Hello blog readers,
Here's a new instalment then. I didn't go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year and I have to say I'm glad. Last year I missed it after 3 years in a row, 2 doing solo shows. I missed my mate's Mickey n the crew doing Phatcave as well as staying in the Phatflat (My first year of not working on Phatcave with Mick n co) and I missed my girlfriend at the time, who was up there doing a great show too.
I went up that year just for a cheeky weekend with her and for me the best bit was when we were alone down the Grassmarket (an area...not a great place to score weed) and didn't bump into any fucking comedians and felt briefly like we were on holiday together in Edinburgh and there was no festival happening.
The festival is crazy for anyone. From a comics point of view it is I would say everything good and everything bad in one go. Inspiring and depressing sometimes at the same time. It's like university for comedians. All the talent in one place at one time. All the inspiration in some quarters...all the bitterness in others. This year other than thinking about my mates up there I haven't given it a second thought.
I've kept myself busy and inspired and been gigging away having adventures of my own. I had a mini break with my ma (dad had to work) in Brighton (Hove actually, as people from Hove tend to say) staying at my Bro's place whilst he took the family on holiday. Ma and me had a nice few days of rain in Brighton but we went out and ate out very well. I had to have a Yo Sushi fix while I was there. God...I love that place...or should I say I love that Plaice (there's a bad fish based pun for you and they don't even do plaice as sushi). Me and ma or Mackna, that's our nickname for her, short for Makna Mara – don't ask.I don't know...my brother David did all the nicknaming. Dad's called Warren but we call him Mode, short for Mode-Del , shortened originally from Mode-Del-Van-Der Hode-Del. Anyway me and Makna went to see batman at the flicks. Great film but I felt about 12 years old realising I'm eating sweets and watching Batman with my mum.
David (My brother) or Del as I call him, has given me many nicknames over the years. These days he calls me Del, his wife Little Del and his daughters Little Dels. Maia the oldest of my nieces is nicknamed Beresford for short or Beresford Beesford by him and Anouk the youngest is nicknamed Noukster or Nouky Noukster.
Now, my nicknames evolved over the years but here's just a few;
Arnold,
U.O.A (Uck off Arnold),
Colonel, Colonel Gadaffi,
Reenie,
Reenie Spondoleenie,
Rodney,
Del,
Des,
Designation Fella,
Derrick,
Derrick Hatton,
Hatton Garden Subburb,
Colonel,
Colonel Gadaffi
but currently and for the last several years he's called me Del and most others call me G. Including my folks.
From Brighton I got a coach to a mental gig in Newquay. I've also discovered how to guarantee occupation of the 3 back seats...buy Sushi then race on and grab those seats. No one wants to sit next to a guy who's eating raw fish. It's that simple. Beats using a towel like our German friends or beating our German friends with a towel.
Anyway the gig in Newquay was with Ryan Gough MC'ing, Me Opening, Okse doing a favour at the last minute and coming to the gig with Ryan to cover the middle spot and Ian Cognito headlining. The gig was free for the punters to get in at a very nice bar/restaurant, after problems with sound and lighting we got underway at about 10.30 on a Friday night with a pissed audience who hadn't paid to come in. Some woman in the front couldn't stop heckling despite all of us putting her down well at different points. It was a difficult gig but we made it work and Cogs (Ian Cognito) was great to wathc as he always is. He's a genius comic in my opinion and you can learn loads watching him. At one point he was the most banned comic from clubs in the UK. Probably still is but he's brilliant, just unpredictable sometimes. If you want to know more about Cogs...check his website out.
There's also a book about his life he's written that's on there and free to download. It's a good read. Check it out.
There was a lock in after the gig for the acts and some staff and much drinking was done, free shots of black Sambuca and other nasty stuff and we crawled back to the hotel.
The next day I caught up with a mate in Faversham, missed my coach from Newquay but got a cab provided by National Express to Exeter after the next coach failed to show. In Exeter I ran into my mate Dan Cardwell (another comic) and was not remotely surprised to see him even though the odds on us bumping into each other were not great. I got back to London late in the evening. Got home and crashed.
