I was playing the world famous
Roundhouse tonight. It's the place that I once tried and failed
to urinate in the carpark almost six years ago. But now I wasn't pissing, I was actually performing in the venue. The venue that had seen the first UK performance by the Ramones. And I was playing there.
Well, not quite.
I was playing the studio at the Roundhouse, which isn't in the Roundhouse itself, but in a little extension at the front. The fact that I was not in the Roundhouse was emphasised by the fact that the outside wall of the Roudhouse formed was behind me, and the curve of its round walls was convex, not concave, which destroyed any pretensions I might have left. I was playing a gig just outside of the Roundhouse, not quite in the piss stained car park, but only one step up from there. I could not really claim to have played the same venue as the Ramones. But at least I had my own toilet back stage to urinate in, so some things are on the up.
My gig went pretty well, though my voice was a bit damaged by the drinking and shouting I had done at the wedding last night. There had been a few comics at the wedding and so that whole experience reminded me of Edinburgh. Talking drunkenly to comics until late, then losing my voice and having to squawk my way through the show. Luckily my voice was not too badly damaged and I got through things without too much pain. It was a solid and enjoyable show, though still 15 minutes too long. This week I have to make some tough choices.
On before me was another show that I would recommend for any of you who will be up at the Fringe this year. It was
Steve Hall from "We Are Klang" doing his first solo show. It's self-deprecating and slightly sick, but very funny indeed. Like my show it is partly about father/son relationships and includes plenty of embarrassing stories. But unlike mine it involves a slightly amazing bit where he stretches his mouth open with his hands, displaying his teeth and gums and continues talking, which has to be seen to be believed. So go and see it.
