Gig 2. Oh Dear.

Continuing the story of my gigs to date, here`s gig number 2.
Is it boring to hear about each one? Well once I get up to date, The reports will be just about any new stuff I added and how it went generally- these early ones are pretty varied, so I think worth explaining.

Just me. Cumberland Arms. Sep 04? Stand up.

Following our sketch (see Gig 1.) John ??? asked us to play a night he was comparing that was just comedy. John (I forget his surname) Is a Newcastle comic who resembles a hobbit - and as Lord of the Rings was on at the time he could mine that comedy vein. Rich was busy and couldn`t make it, but feeling it was too good an opportunity to miss, I decided to do it myself.

However, though I had a few more sketches written, I didn`t have any material for 1 person. I decided to do some stand up. I still have it, as it was written out as an E-mail so I could get friends` opinions. Reading again now some of it doesn`t seem too bad....

I had a section on Magnum ice creams based on the seven dealy sins (now way out of date) `I mean, gluttony? What`s special about that one? -It comes with another ice cream?`

Far too much on James Bond. Mostly the new titles being not Bondy at all - `Tommorrow never dies` expresses exactly the same sentiment as `tommorrow - it`s always a day away` from Annie. This section did include a good bit on a possible explanation for all the rubbish sexist jokes in Bond `They were made at Pinewood in the sixties, the writers were never sure if they were working on `Dr. No` or `Carry on Doctor`- There`s cut out scenes where ursula Andress walks out of the sea, her bikini top flies off and hits kenneth Williams in the face.`

The most popular bit was me wondering how cats became domesticated. The dog theory, that they kept a wolf cub and it grew up and helped with the hunting - doesn`t really work with a lion cub.

Anyway, it was rubbish! A typical first gig. I`ve always preffered the weird observations and surreal meanderings of Eddie Izzard and Ross Noble to people who actually tell gags. In my mind I`d pictured the audience chuckling softly along to almost evey line. But that only happens if you`re very famous, very good or you`ve got them laughing early with a few good ones. I didn`t have any guaranteed laughs - no one liners which are funny even writen down.

My new idea is to have at least 10 and then fill that out with wry observations to make a 5 minute set. I`ll hopefully be trying this soon - but it`s taken me over a year to try pure stand up again.

TOP TIP: I WAS ALSO TOLD I WAS HOLDING THE MIC TOO CLOSE AND PEOPLE COULDN`T HEAR ME. ARSE.