New Year and that

Yo. Happy New Year. Hope it was and is happy. I was out of the country for the first time in my life. (I've been abroad before, not a lot mind but just not over Christmas and New Year). It was pretty nuts. I was in Goa, India. I'd never left Europe, was there for a wedding, watching how they get down over. Had a pretty banging time to be fair, put on a bit of weight round the belly, even got a very mild sun tan on my forearms, imagine that. Anyway, this aint some travel blog, mainly because I don't really travel, unless you include up and down the northern line. However, me and man like Gary From Leeds would this year like to travel a bit round the UK (and anywhere else) if poss and perform our respective Edinburgh shows, Garibaldi and The C/D Borderline, get in touch if you're in any way interested, we've made a little tour package and everything, cann fill you in.

So, it's a new year. Got a few irons in the fire, gonna be doing some Beats and Elements work this year, two new projects, another audio and theatre project I've collaborated on called Robinson, with a writer called Christina Lei and plus all the usual gigs and stuff. Last year was a good year for me, let's hope that continues.

Here's  a little vid from a Sofar Sounds gig I did back in October (I think) which came out towards the end of last year, I dropped this at a gig on Saturday called Dear Diary by a great comidan called Helen Black, at the very nice Canvass Cafe in Brickane. It was the first gig of the year and was really good fun. people read exerts from their teenage diaries so it was quite entertaining.

Count Up To Edinburgh #4 House Swap with Gary From Leeds

And here we are. Wednesday afternoon, with a cup of tea, back arched over a small screen, waiting for this netbook to load up my blog editing page, with all the efficiency of a pissed-up piss head trying to get a door key out of his pocket without collapsing on the floor. All this show stuff, plus everything else life throws at me, is taking it's toll at the moment, however,  I had a fairly good kip last night, which seems to have temporarily addressed the balance. All good training for Edinburgh I guess. Needless to say, I'm pretty knackered but good nonetheless...

Speaking of training, since I decided, back last summer now, that I wanted to come up to Edinburgh with The C/D Borderline, I've been getting a lot of help from a good few people, but in particular Gary From Leeds, who this year is doing his new show Garibaldi. Despite having performed at the  Edinburgh Fringe a few times over the years, I still feel like I'm really inexperienced, especially in taking a solo show and doing a full 3 week run with it. Gary's been a great help, with bit's of advice, doing scratches together, sorting me out a brilliant and accommodating photographer in Susannah Ireland and more recently, giving up his living room up in Wood Green so I could run through all my shit, in front of a few of his friends. In return, Gary came to Morden, in my living room and did the same. Gary provided water melon. I provided crisps and pizza. Less is more.

Gary From Leeds in Garibaldi. Photo by Susannah Ireland

I could run this flippin' show several times on my todd, up in my bedroom,  pretending that I'm smashing it to a packed audience, all to little avail, other than learning the words, but just running through the show twice, with a few trusted people in front of me was worth a hundred solo bedroom performances. Since the Wood Green and Morden runthrough's (aka the home and away legs) I've been able to make some changes and additions to the show which I think improves the whole thing. Having done quite a few public scratch performance for the Bedsit show, where the audience are encouraged to give feedback, often on written forms, I think they feel pressured to say something about what they've seen, or suggest things, where there might not be anything much to say, so inevitably a lot of it it is just bollox. I much prefer this model of having a small invited audience, just to listen to what I've got and maybe offer a few thoughts. Really, I just want see if the thing is shit or not and if the material works in front of real people. That's it really. Gary provided me with that. All hail Gary, he's from Leeds.

I've known Gary From Leeds for a few years now, first met him when we were supporting Richard Purnel with his Boobs, Work and Me show. This is his 4th Edinburgh show I believe and from what I've seen of Garibaldi so far, it's the best yet, it's gonna be a banger. It's absurd, funny, intelligent and highly entertaining. Probably shit adjectives to describe a very good show. At the very least,  it's a call to arms for all Gary's around the UK to rise up ad support the cause of Gary. We all need a Gary in our lives. Here's another one. Gary From Leeds. Bring him into yours.

You can check Gary's show dates HERE. He's gonna be doing Garibaldi in Manchester, Barnes (yes, Barnes, SW London, there's a fringe there apparently) as well as a few others. Well worth checking out.

Speaking of shows. I'm doing THE C/D BORDERLINE PREVIEW ON 2ND JUNE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE IN CAMDEN. In capitols because I need to sell some tickets. Tickets £7.50, starts at 7 p.m

Go on, buy a TICKET, or 20. Pic by Susannah Ireland

This Friday 27th NOv plus new stuff on the Soundcloud

This Friday I'm dropping half an hour's worth of new stuff at

7 Minute Itch, all in aid of the new show I've been banging about which now has a working title of: (Drumroll...)

The C/D Borderline.

Also stepping up on the night with new stuff are Michelle Madson (who set the thing up) Bridgette Minamore (We go way back, Rubix and all that!) Imogen Butley-Cole (who I've not seen before but I'm told is very good) and the legend Gary From Leeds (becoming a bit of a thing this, me and him on the same bill dropping new stuff!)

It's FREE entry - but you need a ticket which you can get HERE 

Elssewhere this week, in my limited, clustered headspace and Soundcloud page, I uploaded another track from The 90 Sick E.P, produced by Elian Gray, I present, None To Run. Enjoy. Hopefully.

 

Feedback feeding me

Yes. It's been a busy few weeks doing shows and what-not. Started last Thursday (5th) at Scratch That Hackney. Had the first roll out of the latest peice of this as yet unnamed show I'm working on. Went pretty well, there was a bunch of good acts there too. My mate Gary From Leeds stepped up doing bits from his new show, Gary Baldie. It's gonna be a banager, trust me. Did another scratch on Monday with Gary called Words In Progress  drropped the same peice again, HMS Kiss. Different crowd, dofferent space, did'nt use the mike but it went alright. Feel in a good place with it. Got some good feedback for both nights. Doing another one on the 27th, called 7 Minute Itch gonna do a half an hour, hopefully with a bit of sound and maybe some movement.

Wound up getting on the mike and MCing over Drum 'N Bass last Saturday evening, at Shorditch Town Hall. It's been a long time since I've done that to a room full of people. I'd gone to see Will Dickie's new peice Rave Space. Will's an artist and DJ who makes perfomances in which he uses movement and sound. Don't know a lot about dance and movement but I know that Will is very good at what he does. It was a sick show in which he dj's (played a load of classic Drum and Bass tracks) afterwads he kciked a full set and asked me If I wanted to MC. I was a bit shy and hestitated, but then I'd hd a few beers so thought fuck it. Had a great time!

Tuersday evening saw me head up to Birmingham for Grizzly Pear, run by the Writers Block society at Birmingham Uni. Great night, really well run and attended. Very warm crowd. Did a whole 40 minutes too, don't get sets like that very often. Loved it.

On to Sunday and I dropped this on the Soundcloud. Yea