collered me, she pointed a wagging finger and said my husband earns more in a day than all you comedians do in a year, the problem in there is they are all snobs!! yet more irony from the lovely ladies. as she walked away she was yelling I live in a big house I don't need this!! Good Lord!! bye then.
And so Mark completed his set and we all returned to the green room to evaluate what just happened.
I still had a lot of fun though and look forward to my next Mirth Gig in Haselmere along with Neil and Mark again.
Gig118
This was a nice gig to get on and the culmination of Chris Heads course for brand new/ novice acts. It would be the 1st time on stage for most of the acts, 14 in total, and I had the pleasure of being asked to Headline, of course taking what Mark Felgate said in my last gig I will go with close rather than headline. Barry Ferns was asked to MC adding the pro element of the night.
This would be hosted at Funny Side of Covent gardens venue the George on the strand and was sold out! the place was rammed!! another lovely atmosphere. I wont review everyones performance as there were so many but I will say that the acts all brought their A game to say how new they were.
The gig was in 2 sections with 8 in the 1st and 7 myself included in the second. The only real down side was that each act was given 5 mins but nearly all went over that time and some went over by 3 mins. This is something they will learn as newbies and not a massive issue apart from that when I went on the audience had lost the desire to pay attention and I really had to work hard to get them back. My slot was taken up ith me trying to get the room to come to life and I had to give some jokes real long pauses as they sunk in! But I got through it and there were even a couple of small applauses which I now mention in every blog because I clearly like to pat myself on the back!
I had done my bit and I felt good but also a little exhausted, It was a long travel and and the gig itself somehow mentally draining. I took a lot from it though, a tired crowd, a long night, how best to work that. A bit of energy and some silliness is all it takes and the confidence to trust your jokes even if they dont seem to be landing. I played back the tape on the train and can safely say I sound like a dick... but that aside I was happy with how it went and what I took from it.
Next for me a quiet week before a trip to Huddersfield for my 3rd Bar 1.22 gig.
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