Sam Brady Live at the Comedy Store! (sounds good, doesn't it?)

Last week I made my debut at The Comedy Store in Manchester.

I've done gong shows there before (competitions for new comedians) but this was my first spot there in a professional show.

It was a pretty surreal experience. Just over a year ago I went to the Comedy Store as part of a friend's stag night. That night there was a great line up including Rob Rouse, Ian Stone, Steve Hughes and Reginald D Hunter. That was the night my mate Maniraja told me, "You could do this."
I'd been thinking of trying comedy for a while but it was this encouraging comment that tipped me over the edge.

So it was weird to find myself in the dressing room with people I've seen on the telly, including Ian Stone, who was on the bill on that fateful night last year.

It wasn't my best ever performance but I got some good laughs and a couple of rounds of applause. The occasion got to me a little bit and I wasn't as slick as usual. The were also a couple of drunken hecklers who were making a nuisance of themselves all night. I dealt with them and wasn't phased but they were a pain in the arse.

The whole thing definitely felt like I had entered the big boys playground for the first time. I'm entering a new phase of my comedy career now. And I'm only just beginning to understand how much there is to learn.

There's a mountain to be climbed. And I can't wait!

King of Bling!

Do you like my new hat?

Last night I won...let me say that again... I only bloody went and WON King Gong at the Comedy Store, Manchester.

King Gong is probably the toughest gong show this side of hell. The audience is traditionally made up of a very special blend of drunken students, sociopaths, serial killers and baying wolves. Last night they were on good form - slaying the 7 acts who went on before me, booing them off the stage, stripped of every last vestage of self-esteem and no doubt destined for a self-induced watery grave in the canal outside.

I won't lie to you - I was shitting myself.

I don't normally get nervous these days. But when you walk on to a stage and not one act before you has lasted more than four minutes without being sent packing, you do start to question what the heck you think you are doing.

Anyway, I just went for it. And blow me if I didn't go and win the bloody thing!

This is a fantastic breakthrough for me. Not only have I won something for only about the 2nd time in my life (as a kid, I once got a gold medal in a local judo competition), but I now get a spot on one of the pro nights at the Comedy Store, supporting some of the country's top acts.

I also won £50 and a lovely crown made of solid gold(-coloured plastic).

Status Dogs

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a tattooed face is rarely the mark of a lofty intellect.

I saw a bloke today who did nothing to dispel this belief. his neanderthal gait (made worse by the jeans that hung around his knees), his murderous scowl, and his extravagantly aggressive dog only served to make matters worse.

If anything, these factors only served to heighten the overall impression that here was a man who had tattooed his face because - well - he couldn't imagine why this might be a bad idea.

I didn't manage to make out what the tattoo actually was because staring at a man with a tattooed face and a dog that looks like a Tazmanian devil on steroids, is actually an even worse idea than having a tattoo on your face in the first place.

Anyway the point is actually not the tattoo but the dog. Which is why there is a picture of a dog on this blog. And not a tattoo.

Lately there seems to be more and more young blokes walking around with big, scary, intimidating dogs. They are brandished like weapons.

The press have started calling them "status dogs", because the are used by gang members to confer status on the owner. But what about the status of the dog? I should imagine that having to walk around chained to a man with a tattooed face doesn't do anything for the dog's self-esteem. It's cruel. That's what it is. Someone should call the RSPCA.

One thing that I will say for Mr Tattoo-Face though. At least he picked up his dog's crap. So good on him for that. And he didn't kill me. So that's good too.

Instead he just waddled on down the street, his scowling tattooed face staring straight ahead, a rottweiler on a lead in one hand and a Lidl bag full of dogshit in the other.

Brown - Sugar

Congratulations to Sir Alan Sugar (pictured left) on his appointment to the Cabinet today.

Considering he "doesn't like bullshitters", he's certainly picked himself a fine bunch of folks to hang out with.

Sir Alan will be Secretary of State for Empathy and Bonhomie and will be advising Gordon Brown on how to be liked. Good luck to the pair of them.

I'm glad that Sir Alan will be helping to run the country. He has a proven track record of success. After all, every home has an Amstrad computer and Spurs have won the European Cup seven times.

Even this great news, however, can't take the edge off the sad loss of David Carradine, who was found hanging in his hotel room this morning. Maybe it was suicide. Or it may have been a kinky sex act gone wrong. But as a life-long fan of Carradine, I can't accept either of these explanations. I prefer to believe that he was hanging his coat in the wardrobe and forgot to take it off first.

