Wednesday 17 August 2011

Day Thirteen: Oh right, the GOOD show was a fluke

The rain came back just in time for me to head over to the Assembly Gardens where I had been invited as a token woman to do a spot at the launch of the Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year. It was in a big top but a small one. A tent essentially. Throughout the gig, you could hear the rain hitting the roof and the audience were sat on cushioned benches. The floor was made of slats of wood which I don't like. I've always been fearful of being able to see beneath. As a kid, I thought that I would fall through the railway bridge steps. I never did.

The audience were bored by the time I'd come on and I didn't have a great one. I was performing in front of some big acts who I'd like to have seen me have a good gig - and there's you thinking that it's about the audience, not about what other comics think of you. Wrong.

I headed off to Slappers and flyered for a bit. I actually did it with some enthusiasm today and we had a fuller room than we've ever had. There were a bunch of Edinburgh ladies in who were up for laughing and I didn't have too bad a gig there. Possibly the best I've had there so far (that's not saying much in that room). Darren Walsh did really well too. He's using Slappers to try new stuff rather than his own gig (fair enough).


Tagline: There are three punchlines in this photo of Darren, can you spot them?

Maz arrived after Slappers and we walked down to Pleasance to see David O'Doherty who was brilliant. I was quite sleepy and drifted off a few times but he had some brilliant stuff. I'm hardly ever a punter these days and am always watching the styles, material, timing and themes of pro comics and relating them to what I do. There is absolutely no use in comparing myself to anyone, from the new comer doing their first gig all the way up to Izzard and Pryor. But I find it interesting. 

We then headed down to Gagstro reluctantly. Maz flyered for us and got a few people in. The bar was quiet despite football being on. It was ANOTHER typical Gagstro. Quiet audience just staring, Mark getting angry and me bumbling around trying to get laughs out of talking to them. They were pretty unresponsive. One guy walked out because (Mark found out later) I had told off the other acts for talking at the back: "You shouldn't slag the other acts off." What does he fucking know eh? 

Once again, I struggled through. I asked them if they wanted me to do some material a few times to which they all said yes. I then started and stopped a few times just because it was hopeless. Someone from the crowd ("crowd" is an optimistic word at best) said that the best thing they saw was someone that clashes with our show, I called it and said that we would clash every day except Mondays. 

"Why not Mondays?" said someone.
"Because of the volume of the laughter, for the protection of our ears, we have to take one day off in seven. Any more questions." That got a laugh as did my bankers.

Our guest, Kishore didn't do badly. He didn't refer to the quietness at all. I wondered if that was the best thing to do or not. Really, I call it because I feel awkward. There is the possibility that these people were enjoying it but just weren't laughing and so to call it is confusing for them. I need to speak to someone more experienced about that really. 

Before I talk about me more, I went to see Nellie Wight's One Handed Show, the History of Pornography. No need to ask what it's about. It was 40 minutes long, it was interesting and funny and there were only four of us in the audience. There was more laughter from this audience than one three or four times the size at Gagstro. The four of us and Nellie had a lovely chat afterwards about porn and other fringe shows and what makes someone choose what shows to go to. That was a great hour to spend. 

So, they say that Edinburgh will make you or break you. I feel more of the latter. Dying on a daily basis is hardly esteem-building stuff. But maybe I need to be broken so I can build something else. Maybe it's time to put everything on the back-burner and start afresh. That's what Mark Stephenson did last year after Edinburgh.

All I know is that I'm happy to have buddies around at the moment and I'm happy to be seeing a load of good stuff. Tomorrow is Kitson and I may be reviewed by the Gay Times. I know, right?

Tagline: Happy birthday to the cutest flat mate ever! Romesh's kid, Theo is ad.dor.a.ble.

No comments:

Post a Comment