Well, the dedication in my last entry set the cat amongst the pigeons!For anyone remotely interested it was dedicated to one of my agents, specifically because, she's gorgeous, friendly and also sent me an email berating me for not updating my blog!
It's been a strange week. I saw my daughters, I've been ill (again!) and had a blow out on the A19 whilst doing 70mph in the outside lane!.....I survived!
I went to my eldest daughter A's parents evening isn't it remarkable how young the teachers look? They weren't like that in my day I can tell you.She's done very well this year I'm not going to bore you with the details like those deranged people who send Christmas messages full of dull information on how their year has gone and how little Johnny is on target to be a Brain Surgeon/Astronaut! She's done better than she did last year and she's on track to beat the targets set for her at the beginning of the school year. I had a lovely afternoon with M we had lunch in a pub and everyone commented on how beautiful and aware she was.
I'm still losing weight "Huzzah!" cry the Ladies of Manchesterford. I'd rather do it in a planned diet sort of way but hey! I guess too much Vodka and puking up after every meal is a better way than most to lose weight, just ask Karen Carpenter!
Sunderland AFC will be Champions if we beat West Ham tonight. It would be nice to do it on the tele but I'd prefer us to do it at home next week (when I'm there!)
FTM!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Tuesday 26 April 2005
For Gill:
Phew! it's been over a month since I posted, there are lots of good reasons and excuses but mostly it's been the fact that I haven't had computer access....honest Guv!
So what's been happening in my world?
My beloved Sunderland AFC were promoted at the weekend, we've taken our rightful place in The Premiership. I listened to the final minutes of the game against Leicester in a pub car park in Webridge, Surrey! I couldn't possibly go into the pub not knowing the result, when the scores from the Sunderland and Ipswich games filtered through I must have looked a right ninny dancing up and down in the car. The pub was far from the stereotypical Southern venue and as they were watching Sky Sports and it became obvious that I was a Mackem I was congratulated, offered a drink and shared a toast with a woman who drank dark Rum at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, class bird!
The Pope died and I was genuinely upset, whilst not always agreeing on some of his conservative views I did think he was a man of the people. Not sure about the new guy though. I did like the headline in The Sun the following day.." Papa Ratzi" top stuff!
I had a birthday, it was fun and I got drunk.
I've done some smashing gigs, some weird ones, oh and died on my arse like never before in my home town of all places!
I have a couple of new agents based in Nottingham they're lovely lads and they're getting me plenty of work. They are not quality gigs but they are plentiful and I'm grateful for them. However it did throw up a problem a few weeks ago as I was booked to do a show in the heart of what used to be the North Notts coalfields. When I'm in these areas I develop "Scab Tourettes" I know the last great struggle was in 1983/4 but my memory goes back even further to the "Spencerist" scabs of the 20's and 30's. Nottinghamshire Miners have always scabbed, taking he benefits of a strong union but when it came to helping out their comrades they stabbed them in the back. OK, I'm there to do comedy but I just want to shout cheer up you scabby twats! I've come up with an ingenious solution. I've written a five minute routine about my Psoriasis and can manage to shoehorn the word "scabs" into that routine at least 8 times without them realising it! It doesn't exactly make up for Orgreave or the countless communities that have suffered over the past twenty years but it fucking well made Roughy happy!
The gigs have been so diverse recently, I've done two in a boxing ring, countless sporting dinners, pubs, etc and some fantatstic venues. One at York Racecourse, a great room, great food and waitresses bussed in from Middlesbrough..they can't get the staff in York! I also did the aformentioned show in Weybridge, Surrey. It was at a hotel, part of which was Henry VIII's second home. The gig was for "The Surrey Master Bakers Annual Dinner Dance" It was a very posh do, I had my own toast master in a red coat and everything. The audience were easily shocked so I did a very clean 25 minutes drew a lovely round of applause and got the fuck out of there.
I am storming gigs at the moment. My style is becoming much more changeable and I'm more flexible about giving the audience what they want. In the old days I was of the school of thought that if they didn't like me then tough! A stupid attitude that I regret having now.
So to my very public death in County Durham. I was excited about the gig. Firstly it was in my home town, secondly it was at one of my favourite venues, somewhere I've done really well at in the past. The gig was for The North East Chamber Of Commerce, it was the usual dinner, speakers then me night. Everything looked fine until I walked on to be greeted by a bemused audience who thought I was from a different planet. They were an awful crowd, I was an awful comic, a lethal combination. The woman who booked me Wendy Reaney was mouthing at me to get off withing two minutes of me starting. Someone shouted out that I was crap and I couldn't tell gags. So I thanked them politely and walked. The Lady organiser, Wendy Reaney refused to pay me the not inconsiderable fee due, despite me doing everything I was contactually obliged to do. Conversations went on between my agent and us at the venue. In the end I left and was very tactful. Wendy Reaney rang the agent concerned (a cracking company who have done everything to help in this awful situation) In the end I agreed to take a smaller fee, though that went against everything that my union Equity would advise. This was six weeks ago. Wendy Reaney and The North East Chamber of Commerce have thus far failed to pay what is due to me. I'll keep you and my union's solicitors informed.