The loss of Carradine is a tragedy. Had he lived he might have been in the Cabinet by the end of the month.

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Guess where I'm off to...

I think voting is boring and I don't want to do it.

On the other hand, I don't fancy the prospect of racist lunatics representing me in Europe (or anywhere else) this year. True, the mainstream parties are a bunch of money-grabbing, blood-sucking, free-loading parasites. But even so, I will be getting off my lazy arse and strolling down to the polls. 

My grandad went through several years of hell in the 1940's. And I think it would be a shame if, having fought a World War to get the Nazis out of Europe, we let them sneak back in just because some MPs stole our money to pay for porn and moats.

*************************

UKIP are complaining of foul-play in today's election. Apparently, those fiendish volunteers at the polls have been foxing UKIP voters by folding the ballot papers in half!

This has prevented all those idiots who would have voted UKIP - but were too dumb to actually unfold the ballot paper - from exercising their democratic right to plunge us all into right-wing darkness.

Unfortunately, parties are listed alphabetically, so the BNP is right there at the top, meaning that their voters are spared the Krypton Factor style challenge of having to unfold anything.

So please go and vote. Preferably for someone who doesn't deny the Holocaust.

Have a good day.

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

An End To Boring

I have a confession to make.

I am bored with this blog. And if I'm bored with it, then you probably are too.

At first it was exciting to talk about each gig after it happened. But now I think I've pretty much said it all and you have heard it all.

So I'm going to have a change of tack.

From now on I'm going to write about whatever stuff is going on in the world that strikes me as funny. I'm also going to include bits of audio and video. Unfortunately funny stuff doesn't come to mind on a weekly basis so I don't know how often I will post. Let's just see shall we?

I'm going to stop reviewing my own gigs (unless something amazing and hilarious happens). 

Thanks to everyone who reads this rubbish. I love you all (well, I probably would if I knew you.)

Have a happy day.

Sam

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

East of Bolton

On Sunday I'm doing the Vulcan in Walkden.

I'm really looking forward to it as I'm supporting Sarah Millican.

Sarah has won loads of awards in the past year and is a rising star on the comedy circuit. She's just come back from Melbourne Comedy Festival and is a regular at the Comedy Store, Jongleurs etc. She is also on Radio 4 a lot - but don't let that put you off.

So even if you think I'm rubbish it might be worth coming along to see Sarah.

Last Wednesday I did the Gatehouse pub in Tyldesely. It was a really good night. I opened the show which was interesting as the audience needed a bit of warming up. But after a slow start the set went pretty well.

I've been working on some new material lately so I'll be trying that out over the next few weeks. 

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Polaxed

Hello

I have missed a few gigs over the past ten days or so after my back totally seized up.

It was horrible. I was paralysed on the living room floor. My arms and legs were numb and I was losing consciousness.  I suddenly understood what it must be like to be an old person who has "had a fall".

I managed to reach my phone and call an ambulance and was wizzed off to hospital (those speed bumps are a bastard by the way). As I lay in the ambulance, off my head on gas and air I thought "Hang on... there's some material in this."

I'm just about getting back to normal now. But I was sorry to have to cancel a couple of gigs. I missed being in the Best of Rawhide Raw. And I also missed doing a private function for a mate.

Still, I'm now looking forward to next Tuesday's gig when I hit the dizzy heights of Tyldesley. Showbiz!

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Funny? Yes. Sexy? Hmmm.

Wonderful gig at the Frog and Bucket last night for the Beat the Frog gong show.

I was on second to last which is always a good spot. 

There were some really good acts on last night and I didn't think I stood at chance at the start. But by the time I went on, the audience of about 200 people were well warmed up (and well-oiled).

My set went down a stormed. I've never experienced such gales of laughter coming back at me - the volume of it almost took my breath away.

As I came off, the other acts congratulated me and for a moment I thought - I'm going to win this.

But no! Once again, when it came to the clap-off, I lost out. In fact I wasn't even close.

The problem may have been that I'm a bit old and a bit fat. Younger and/or cuter guys seem to get the vote of the female audience for some reason. Can't think why.

I don't think I will ever get laughs bigger than I did last night. So does that mean I'll never win it? No - I still could win it one day. Although I might have to bring in a bus load of pensioners to do it.

