I'm in the weird position of having done comedy for years (about 6) but really sporadically and only to the audience of people who go to Mello Mello, and then later on people I've met though The Legion of Doom's monthly gig at Mello Mello. In 2016 I then did an hour long show about my school days called "best days of your life" which I loved and so the next year I wanted to do another, but Eric was only a few months old and still very reliant on my boobs for nourishment, so I had to wait another year. And I'm glad I did't it would have been way to stressful to do it with a tiny baby.
In the run up to that show "Job Done" which was all about parenting, I thought I'd get some performing experience in a few places and that's when I started thinking maybe I should do this FOR REAL. It was a deliberate decision to just do it for a fun hobby before, which felt right at the time. But then I had this feeling of 'what if I could become actually good?' Not saying I'm terrible, but I haven't put the hours in that you need to be the best. It was that or having a third child, and I think this is easier to get out of if you think you've made the wrong decision than a third child. I could do this for a year and then decide to have a 3rd child but you can't have a 3rd child for a year and then decide being a parent of 3 is not really for me.
So in that time when I was ill in bed recovering from having my lymph nodes removed, I booked in a load of gigs and the last 2 weeks has been the start of that. I normally would perform every few months, and 50% of the stuff I did was new. Now I'm trying to do the same 5-7 minute bit anywhere that will have me to improve it. this is how its gone so far:
12th Nov Hot water comedy club Liverpool: Pretty good, lovely audience, slightly stumbled over a tiny bit.
16th Nov charity gig Blackburne house Liverpool: terrible! I went on first and the audience were not warmed up the best they could manage was a tiny titter. I'm not sure what I could have done differently.
18th Nov Comedy Store Manchester: so lovely, they have a dressing room with a leopard skin couch and mirrors with lights round them: I felt like a celebrity.
I was super nervous, this club is a big deal but I felt so good when it was done. See the video here.
19th Nov Frog and Bucket Manchester. if you're not familiar, every Monday night the Frog and Bucket runs a "beat the frog" competition. 3 members of the audience get cards and if all 3 hold them up you have to stop. If they don't then happy music comes on after 5 minutes and you've beaten the frog. Then you go through to a clap off- a pretty unfair way of deciding a winner, but I can't think of a better one.
It was a stressful drive there with my 8 year old sat nav that can't cope with any roads build since 2010. Luckily I'd brought my friend Rachel and she navigated me there. I arrived and was slightly disappointed that the acts just sat with the commoners: where's my mirror with the lights?! The set went so well, the audience were so lovely that I instantly relaxed and ad-libbed a bit. I can't believe I was actually saying the same stuff and on the night where the audience were silent. I came joint first with a guy called Micky Mckay. Maybe if I hadn't have asked my one friend to take a photo of me when she could have been clapping in the clap off I would have won. My prize is to spend more money on petrol and parking to come back in January and do 8 minutes uninterrupted. I'm looking forward to it really.
But more exciting than all of that I have (after much faffing with venues) booked in my own monthly comedy night! The "early risers comedy club" is aimed at parents or anyone who would appreciate a comedy night with a strict end time of 9:45. It's at Blackburne house on Hope street, every second Wednesday starting in January! Please like the Facebook page and invite others especially if you're in Liverpool.
Next gig is Hot water Liverpool 27th November, it's free but you have to book.
Thanks for reading, I promise my next blog will be a bit less up myself.
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