Another non-stop day which was almost packed too full, but which I managed to negotiate successfully. I was up bright and early to pack and then to cycle through the rain to appear on Chris Addison's 5 Live show "7 Day Sunday". It was only a short bike ride but I got pretty damp and managed to get a wet bum, which is always a good start to the day.
My old pal Andrew Collings was there. When did I last see him? He writes and occasionally appears on the show, but was on the other side of the glass to me today, looking through at me mournfully, like I was his hero and that he wished he was me. Business as usual then.
The time passed quickly and it's a jolly and funny show and very nice to hang out with some lovely comedians, though there was sadness in the air as news of the death of comic Jason Wood had just come through. I didn't know him very well, but he was only 38 and that is just a shit thing to happen. His last tweet is both banal and amusing and somehow more poignant for being about the dull side of being a comedian - "20 mph on M25 for 27 miles for gig tonight. Surely slower than coach & horses. At least the only hold up didn't require losing my honour." I don't think I knew him well enough to go to an impromptu comedians drinks that has been set up for Wednesday night, but can't go in any case as I am gigging in Rhyll. But I will raise a glass on my own, which weirdly is somehow more apt. This banal and lonely life of a comedian. Jollity tinged with tragedy. Perhaps this is why I get so much out of Beckett. We are a fraternity and a sorority linked by experience sometimes rather than actual proximity.
Anyway, you can hear the show on
iPlayer or download the podcast from iTunes (and if you do the latter you'll get an extra five minutes which had to be done after the show, which had been cut short because 5 Live thought the Bolton Blackburn football match was more important than news about the bouncers at Wells' only night club.
I didn't have time to chat afterwards though as I was back on my bike, grabbed a quick bacon sandwich at home and then I jumped into my car to head for Bristol and my 4 o clock matinee show at the Tobacco Factory. I had to hope that there would be no delays and luckily I pulled up into Aldi car park at 3 (not that I was going to stay put there - I got a parking ticket last time I stayed in there as you might recall).
For the rest of the day I would pretty much be speaking and shouting in the faces of Bristolians. But both gigs were terrific fun. The second one was especially good for me, even though I was tired and starting to lose my voice. I think I got the second half across better than I ever have and there was an electric atmosphere. I've said it before and will doubtless be banging on about it til the middle of May, but this is a tough show to get exactly right because it depends so much on performance and passion, but I really hit a sweet spot with it tonight, where I was relaxed and ad libbing, but (in my arrogant opinion) nailing it. My external internal dialogue escalated almost out of control as both sides of the debate picked each other up on stuff that they're never said before. But it remained contained and funny. The show is constantly evolving and changing and I added quite a few bits tonight that even surprised me. Whether I will remember them is another question. I felt like I feel every six months or so (check warming up for evidence) that I have finally got to the point where I can be very good at this job. Hopefully in six months I will feel that I was wrong and I have taken it even further.
It was awesome to have a triumphant and competent gig in front of a(n almost) home crowd (though I will be in Cheddar later in the tour). I seem to have some of my more emotional gigs at this venue, but maybe Bristol and its people mean more to me than the people elsewhere. As I ate a rather delicious dinner in the bar downstairs and looked around at the happy and relaxed people dining there I envied them for living here.
Once the show was over I was reminded how touring brings you back to earth with a bump. I headed back to my hotel, fancying just one glass of wine before bed after what had been a hectic and non-stop day. But when I got to the bar it was 11.30 and the staff were locking up. My only option was to order room service, but it cost £4.95 for the cheapest glass of wine (and only 175ml of it) and there was an additional fee of £3.50 for room service on top of that (and presumably I would have to tip the person who brought it to me). I decided against paying that much money for such a small amount of fluid and instead sat on my bed, bagging up the SCOPE collection money from the generous Bristol punters. I then realised I had left my sat nav in my car and headed back to the car park to retrieve it. If I had been drunk on 175ml of expensive wine I might well have not realised and come back up in the morning to find my car window smashed.
I fell asleep about 2 and had a very unpleasant dream in which I was dead. I was still walking around and trying to engage in activities, but no one saw me and when I stopped to think about it I realised I could feel nothing at all and didn't actually exist. I don't think you have to be a dream analyst to work out the causes and meanings of this dream. But it was startlingly realistic and believable.
Ah life (and death) on the road.