As I started the set, a rather exuberant young woman screamed at me, "Yeeeeaaaah! Sexy!" I smiled at her and said, "Yes, love. I do understand irony."

I'm not under any illusions.

Sam Brady Stand Up Comedian

Up up and away

Had a marvellous night last night at the Comedy Balloon in Manchester.

For a start I was really bloody funny. No really. I'm not being bigheaded or anything. I rocked.

But if anybody left the venue having wet their pants with laughter, I can't claim all the credit. There were some brilliant acts on and a fantastic atmosphere. I haven't laughed so much for ages. Even though we were all relatively new acts, there were some real quality performances.

And at the end a stranger came up and booked me for his pub. Happy days.

Sam Brady stand up comedian

Well! I'll go to Buxton!

Where were you last night?

You should have been in Buxton. No, really. We had a whale of  a time. It was a smashing gig at the Old Club House to a sell out crowd who were really up for it.

It was also my first paid gig which seemed like a big thrill beforehand - although it's amazing how quickly the novelty wears off and your mind moves on to the next milestone. Since landing that first paid gig, I've been booked to do several more. How wonderful to be paid just to go around the country acting the bloody fool!

I actually got a bit carried away and tried out some brand new material but fortunately it went down a treat. So that would have been fine. But then I pushed my luck a bit too far and embarked on a series of long meandering, directionless exchanges with the audience which apparently made for some very nervous and uncomfortable moments for the promoter who was standing at the back of the room. 

It's not that I shouldn't chat with the audience - but it helps to have some idea of where the conversation is going before you start it. At times I had no idea what was going to happen next. I got away with it. Just.

The headliner, Jamie Sutherland gave me some constructive feedback on how to do it better in future. Then he went on stage and put his own advice into practice. By the end of his set, there was hardly an audience member he hadn't spoken to (or insulted), yet he was in control the whole time. His act went down a storm.

I'm learning a hell of a lot at the moment and my confidence is sky high. Roll on Sunday night - 8pm in Nottingham, then 9pm in Newark.

Finally - it was a really nice surprise to see my old friends Tim and Dawn in the audience, too.  It's always good to have friends there to share the fun with. So come along some time.

love Sam

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

It's good. But it's not right.

At Manchester's Frog and Bucket Comedy Club last night for another Beat the Frog Gong Show.

It was a really enjoyable gig. Jason Cook was compering and he was absolutely brilliant. It always make things easier when the compere is on good form and the audience are giddy with laughter.

I was trying out some new material. I need it for my gig on Friday as some of my longer set is a bit thin and, as I will be getting paid for the first time, I want it to go well.

The new material wasn't the most sophisticated I have come up with. It's about how when I was a kid I had a nervous twitch. It mainly consists of pulling stupid faces. But hey - it works - don't knock it. It's the second time I've tried it and it's gone down well both times so let's hope it will do the job on Friday.

But for me, the highlight of the night was when Roy Walker, host of 80s series Catchphrase, walked in, saw me at the bar, recognized me and came over to say hello!

OK so he couldn't remember my name. But he knew my face.

And he obviously remembered my act. Because he didn't stick around to watch it.

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

A Cellar Full of Physicists

Last night I played The Smirking Room Comedy Club, located in a trendy cellar bar in Leeds city centre.

It's the first time I've ever been there. It was a fairly small crowd, dominated by a large party of Physicists. Yes, Physicists. Weird.

The first act - an established comedian whose name I won't mention - died an absolutely horrible death. It was one of those inexplicable situations where material that normally goes well is just greeted by blank stares. The audience just sat there gawping at him as if he was speaking Norwegian.

He did remarkably well to stay calm and take the whole thing philosophically. But this was little comfort to me - I was on next.
Fortunately there was an interval which allowed me to collect myself and gave the audience a chance to get a few more drinks down them.

I opened OK and got laughs but, from the start, I knew that the normal momentum wasn't there. Towards the end of my 11 minutes of material the laughter petered out. Eventually, one of my most reliable routines was greeted by total silence.

Anyway, I didn't make a drama out of it. I just carried on and finished the set with a decent laugh (phew!).

Oddly enough, they clapped and cheered enthusiastically at the end. Maybe they were glad to see the back of me. But actually I think it was just one of those low energy nights that don't quite take off. It was as if they had a good time, but just forgot how to laugh half-way through.

