8145/21065
Had a breakfast business meeting with Chris and Ben Evans (not those two) in Cardiff, as we prepare to launch our first kickstarter in a while. This one is for the filming of Can I Have My Ball Back? and is just a way to do the selling up front, rather than afterwards. If you want an actual DVD of the show this will be pretty much the only way to get one (we might ebay some off eventually, but they are likely to cost more). I am less confident that usual that a kickstarter will work, partly due to the way Twitter is no longer really a functioning social media site for stuff like this, but it's basically just a way to cover the costs and give people who can't get to the tour a chance to see the show.
I think every Kickstarter we've done (aside from one where I attempted to raise one million pounds for a purpose built snooker stadium) has been successful. But these are different times. I hope enough of you will want to see this and to own some Right Bollock pants, to make this work.
More news soon and as usual some excellent rewards.
Bollings, our tour manager, had told us a story last night of a promoter who would organise breakfast meetings with his acts at their hotels and it became clear he had nothing to discuss and was just doing it so he could get a free breakfast. We were hopeful that the Evanses might also get a free breakfast, but the hotel staff were too clever for us. So they had to pay £17.95 each. It's not a perfect scam, it turns out. But maybe if your promoter is doing badly enough to be prepared to travel just in the hope of eating for free, that might not be the best promoter.
We shot a kickstarter promo video with Right Bollock in an empty bar, hoping no one would come past and wonder what the Hell was going on and then it was time to get on our way to London.
It seems that most of my London based fans saw the show on the first leg of the tour and there was a slightly disappointing number of 150 people in tonight. It was, as always, quality over quantity and only annoying because it'll be more or less the same tomorrow, so I could have done one nearly full gig instead of two half empty ones. I feel that the show is very funny and I'm on top form and sometimes it feels like a shame that more people don't know about me (though thanks for keeping the secret), but as always I am also aware of how lucky I am to get this many and surprised that anyone wants to see me at all.
One way or another I feel I am in some kind of life-long Truman Show prank show. It's more likely to be one where they take someone unfunny and try to convince them that people like what they do than it is to be to take someone who is really funny and give them a slightly smaller audience than they might expect or hope for.
I get an average audience of around about 250 at the moment and I would be very happy if I could stay at that level for the rest of my career. It's not a bad place to be. I'd be more upset if I couldn't easily think of 20 comedians who don't get anywhere near the recognition that they deserve. I am not going to starve. I do more than fine. I can only marvel at how rich all the comedians who get 1000+ or 5000+ a night must be.
The answer is very.
I think this might have been the best performance I've given of this show, more playful and finding a bit more light and dark in it all. I am really enjoying it and I know it's a good show and isn't that more important that accolades and money and orgies on my yacht....? Oh no, wait, it's clearly not. Shit.
Please buy her book and make her at least half as successful as JK Rowling (and a lot nicer) and then I can finally retire. Please don't make me carry on with this blog forever.
