Warming Up

Even though my alarm was set for 6.45, I woke up at 5.30, but it was still a good and uninterrupted night of sleep for a father of a young family. I went down to be the first to breakfast. It was all lovely and posh down there. It’s nice to get a bit of luxury every now and then, but I suspect most of the people who stay in a place like this do so all the tie and treat it all as normal. They’re the kind of people who can travel first class everywhere without going into a sweat about the money spent. And yet getting to do these things occasionally is probably the sweet spot. You really appreciate what’s being done for you, without being complacent, whilst not losing sight of what a privilege something like this is. I appear on TV rarely enough (and to be fair, most TV shows have a smaller budget than this one) that this is still a novelty.

Having said that the pancakes and bacon I ordered were pretty horrible. It was some weird thick rich people bacon that tasted odd and had a weird texture and the pancake was a bit sour. It sucks being wealthy. I pity these fools. If you have to have special bacon that isn;’t as nice as normal bacon then what’s the point?

Anyway, I took my toiletries and got my cab to the studio to record a show that I am not allowed to blog about, but will let you know when it’s on. I had a proper full on winnebago at the studio, which was pretty sweet too. There was a bedroom in it and if I am honest I would have been perfectly happy to stay here overnight. In a further attempt to break my diet there was also a table loaded with chocolate, crisps and other snacks which in days gone by I would have worked my way through. And as with the alcohol last night it’s very hard not to revert to the version of myself who had no money and so who would load up at free buffets and attempt to steal bottles of wine from parties. But I seem to have just about got over it (though took some of the healthier stuff for my journey home).

The TV show was really good fun and had a really great crew and super professional host. I wish I could write about them, but they have forbidden me to contractually and thus will not receive my plaudits, the fucking idiots.

And on the car ride home I checked my phone to discover that the Guardian had unexpectedly written a very positive piece about RHLSTP. Here it is. 

I don’t think the journalist perfectly encapsulates the Stephen Merchant show, which although it did go a bit wrong in the end, started strongly (the paedophile joke went down as well with the audience and guest as the double act joke they mention) and in any case part of the reason those jokes work (or don’t ) is because of the risk involved. I didn’t know that Les Dennis would enjoy my joke about wishing Stewart Lee was dead. There was a chance he might be upset or at least disappointed or just think it was inappropriate. As a comedian you are taking chances like this all the time, usually on the spur of the moment and that’s why those jokes can be particularly delicious (or crushingly humiliating). It ’s got to go wrong sometimes or there is no genuine jeopardy. And let’s face it, the audience enjoy awkwardness and my humiliation just as much as the jokes.Stephen misunderstood my intentions with the chat about Extras and it took me too long to realise his umbrage was genuine, rather than the pretend type we’d been enjoying throughout that show.

Another one was in the Richard E Grant interview where he talked about the journalist who had suggested that his glee at the Oscar nomination might be a cunning strategy to give himself a better chance of winning. Clearly this was bullshit - Grant was disarming because he was reacting in a human and honest way. But I said to him, “Yeah, I mean if you were that good an actor you’d have won the Oscar.” 

Again a big risk with someone I had only met 15 minutes before and who didn’t know me from Adam. The audience laughed a lot and he seemed happy enough to say that it was true. I assumed he understood that it was a joke and that I think he’s an amazing actor - but you never know. It was worth the chance. But I have no idea if it was that and similar cheekiness that led to the podcast not being allowed to be put out.

But in any case, it was lovely to get such a positive article about the show, from someone who clearly is a fan. And even more lovely to see how gleefully people were RTing the article and how happy they were to have something they liked get this little nod. I mean, I enjoyed the nod too, but the reaction of people who listen to the show was even better. 

I have been working as a professional writer and comedian for 30 years in September and it’s now 20 years since I went solo and the podcasts have been going for 11 and a half years. So for those of you keen to know how long it takes for people to take notice of you…

It takes a bit of time. 

And it’s better if it does.

Not this long though as I am too close to death to really make anything of it.

Luckily the podcast is a reward in itself and I am aware that one newspaper article probably won’t make too much difference in the long run, but this stuff is cumulative and I do feel like I am building something worthwhile here. And getting better at it. It’s interesting that it is currently my main job and not just a side line to my stand up. I have definitely started taking it more seriously. But there’s a danger that if it loses the half-arsed frivolity that it will become less good too.

Thanks for all the RTs and nice comments about the article though. It does mean a lot to me how fondly many of you regard the show. 

Today was one of those days where I just felt like the lucky man that I undoubtedly am.