To finish on a high note.The demise of Newcastle United over the past couple of months has been rather worrying hasn't it? Back of the net!
FTM!
Phew! it's been over a month since I posted, there are lots of good reasons and excuses but mostly it's been the fact that I haven't had computer access....honest Guv!
So what's been happening in my world?
My beloved Sunderland AFC were promoted at the weekend, we've taken our rightful place in The Premiership. I listened to the final minutes of the game against Leicester in a pub car park in Webridge, Surrey! I couldn't possibly go into the pub not knowing the result, when the scores from the Sunderland and Ipswich games filtered through I must have looked a right ninny dancing up and down in the car. The pub was far from the stereotypical Southern venue and as they were watching Sky Sports and it became obvious that I was a Mackem I was congratulated, offered a drink and shared a toast with a woman who drank dark Rum at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, class bird!
The Pope died and I was genuinely upset, whilst not always agreeing on some of his conservative views I did think he was a man of the people. Not sure about the new guy though. I did like the headline in The Sun the following day.." Papa Ratzi" top stuff!
I had a birthday, it was fun and I got drunk.
I've done some smashing gigs, some weird ones, oh and died on my arse like never before in my home town of all places!
I have a couple of new agents based in Nottingham they're lovely lads and they're getting me plenty of work. They are not quality gigs but they are plentiful and I'm grateful for them. However it did throw up a problem a few weeks ago as I was booked to do a show in the heart of what used to be the North Notts coalfields. When I'm in these areas I develop "Scab Tourettes" I know the last great struggle was in 1983/4 but my memory goes back even further to the "Spencerist" scabs of the 20's and 30's. Nottinghamshire Miners have always scabbed, taking he benefits of a strong union but when it came to helping out their comrades they stabbed them in the back. OK, I'm there to do comedy but I just want to shout cheer up you scabby twats! I've come up with an ingenious solution. I've written a five minute routine about my Psoriasis and can manage to shoehorn the word "scabs" into that routine at least 8 times without them realising it! It doesn't exactly make up for Orgreave or the countless communities that have suffered over the past twenty years but it fucking well made Roughy happy!
The gigs have been so diverse recently, I've done two in a boxing ring, countless sporting dinners, pubs, etc and some fantatstic venues. One at York Racecourse, a great room, great food and waitresses bussed in from Middlesbrough..they can't get the staff in York! I also did the aformentioned show in Weybridge, Surrey. It was at a hotel, part of which was Henry VIII's second home. The gig was for "The Surrey Master Bakers Annual Dinner Dance" It was a very posh do, I had my own toast master in a red coat and everything. The audience were easily shocked so I did a very clean 25 minutes drew a lovely round of applause and got the fuck out of there.
I am storming gigs at the moment. My style is becoming much more changeable and I'm more flexible about giving the audience what they want. In the old days I was of the school of thought that if they didn't like me then tough! A stupid attitude that I regret having now.
So to my very public death in County Durham. I was excited about the gig. Firstly it was in my home town, secondly it was at one of my favourite venues, somewhere I've done really well at in the past. The gig was for The North East Chamber Of Commerce, it was the usual dinner, speakers then me night. Everything looked fine until I walked on to be greeted by a bemused audience who thought I was from a different planet. They were an awful crowd, I was an awful comic, a lethal combination. The woman who booked me Wendy Reaney was mouthing at me to get off withing two minutes of me starting. Someone shouted out that I was crap and I couldn't tell gags. So I thanked them politely and walked. The Lady organiser, Wendy Reaney refused to pay me the not inconsiderable fee due, despite me doing everything I was contactually obliged to do. Conversations went on between my agent and us at the venue. In the end I left and was very tactful. Wendy Reaney rang the agent concerned (a cracking company who have done everything to help in this awful situation) In the end I agreed to take a smaller fee, though that went against everything that my union Equity would advise. This was six weeks ago. Wendy Reaney and The North East Chamber of Commerce have thus far failed to pay what is due to me. I'll keep you and my union's solicitors informed.
To finish on a high note.The demise of Newcastle United over the past couple of months has been rather worrying hasn't it? Back of the net!
FTM!
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