Write or wrong Gig38

I have started an new job recently which suits me greatly as the hours are 8-4 meaning i can finish work and be on my way to a comedy venue fairly quickly, but one thing that has affected me is that i am a little more tired than normal despite my apparent energy drink addiction. I did not realise how much that would impose on my performance until i actually arrived at my 8 spot in Preston and while trying to remain calm could not remember any of the material i was going to perform!

I will come back to that shortly, joining me on the trip were Jon Newell who was coming to participate in the gong show, Dave McAndrew who was coming to support and if anyone does not turn up maybe go on (everyone turned up unfortunately) and one of my oldest friends Quinny, he’s 97.... of course im joking i mean in terms of how long i have known him but longest running sounds like a tv show so i went for oldest!

The Journey there was a mixture of comedy chat and of course talking about Quinny’s Job in Iraq as it is not without danger and i never know if each visit home he does will be the last, morbidly hopeful (of course i again jest.... hilarious in know).

We arrived in Preston about 15 mins late but were amongst the 1^st to arrive, the room was packed with more people filtering in so there was a lovely atmosphere building. We went through to the green room and i chatted with some of the acts as they came in while waiting for the brilliant Dave Twentyman who would be our MC this evening to give us the nod that the show was starting.

I have mentioned before that i have a joke very similar to one of Jon Newells and had discussed recently about people who steal jokes from sickipedia, with that in mind i had decided to drop the Joke similar to jon’s in favour of a different version and also had not long ago dropped a joke that i did indeed myself take from the internet but back then i was none the wiser. I needed to mention this because i am not overly happy with my writing still, i think it is ok but not where i want to be however it is my writing so i was gutted to hear after having been on that my opener (one of my favourite jokes) is being done by a pro comedian and he has been doing it for 2 years, this in itself is not a massive worry im sure it happens and i have never seen the act in question (Danny Sutcliffe) so there is no accusation of me.. but how many of my jokes are so obvious that other atcs are doing them?? I already know that Janie Huxx has a memory foam joke like mine and that Frankie peoples has a clap joke like mine plus the Jon Newell joke previously mentioned. There is a huge new doubt on my ability to do this comedy malarkey and for the 1^st time since i began i felt a bit down about it like i had naively thought i was doing better than i am, so whats the answer? Well carry on as i am and just write more stuff and keep trying it, work hard and ye shall reap the rewards.

So the show itself, i was on 1^st and as mentioned earlier in the blog was not in great form due to being tired, as i walked up to the stage nerves were jangling slightly but i was determined to act confident and hope i would remember my set as i delivered it. I did as it happens but that was detrimental to my performance and although there were laughs i could see people thinking... how did he ever win a gong show??.

After me was Rich Wall, i sensed he was more advanced than me and perhaps not a gong show winner but an invited guest, i did not ask him this but justed from the way he was speaking and acting like he knew his way round a comedy club, his set seemed to prove this to me as it was new stuff yet infinitely better than my ‘Best 8’

There was a break before Dave Twentyman came back on and got the capacity audience settled with his natural charm and very cheeky chappy style.

1^st to take on the gong was Chris Washington, a guy doing only his 4^th ever gig, he was in the audience when i was at comedy balloon and i knew he had done well at Queens in Tyldesly as i had seen the posts from Kenny, i had chatted to him in the green room and heard he had won in Manchester on Monday, it was clear why! He at 1^st looked nervous and a little uncomfortable but after about a minute he was in his stride and the jokes were well constructed. He had a stort telling style and a little bit of self mockery that really worked, i very much enjoyed it. No cards up he sailed through.

Next was a bloke called Mark doing a character act, i did not catch the name of the character but he arrived on stage wearing a black hood over his face, a black suit and on his hand was a snake glove puppet, now this was not ventriloquism as the hood covered his mouth and the mic was held under the hood, and it was not quite comedy, i could not tell what was being said but it was the quickest carding i have ever seen (approx 25 seconds) i can only assume it was an experiment as Mark had told me he has been doing comedy on and off for 5 years. Matthew Delaney went next, he was just a young lad not sure exactly how old but no more than 21 i’d say, he looked nervous but controlled it very well and had a great 4 mins... but he was out of stuff by then end of the 4 mins and there then came about a little game of is my time up yet, i cant describe it but it was funny and Matt dropped one liners in between asking the time... he was kept on stage for an extra minute which was adding to the humour, 2 very good acts from 3.

After the break it was the turn of Jay Handley, Jay performed at the Coventry disaster gig and i had not been able to see him play to a proper audience but tonight was the chance and i was not disappointed, he leapt from the ultimate looky likey joke to pure filth to witty exchanges and was in no danger of being gonged.

Next on was Johnny Greatrex, another of the Birmingham acts i have gigged with a few times before, he was in the best form i had seen from him and lit the stage up with his own cheeky giggle after each joke landed, again no danger of a card going up and another act through.

Jon was next, he looked more nervous than usual and i think that it was down to him not being sure of which material to do, he is now at at least 20 gigs and im sure he knows which jokes do work i just think he needs to believe it as the nerves not the material saw him carded, im in no place to offer advice but perhaps decide which material to do in advance and just stick to that would be helpful for Jon.

Final act of the night was Matt Fong, Matt’s self belief was at the other end of the spectrum from jon and this was none more evident than in conversation off stage, on stage Matt had got to 3 mins before really even having done any material, i think one card went up but otherwise it was a good performance and he went through too.

After a quick clap off it was clear Chris was the winner and im sure he will do well in more shows as he progresses as for a very new act it was great.

So it was now journey home time and i just thought i would mention that for some reason on the walk back to the car we were asked by a tramp/ homeless guy for 10p and we declined (i had no change) but when we arrived at the car pay point there was a well dressed young guy who clearly was not short of money in general but was 10p shy of his parking fee so he asked us and without a second thought we gave him 10p admittedly we mocked him ad requested ‘favours’ for the money jokingly out bidding each other which lead to more laughter as we twice drove past him as we wound through the car park down to the street, the second time being when he was stood on a street corner!!

Cue plenty of jokes in the car about how we would not give a guy who desperately needed money 10p but didn’t think twice about coughing up to someone who didn’t need it really amongst plenty of other ‘Banter’ based jokes as once again the drive home proved to be the funniest part of the night.

Up next for me, Mr Bens Saturday pro night guest slot (unpaid i’m not that advanced yet).... bricking it!