The more observant among the four unique users who have visited this site in the past week will know that I’ve not written about anything in a while, this is because I have not done any gigs in the past week or two.
I did have some booked in, but had to pull out due to suffering my third bout of the flu in as many months. The failings in my immune system can be partly attributed to going out and gigging too many nights a week after working a full day, then not getting enough sleep. But I’m more inclined to blaming the disease ridden tube that I have to use in rush hour every day, as then I can justify my extra curricular activities.
In comedy news, there have been some gargantuan developments as far as Edinburgh is concerned. A week ago, an email was sent basically offering the venues and time-slots no-one wanted. A feeding frenzy ensued with all the comics going for the limited number of spots; and having read the email about an hour and a half after everyone else, I knew my chances of securing a venue were slim. Then as each day went by and I had no response, I could see Edinburgh 2012 slipping away.
However, I soon discovered that other comics had also missed out on venues and were equally disappointed. So, on Friday night (I think it was), during the middle of a shower, a light-bulb switched on above my head. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a real light-bulb, that would have been very dangerous.
I had an idea: what about finding our own venue and running our shows from there, independent of everywhere else.
I didn’t quite phrase it like that in my head, but I gathered the disappointed comics together and told them of my plan. I knew the odds would be against us, as the chances of finding a venue in central-ish Edinburgh with nothing going on during the Fringe were very slim.
So I sent out a few emails to bars and had a reply. I called up the manager for a chat yesterday and it was all very positive. In short, we now have a venue in Edinburgh where we can perform not just our own shows, but in our own separate little Fringe.
The odds will be stacked against us again up there, as the venue is slightly tucked away from the rest of the Fringe. But I’m confident that with enough commitment and effort then we can make a success of it. Being the underdog suits me perfectly, I don’t know any other way.
These are exciting times, this is something new and no-one knows how it is going to pan out. But you will be able to find out how it all develops on here. Vive la révolution.