Tuesday 16 August 2011

Day Twelve: Here's how it should be done

After two days off and one on, I had another day off. I don't do Mondays.

Today, I set out to enjoy myself and that, I did. 

One of my favourite comics on the open mic scene, Mark Stephenson, is doing a show round the corner from the flat and so I walked round. I had caught the show on a good day and the guys said that it was the best one they'd had having changed the running order. Mark Stephenson has ideas that I've had but never explored comically. Namely about Channel 4's newly found bigotry in Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. It's inspired me to think comically about anything that I feel strongly about. At some point, I should write this shit down. I still want to explore my idea of what feminism means to me and I want to write about acceptable forms of bigotry such as laughing at the poor.

After Mark, I went over to see Hatty Ashdown's debut show, Nanchild. Hatty is another favourite of mine. I loved her from the first time I saw her. She is, possibly, the only really good CLEAN female act on the circuit and delivered 40 minutes of fun, accessible, clean comedy. I was asked to recruit a clean female comic a few months ago and when Hatty dropped out, I was struggling to find someone else. I feel that if I can build ten minutes of clean, good material then I'd be happy. I've been cringeing at some of the afternoon gigs when I go into the dirty stuff. I feel that saying "spunk" before dark is unacceptable.

My comedy buddy Tom has now arrived in Edinburgh so I met up with him for a catch-up and we went to see Tom Binns as Ian D. Montfort. Tom Binns is a character comedian and this invention is a fake medium. He has learned how these people do it and has mixed his new "gift" with some really sharp stand-up. Tom got chosen for a reading and was spot-on. Really good stuff. It works on two levels, magic (sort of!) and comedy. I imagine that he could run this show for years as each show would be different. 

Following a burger, I went home for a Skype date and headed back out across the road to watch Alex Horne's: Horne Section. It's Alex Horne as the band leader with a fantastic five-piece band doing various songs and silly games with the audience. It's an anything-can-happen show and I laughed out loud nearly crying at one point. He pretty much blew me away. It's cabaret at its finest and Alex Horne is a wonderful Freddie Starr/Les Dawson/Eric Morcambe bumbling comic. Really very good and the best ninety minutes I've had at the festival so far.

However, the lanyard people nearly ruined it for me tonight by coming in late and taking ages to get their seats. Not only are they getting something for free that I've paid £12 for but they're making a fuss about it. The venue was in the Assembly Gardens which was full of wankers. By wankers, I mean people that dress better than me with their trilbies and George Michael designer stubble. They were sat on astroturf trying to out-wanker each other. Man, I need to work on not judging people by their trilby hats and designer stubble. I had my rape-proof jacket on the back of a chair last night and someone said to someone else, "Is that your coat?" The person looked at it, screwed up their face and said, "Ugh, no." And so confirms the rape-proofiness of it.

There's not much to report today. I've been thinking about the importance of having a theme for the show so that it can be pitched/marketed. A gang show has no theme. There's an open mic guy doing a show called "The 90s in 30 minutes". Bang. I know what it's about and it will attract an audience that are going to be interested. Well done that man.

Everywhere in Edinburgh smells the same and I managed to put my finger on it today. It smells like the inside of a hoover bag. Musty, slightly acidic and not wholly unpleasant but very much unclean. Edinburgh has also run out of toilet roll already so cue me carrying around tissue in my rained-on hand bag.

Back to gigging tomorrow, I've got two on before Maz arrives, heading off to Josie Long and then on to Gagstro. I've also got a gig where I seem to be a token woman. It's a day time gig and there may be "industry" people there. I will do a clean 5. I am worried, there are really good people on who will make me look shit. Will report back tomorrow.

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