The Fear Blog. Part 15.

Aug 19

A potentially worrying Sunday was saved by a curry at the Edinburgh Mosque followed by a 45 minute nap. I woke up feeling reassuringly seasick. I then did a fair warm up gig on a mixed bill before putting on easily my best show. Naturally my recorder didn't record the bloody thing, because that would have been the perfect version for my website. Big laughs from beginning to end. Huge fun. Everybody was so supportive from the off that I took my time and played about. It meant I lost the thread a few times and had to refer to notes, but no one seemed to care much. Two girls at the front were leading the laughter. In their eyes, I could do no wrong. They had planned to come and see me. Even had me on their timetable between two big stand up names. Without them it would have been a much quieter affair. With them, it allowed me to be good and to take risks. This is the benefit of gaining a following.

Stopped in at Anti-Hoot and saw Eric the Australian comic, who was brilliant. Erin K did the big willy song again and then there was a woman who got everyone to breathe and stretch. By mixed bill, they mean MIXED. Nick Sun got up and caused trouble. He only got onstage with 20 seconds to spare so then just counted himself down, claiming he had numerical dyslexia. When I saw him, I twatted him around the back of the head. Lach decided that he wanted to play to actual people rather than just playing to lights and chairs at the end, so played some stuff at the beginning. He's very good, and the crowd were into his counter-culture talking over guitar. We didn't stay much longer.

Zeinu and his friends were getting a bit antsy, and I knew there was an open-spot comic coming on who I didn't particularly want to watch, now that our flat has become a forum for new comics to talk loudly about how to be a comedian. My flatmate Josh came in looking bored. One of the loudest said: "Well, I wouldn't do rape jokes" and Josh said: "Well, don't then. In fact don't do stand up at all." If I said that, I would have had a shocked reaction. Josh has a nice sardonic tone so it was funny. I suggested that no one was forcing rape jokes upon him and etc. Ahhhh, those wacky comic flatshares.

I went for late drinks with Zeinu and an American comic called Lea. Lea had been at my show and had taken my 'bickering marriage' stuff about Zeinu a wee bit too seriously, so was expecting something to happen. She was sorely disppointed when there was no explosive action.

I woke up the next morning with a girl in my bed. This explains why all my dreams had involved eating hair, smothering and being elbowed in the face.