My biggest laugh of the night was when, in mock desperation, I turned to the physicists and said, "Biologists! They're a bunch of wankers, aren't they?" This got a big laugh and, with hindsight, I probably could have improvised around this a bit more.

The pity for me was that I didn't get the chance to try new material. Half way through the set I could see it would be a mistake to even try, so I stuck to the old stuff.

Having said all this, I did well with a tough crowd and had a great time. I absolutely love doing stand-up. Can't wait for the next one.

Sam

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Rawhide!

Good gig at Rawhide Raw in Liverpool last night.

I needed to have a good one. Last time I was there I had a torrid time. I died such a terrible death that night that I half expected there to be floral tributes still tied to the mike stand in my honour.

Fortunately I've improved a lot since then. I got stuck in with my best five minutes of material up front and won them over enough to coast through the final three.

The only down side was that in the final clap off, I got a fairly lukewarm response. I was beaten into submission by two Liverpool lads who both got resounding cheers. Being the graceful loser that I am, I shook hands with the winner on stage and whispered
in his ear: "You scouse bastard."

With hindsight that might have come across as slightly bitter.

That's the problem with gong shows. No matter how well you think you've done on the night (lots of good laughs and several rounds of applause) you can still feel like a total failure if you don't get a good response in the clap off.

That said, it was a great night all in all. Sam Avery did a great job as compere as usual. And it was lovely to have my step-daughter Nikki there in the crowd as well as my old mate Dave Mac.

Life Begins At Last

Today is my 40th birthday and I'm feeling good.

When I turned 30 I felt quite depressed. I had a horrible feeling that I had let 3 decades of my life pass by without fulfilling my creative potential. Yes I had a good job and plenty of money and that was nice. But it felt boring and mercenary and...well...not really me.

Fortunately I found stand-up comedy just in time to avert another crisis ten years on. This morning I'm opening my cards and presents in the afterglow of another good gig last night. At last I've found a way to express myself creatively in a way that plays to all my strengths.

And what's more, for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm giving something back to the world that is of true value. I reckon one night in the back room of a pub, making people laugh at their troubles, is worth more than everything I've delivered in 20 years of IT put together.

So this morning I feel great. And, I just heard that someone threw a bucket of green custard in Peter Mandelson's face. This day just gets better and better.

Maybe life does begin at 40 after all.

My First Paid Gig

I got my first paid gig today!

This is a milestone for any new comedian. After I put the phone down from speaking to the agent, I could barely contain my excitement and wanted to dash screaming around the office, slapping people round the face. I was so excited that I couldn't concentrate on BS1192 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information – Code of practice which, just moments before, had seemed so thrilling.

OK so any seasoned, cynical performers might think I'm making a lot of fuss about nothing. But after 20 years of "working in IT", it's a really big deal for me to be paid to do something I love.

The gig is for Agraman the Human Anagram who is a well-known figure in comedy. I was fairly cool with him on the phone, mainly because I was slightly in shock.

I won't be paid a vast amount. I'm not going to be able to retire on the proceeds. But it's not bad for 15 minutes work.

OK. I'll calm down I promise.

But before I do, let me just say this...AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!

Thankyou.

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

It's not the winning...

This week Richard Herring and I are both feeling down in the dumps.

Richard is moaning because, once again, his nomination for a Chortle Comedy Award failed to turn into an actual award.

Meanwhile, I am moaning because I couldn't win a bloody silly gong show.

Not only does this illustrate the gulf that lies between me and Herring in terms of expectations, but it also illustrates one of the pitfalls of performance.

The problem comes when you forget about your relationship with the audience and start focussing on your act in relation to other peoples. That's when it all gets a bit painful.

My memory of Monday night was that I hardly got any laughs and that I didn't enjoy myself. However, the recording of the night includes lots of laughs and, hey...look at this picture - I'm smiling.

It seems that my bruised ego rewrote my memory of the night. The Buddha was right - ego does make you miserable. Lesson - stop trying to win things - just have fun and be funny.

Sam

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

The Show Must Go On etc etc

I feel like a proper trouper!

Last night was a big night for me. I was doing a "try out" gig for an agent. This was to be my first big step towards paid comedy work and another inch closer to my dream of earning a living from making people laugh.

The agent in question was Agraman "The Human Anagram". He has helped launch the careers of many a comedy legend including Peter Kay, Eddie Izzard and Lee Evans.

