12/08/08
Postman Pat's Busy Day -
Categories: Today I had my 1st Red Bull of the Fringe, and got my 1st blister - they're not related, except via the fact that it was a phenomenally busy day. It began thus...
Had to do something unspeakable in Edinburgh terms, and Get Up Early(ish), for a PR-based health check by some Unison nurses to plug the Leicester Comedy Festival. Seems odd to plug a city's festival at another city's festival - I guess they're saying, "Hey Edinburgh - you're unhealthy - we don't have as many takeaways in Leicester." Anyway, they only took my blood pressure, so it wasn't the full MOT I was expecting. No dropping of the trousers and coughing. All I know is that my blood pressure was about 140/80, which they told me was average, which is good news. I later found out that was only average for a 40 year-old, so that's not good news cos (a) it means my blood pressure isn't as good as I thought it was, and (b) I've been mistaken for a 40 year-old.
Then I raced off to an Equity workshop on voiceovers/voice-reels. A good couple of hours, and I learned some great stuff. Mainly to give up, cos Lewis MacLeod does them all. Ah well.
Then I was picked up and taken back to my flat for the 2nd PR thing of the day - The Scotsman doing an interview/photoshoot about unusual flatshares - in my case it's that I love evil takeaways late at night, while my flatmates are undergoing a 'Daniel fast', whereby they're eating nothing processed (so it's all lentils and air) and are in bed by 9pm (I don't know if that goes with the fast - I'm guessing it's cos they're knackered cos they're not eating anything). A few poses later of me with a pizza box looking mournfully at the flat door, and I was off to...
Gig no.1 of the day - a WMD awareness gig. Do it most years - much fun. Tried some new stuff - worked. Why does brand new stuff often get a much better reaction that the old bankers? Does it mean it's genuinely better (which would be great - a proper improvement and progression of material), or is it that you give it more welly/patience cos it's new? I dunno.
Then off to gig no.2 of the day - the Clean Comedy Show. Tried the new stuff again. Worked, but not quite as well as at the 1st gig, which implies that the 2nd theory is true in the above paragraph.
Then off to my own show, which I think was the best yet. Good audience, including some people who laughed even at the set-ups (is that a good sign or not?)
Then a fine 3-course dinner with some friends from home who came up. Salmon pate, steak, chocolate mousse. Yum. Thanks chaps.
Then gig no.3 - 99 club at Canon's Gait. Fun, but by this point I'm waning. I even do a callback to a joke from gig no.1, so no one gets it. Whoops.
Then race to gig no.4, which is not really a gig, but me guesting on a comedians' version of Countdown. It's packed out, and it's me vs Stephen Grant, with Dan Atkinson as Richard Whiteley, Paul Sinha as Carol, Terry Saunders and James Sherwood in Dictionary Corner and Paul Litchfield as the clock. I wish I could have given it more, but by this point I'm just glad to sit down. I tried my darnedest - it's easier when you watch it on TV, you know. My best scoring was LONGINGS for 8 letters - thankfully beating the 7-letter word I also got from the same letters, which wouldn't have been allowed anyway cos apparently very derogatory racist terms aren't allowed in Countdown (the audience oohed at that - but then Stephen Grant 'found MADDIE' on the board at when point, so I think it's about even). Stephen did a sterling job and pipped me to the post, so he goes on to meet Richard Herring or Josie Long in the final.
And now I sleep. Whenever that Red Bull wears off...
Comments:
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12/08/08 @ 03:55 
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12/08/08 @ 09:23 The next one, Rich, is tonight at midnight in the Gilded Balloon Dining-Room, and more next Monday and Tuesday. I think tonight is Richard Herring vs Josie Long, with Simon Munnery and Chris Neill in Dictionary Corner. A great line-up. Do see.
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12/08/08 @ 14:31 
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