Next morning it began again and I headed with Steve Jameson AKA Sol Bernstein to Leeds for a Jewish gig at a David Lloyd centre.The gig went well and then my mate Pete AKA Waxfactor picked me up and took me back to Barnsley for a few days to stay with him and his family. I met Pete when I was doing my degree and we've been mates ever since. He's a gentleman, scholar and funny fucker to boot and he's the only person I had the honour of being Best-Man for other than my brother. Leonie and Pete have 4.5 kids (one on the way) and 6 cats. I reckon they are aiming to eventually have more kids than cats. They may even be trying for a football team. I'm not sure but it was another great mini break with a couple of gigs while I was up there.
It's been a very good month, some gigs I haven't done before like Hampstead Comedy Club where I Mc'd and some mental gigs like this Saturday night in Crawley. I found the gig at the end of a single track road that had been tucked away , almost hidden , many moons ago. It was a biker gig, although not Back Patchers like Hells Angels and others they were still big scary fella's and women in leathers with a fair amount of facial hair..even the women. When you turn up at a gig, a bikers gig and the first thing you notice amongst the bikers outside is a set of old fashioned stocks, you kind of worry about whether your gonna be able to leave the gig or at least make it out with all organs and limbs attached. As I got out of the car Neil , who had booked the gig, shouted out for me. He recognised me having seen me at a gig in Kettering and another in Birmingham and I felt great seeing a familiar friendly face. I walked into the pub and was presented with a knife to carve myself some freshly cooked pork, given a drink on the house and then introduced to an old Crawley game called Aunt Sally. It's a bit like Horseshoe throwing and a coconut shy mixed together with no signs of Wurzel Gummidge anywhere. I did used to have a thing for aunt sally when I was a kid. Una Stubbs was pretty to a 10 year old.
So although it all seemed OK the bikers didnae jump to come in from outside to watch the gig and when they did most of them went to watch the gig from the bar area....at least 10 foot from the stage if not more. That kind of gap doesn't help make a gig work and there were only a handful of people who sat at the fron to watch. So ...it was hard work but I fronted up and got laughs. However at one point one of the bikers towards the back gave me a Nazi Salute.
Now this got my blood boiling and he was a big fucker. Possible a Goliath to my David if you will. Just to use a Jewish old testament comparison to hammer home the point that I'm a Jew who doesn't welcome a Sieg Heil. I got angry but maintained cool although I delivered my whole Prince Harry Nazi gag to him and I swear to god I grabbed my balls like I was saying fuck you to him. I realised I might not get out of Crawley at that point.
However in the break when the job was done I met him outside and of course he wasn't a Nazi and was actually a nice bloke. Still scary when he picked up and axe while we were talking. I realise that some people think they're being funny if they do a Sieg Heil but I don't know many Jewish folk who wouldn't be extremely upset or offended by this. I think that people who do this who don't mean it think of Freddie Starr or John Cleese etc..who have used the salute to comedic purposes and think that it's OK and a laugh. I don't...clearly.
So that was Crawley...
Now...I have to turn in after another late one but suffice it to say I'm on good form...enjoying life and hoping all my mates who went to the fest got some benefit from it. Although I knocked it..it is a great thing to do...you just have to have a break from it occasionally. It's been nice to have an August where people weren't looking over my shoulder to see who might be more important to network with than me.
A.O.B
Other news is I'll be getting more involved with working on Abnormally Funny People Stuff helping out Steve best and Simon Minty and will be starting a facebook group for AFP so please join the group when it kicks off.
Lovely gig tonight in Leceister Square at Storm for the 99 club. I can go to bed happy for a job well done.
By the way, the Bikers were part of The Freaks of Nature Biker club and they do a fair bit for Charidy even if some of them freaked me out. Check their website...if you Love motorbikes. I was replacing Phil Dinsdale at the last minute. thats why he's listed for the gig.
Have a good one wherever you be.
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