Getting ready for Glasgow.

Today I've given myself the day off from student work, and am devoting myself to getting a good set for the Glasgow heat of 'so you think you're funny?'

I'll stick with my core set including frankenstein food and the bit about Brunel. The last manchester gig knocked my confidence in the material, and in my preparation - but a listen to the same routine at the stand in Edinburgh convinced me the material is good, but the preparation is still lacking.

Cal and Al - and most comics we see - have copious notes they study in the hour before going on. Al always types his stuff out, pretty much as he's planning to say it. I can't do this when I get to the venue, as by that time I feel I either know it or I don't and it's too late to learn it if I don't. However, I used to do the same kind of preparation, only at home. But lately I've been winging it a bit and it's shown. But not tomorrow. I'm hoping for a studenty audience similar to Edinburgh's Stand. But if I get one of the notoriously tough Glasgow crowds, I want to make it through the material without hesitation, repetition or deviation - even if I do it in silence.

So what will I do? Well, I'll trim the fat off the above routine and then add the knighthoods joke, silks and spices, wind farms and australia. (If you don't know these jokes you can search the blog for keywords.) If i'm still too short I might have to take the guitar - but this is a gamble in itself as playing badly ruins the joke, Even when doing the cowboy, which is the oldest musical routine I have, I've sometimes started all off key and ruined it. Also, the easiest addition would be 'Planet of the apes' - but that adds a whole two minutes which is probably too much. I could do a short music bit but isn't it weird to take a guitar onstage for one musical quickie? Saying that, I have seen people take guitars (and ventriloquist dummies) on stage and the joke is they don't use them. Christian Steele has a visual Joke where he brings a big guitar case on stage, opens it and takes out a ukelele. He usually goes on to play it, but sometimes he doesn't bother.

Right- I'm off to type up my routine. I may post again later to say how I'm getting on.

NEXT GIGS:
SATURDAY 3RD OF JUNE.
-GLASGOW, 'SO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY?' HEATS
Laurie's Bar, 34 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QT


TUESDAY 13TH OF JUNE. SHOW STARTS 9.00 -
'LONG LIVE COMEDY'
THE DOG AND PARROT (UPSTAIRS)
-OPPOSITE THE CENTRE FOR LIFE, 2 MINS FROM CENTRAL STATION.
ONLY £2.