Monday, August 10, 2009

Sunday

Disappointingly, there was one empty seat at last night's TSOTT show...
There it was at the back,staring at us contemptuously...
Our run of sell-outs had to come to an end sometime.
The other TSOTT boys were initially refusing to go on... giving it the big Diva stuff...
"We only perform to FULL HOUSES..." they shrieked through hysterical tears.
Thankfully, I managed to persuade them that this was the wrong attitude, and that it was churlish to blame this audience for the "one empty seat" fiasco.

We had a problem connecting the laptop to the digital projector, and as a result I had to stand in front of the audience holding up the laptop to play the Trams video.
It was all very comical, and I really enjoyed watching the audience reaction to it...they loved it.
I had by a long way my best gig of the run....
Afterwards, it was straight through to Glasgow and a spot at the Glasgow Stand.
It was probably the best ever gig I have had there, putting the cap on a
great day.

I ended up giving fellow comics Paddy Lennox and Jason John Whitehead a lift back to Edinburgh.
As we left the Stand there was a full-on monsoon in progress.
I hate doing the M8 in torrential rain late at night.
Never a pleasant driving experience.
The comedy gods had obviously decided that my day had just gone too well, and that I needed some adversity.
This came initially with the discovery that that the East-bound slip road onto the M8 at Charing Cross was coned off.
I'm not that familiar with driving in Glasgow, but located an alternative M8 slip road, and it too was coned off.
Then I got lost. (didn't have the sat nav with me...didn't think I needed it!)
I drove around somewhere in Glasgow for about 45 minutes trying to find my bearings.
It's fair to say that, the torrential rain wasn't helping matters.
Eventually,found a way onto the M8 at got home at about 1.15am.
knackered.
I was so wired from the horrible torrential rain M8 driving experience that I couldn't get to sleep and was lying awake at 4.00am.
I am now feeling very dozy...
It's an early night tonight, that's for sure.

I haven't eaten anything but sushi for the last 4 days.
It's the ideal Fringe fuel.
It keeps you going and feeling sharp without any bloatedness.
I think I could live off it all the time.
My wallet might disagree though.
And traditionally at the Fringe, the pounds have started slipping off, as one meal a day seems to suffice.
(it all goes wrong in September though, when I start eating like a bear emerging from hibernation)

Saturday, August 08, 2009

And they're off....

We had our first night “proper” of the TSOTT run last night.
Another sell-out.
Another sauna.
A few jokey heat references this time to make light of the desperate discomfort.
I enjoyed the gig a lot more than the previous night, feeling a lot looser and relaxed.
As of last year the esteemed publication “Three Weeks” sent a reviewer to see our show on the FIRST NIGHT of the run.
I don’t really feel any great anxiety about reviews like I used to.
I’ve had some great ones this year, and also some complete stinkers.
Kipling was right...
Although, obviously I’d prefer if the reviews were all great, of course….
I'm not STUPID.

It’s funny how the stress levels are so low (with the occasional exception, eg Gordon having to get a taxi from the venue to his flat and back ; 25 minutes from showtime, to get a laptop) to previous Fringes.
It’s now a fairly seamless routine, to get in, give the running order to Erik the Tech, play the Trams Video, activate the virtual compere, do your act, present the prize draw then go home.
Last year we seemed to spend hours looking for missing cds, props, organising guest spots, etc etc
It all seems so organised now. Bliss.
And, it has to be said it’s an incredible honour and privilege to be part of the Stand Fringe programme.
We appreciate we’re really lucky to be given this opportunity, and are desperate to make the show as successful as possible.
Ideally, I would like to be stretching myself a bit more in terms of doing longer sets.
We are all capable of doing longer sets, but because of the restrictions of a 4 man show in an hour, it’s always going to have to be a fairly tight set.
I’m constantly tweaking and trying out new little bits every day though, so it’s great to have a long run of gigs
to be able to do this.
When Tommy Sheppard did his traditional speech at The Stand Fringe Press Launch, he was very critical of the inflexibility of the Council and the massive disruption that the current state of the Tram works were causing to the hosting of the Fringe in Edinburgh.
At this point we glanced at each other thinking that this could well lead to a link to plug our show…
But anyway, it wasn’t, and afterwards we laughed at our misplaced, self-importance.
We’re “Plankton And Proud!”:-)
The ticket sales seems to be going really well anyway, so mustn’t grumble!

I toyed with the idea of going to see The Stranglers at the Picture House last night, but felt too weary in the end.
Reading an Evening News article on said band earlier in the day, I was somewhat shocked to discover that the drummer
Jet Black is now “in his seventies”.
Jesus!
It was one of these moments when the passage of time really hit me.
Fair play to him though…!

I ended up having a couple of pints with star of the hit 2005 Edinburgh Fringe spectacular “Park’s Circus” ; Mr Tony Wilkes.
He then missed his train (apparently the late Glasgow trains don’t stop at Haymarket), and crashed at Chateau Parky.