So this was a big night for me. Shame then that at 4pm that very day I was full of a cold and off my head on Night Nurse.

It could have all gone terribly wrong. But adrenalin is a wonderful thing. In the end I managed to lift myself and pull off a decent performance. Decent enough to prompt Agraman to bring up the subject of paid work... (job's a good 'un!)

The evening was made sweeter by the presence of Mrs Brady who was watching me perform for the first time. She thought I was amazing. (But then she is my wife.) We also managed to smuggle in my friends, Arthavadin, Chandana and Jane - even though all the tickets were sold out. Great night all round.

Hope you enjoy the audio.

Love

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Leicester Comedy Festival

On Saturday night I did two gigs at the Leicester Comedy Festival. And I had the time of my ruddy life.

Originally I was booked to take part in a Gong Show as part of the festival at 10:30pm. I also managed to blag an open spot in an earlier show. So now I was doing two gigs at the same venue, one after the other. The only problem was that some of the same people might come to both, so I needed different material for each show. And, let's face it, I don't have very much material to choose from.

"Never mind," I thought. "I'll just have to ad lib a bit."

OK, so it was a high-risk strategy. But how can you learn if you don't take risks? It could have all gone very badly wrong. But, on this occasion it didn't. Most of my biggest laughs of the night came from ad libs and from interacting with the audience. And what's more, it was a million times more fun than trotting out that same old tired material.

I was helped by two great characters in the front row. First there was a man called Paul who had an 80's mullet hairstyle with blonde streaks. Then there was a lovely woman, who I dubbed the "Lady Mayoress",  who was absolutely trolleyed.

Here's a clip. Hope the wonderful atmosphere comes across.

love

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

I Love Yorkshire

"I love Yorkshire" - three words I never thought I would put in the same sentence.

Having been brought up on the other side of the Pennines, I've always felt compelled to dislike Yorkshire almost as a matter of principle.

But this week has changed my opinion. What splendid people the folk of Leeds and Sheffield really are! And what excellent taste in comedy!

On Sunday I did the Discount Comedy Checkout in Leeds and got a lovely reception, despite my slightly tired and below par performance. Then last night I played at Abbcom in Sheffield to a brilliant crowd.

There's a lot more I want to say about these gigs but, to be honest, I'm absolutely knackered from trying to become a comedy legend whilst at the same time doing a full-time job and being a dad/taxi-driver. So balls to it - this is your lot for today. 

However, I have done a little audio thing about getting lost in Leeds city centre on my way to the gig. And there's a recording of the Sheffield gig. So when I have time I'll edit them and post them.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who continues to read this nonsense and all those who are generally supportive. In particular, thanks to those people who have come along to gigs recently - including Tim, Dawn, Rob, Jason, Sona, Narapa and Louisa'a brother and sister.

Lots of love

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

What do you call a Buddhist in a suit?

On Monday I did a gig in a suit.

This might not seem particularly significant. But hang on- I'll explain.

I had a bit of a crazy day. 

I had to zip off down to London early in the morning as part of my day job. I spent a morning and an afternoon down there in a conference centre, facilitating a workshop. Then, I dashed off straight from there and jumped on a train to Manchester, getting there just in time to do my gig.

The upshot of all this was that a) I was in a slightly crazed and manic mood and b) I was still wearing a suit.

And, oddly, it felt good. I felt kind of...well...professional.

People like Bob Hope, Steve Martin (and...erm...Jimmy Tarbuck) reckon that wearing a suit on stage is a must. I've always thought that was old fashioned. I associate suits with meetings and offices and being bored out of my skull. But now I'm wondering if they are right. I think I actually felt more confident. How weird is that?

Ironically, I've spent quite a bit of time wondering about my image and what to wear on stage. Lately, I've taken to wearing a fancy black shirt and some red Buddhist Mala beads. Hmmm.

Anyway I've just been sent these photos of me having fun in a suit. And I likes it. So I thought I'd share it. 

What do you reckon?

By the way, the photo on the right is the clap-off that I didn't win.

love

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Beating the Frog

A strange thing happened at the Beat the Frog gong show last night. I did my best performace to date, my material was tight, I beat the gong and had the best part of 200 people laughing and cheering. And yet I went home slightly disappointed.

That's the problem with gong shows. If you do a great job and beat the gong, but you lose the final clap-off at the end of the evening, it's easy to leave with a sense of rejection, and forget about all the positives of the performance.

