Stephen Grant :: Post details: Zen and the art of flyering

31/07/08

Zen and the art of flyering - Categories: News - Stephen Grant @ 02:02:38 am

As someone who spends about a fair part of his week working on my club in Brighton (the Komedia), I'm always aware - sometimes too aware - just how much work it is to get an audience into a show. Thankfully at Komedia we have a ten year reputation and an enviable venue and location and that helps get 1000+ people through the doors each weekend. But the main reason why this happens is that there aren't another 800 comedy shows also on at the same time, fighting for the same audience.

Which may seem an obvious statement, but in Edinburgh, you don't have that luxury. So, to make sure show and audience may actually meet eachother, you rely on your foot soldiers - the flyering team - to go out there and push, push, push. In the early stages of your Edinburgh career it's considered the done thing to join them on the pavements, regardless of how demeaning it might feel. I still raise a wry smile when I remember the expression on Steve K Amos's face, flyering on the Royal Mile for the big value show at Cafe Royale back in 1998. You've never seen pissed-off like it.

I'm guessing Steve doesn't flyer that much these days (and to be fair, neither do I) but even he turned up at our 'meet and greet' night when Bound and Gagged (the producers - from now known as 'B&G') made sure the acts and their flyering team got to know eachother prior to kick off. I'm totally aware of how important this is - no matter how impartial they attempt to be, the gang will only put their heart and soul into promoting something where they like both the act and the show itself, but I find this gig as tough as any Saturday late show.

Firstly, each year the flyering team seem to get younger. They aren't; but at 35 I'm nearly double the age of half of them (18 and 19) and so that day isn't far off at all. And this year, Nigel Klarfeld (head of B&G) has elected to pick about 15 girls - half of them drama students. Even though they're studying towards a job not too dissimilar to my own, I just scratch my head as to what we might have in common to talk about. Small talk with an 18 year old can't be far off 'grooming'.

And secondly, like a surprising number of comedians, I find 'social occasions' uncomfortable and difficult to manage. I always thought I was in the minority for this - but it turns out I'm not alone. Jon Richardson (not even with B&G) had turned up for a quick drink and his shoulders were practically at ear-height from the awkwardness of it all. However, there were exceptions. I was watching in awe as the real Edinburgh pro's, like Lucy Porter, glided effortlessly from group to group wowing and charming different flyerers and making them all feel like long-term personal friends. I'm years off that skill.

Thankfully though, I had nothing to worry about. This year's group are so wildly enthusiastic and positive they could probably revive dead puppies just by smiling at them. I'm hopeful they can squeeze a few more punters through my doors. Here's a few pics from the do, with a full range of act comfort zones; from Nick Doody (camera shy) to Paddy Lennox (barely able to restrain his sexpesting urges surrounded by young girls (hence the branding)) all the way up to Tom Craine, who could only repress his sexual urges by kissing me.

A genuinely camera-shy Nick Doody

Maff Brown and Ian Stone, who were able to control themselves.

Paddy Lennox, who was on the verge of doing something bad. So we branded him as a warning.

The lovely Abbey and Tom Craine, who had to hold this pose for about 45 long, long, seconds while the flash recharged. The key phrase here is 'uncomfy'.

Some of the flyerers. Most are called Amy, though there's a Bernadette and a Laura IIRC.

Eva and Cat. If I've got that wrong, I imagine they'll spam my facebook fanpage with swearies.

Stephen