I was on first and I really enjoyed myself. The audience seemed to love it. It's rare for an opening act to win because the audience have forgetten you by the time the final clap-off comes around. Even so, I really thought I was in with a chance of winning. But as the evening went on, it became clear that the standard was very high - the highest that I have ever seen at a gong show.

Beat the Frog is probably the best comedy gong show around. The Frog and Bucket Comedy Club is purpose-built for comedy and is played by many of the top names. Monday nights see audiences of 200 - 300 people gathered to watch comedy legends born (and to watch deluded losers die horribly).

In the final clap-off I got a good loud cheer from the audience but I knew it wouldn't be good enough to win. I cursed the fact that I had drawn the opening spot - again! But if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that there were at least two acts that were better than me on the night, so I can't complain.

On the way home I felt a bit deflated. Then it occurred to me that just a few months ago I was pleased just to last 3 minutes before getting gonged off. It made me realise how far I've come in a very short time. And how much I can improve if I keep at it.

Next week I am playing Leeds and Sheffield. My next challenge - Yorkshire!

Bring it on.

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

New Material at the Comedy Balloon

Last night I played at the Comedy Balloon - a new act/new material night at the Ape and Apple pub in John Dalton Street.

Not the biggest crowd I've ever played to, but enjoyable nonetheless. All the more fun for having my Buddhist friends Sona and Narapa there to support me.

Oh yes. And the Ape and Apple does some very good beer.

Here's a little podcast of the evening...

Are you Polish?

Apparently, 25% of the visit to this site come from Poland.

How can this be? What are the people of Poland looking for when they find this site? Could it be that a Polish person, returning to the homeland post-credit crunch has spread the word about a brilliant new comic on the edge of stardom? Could it be that I am famous in Warsaw?

This time next year I could be the toast of Eastern Europe.

But there is bound to be a less exciting explanation.

If you are from Poland and you are reading this, please could you put me out of my misery and explain how you came to be on this page.

Dzieki

Sam x

Audio Clip (contains some saucy language)

 

At my gig last week I christened my new digital voice recorder.

This was a christmas present from my wife and it's really useful for analysing a performance and trying to improve it.

It also means I can share a few little clips of the act with you. I could have shared the whole set with you but then I thought: No, let them come and see me live instead!

Hope you like it.

love

Sam x

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Great Night at The Iguana

It felt fantastic to return to Chorlton for my first gig of 2009 on Monday night.

I lived for 3 life-changing years in a Buddhist community in Chorlton and have a lot of great memories of the place.

It was a quiet night in the Iguana Bar. The first Monday after Christmas was never going to be a wild night - the place was barely half-full and everybody looked a bit partied out. But nonetheless there was a really nice atmosphere.

I was quite nervous during the day and my mind kept going over my act - I couldn't make up my mind what gags to do and what to leave out. Ironically, after loads of agonizing, I ended up improvising quite a bit and I think my best moments where when I had a bit of banter with the crowd.

The minute I got on stage I felt totally bouyant. I loved it. It wasn't the perfect performance by any means and not all the material worked. But I learned a lot and took another small step towards being a polished act.

A few friends turned up to see me perform for the first time which was a bonus. It was lovely to sit down with them for a drink and a chat after my act and to watch the headliner together. Big thanks to Vibhatika, Dan, Mary and Anne-Marie for their warm support.

Excited about 2009!

I'm really excited about 2009.

I'm scared too. Actually there is a fine line between the feeling of excited anticipation and the feeling of totally crapping yourself, isn't there?

Last year was all about seeing if I had the bottle to get on stage and try and make people laugh. To my (and almost everybody else's) amazement, not only did I have the guts - I actually enjoyed it! In fact I bloody loved it.

What could be better than roars of laughter rolling over you like waves on a sun-kissed beach or than walking off-stage to the sound of cheering strangers?

And what could be more of a gut-strangling horror, than hearing the sound of your best gags clanking leaden on the ground as a baffled audience stare back in silence?

And what could be more stimulating than a slanging match with a hundred hecklers on your Comedy Store debut?

Not much, I reckon.

I have absolutely loved my stand-up adventure so far. But 2008 was only the prologue. 2009 is Chapter 1. 50 gigs. 50 chances to soar with the eagles or die on my sorry arse. 

Here I come! Armed with nothing but a microphone, a gob, and my own fevered imagination. Bring it on!