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Tour diary #2
Posted Monday, January 15, 2007
SHOW 2 AT BRACKNELL :
This was better, last night was baggy, this one was much tighter and more together. Comedy is about cutting and we really cut out as much of the 'iffy' stuff as poss last night. I was well pleased. Some things still got mere titters, but at least we know where we are now.
Massive sigh of relief.
Show 3 - ALDERSHOT - what a neat little place, tucked away up the road from the church, this little arts centre; a very nondescript exterior, but a tres buzzy interior...small audience the capacity's about 108, I almost offered to come to everyone's house individually and do the show in their kitchens, but I overcame that thought and did the show right there...it was good. I motored a bit at the start , only taking the foot off the pedal when I got to Rachel. You'd think that after 32 years I'd be Mr 'Hey , take it easy , let them come to you' , but I still come out some times like a bull at the gate, wanting to rip into the material...must learn to breathe and be calm...breathe and be calm...breathe and be calm...
Pretty good show now, I'd say - there are some areas that need work, but as Kim (my main collaborator) is away on this long ass holiday, the director and I can only cut and do the obvious changes..
I don't know why I'm writing this , I should be grafting.
It's looking like a good year so far. The tour is selling well and everybody seems happy with what Hamish and I are attempting. I've got to do some press and radio to promote some of the more stubborn gigs, but apart from those, we're doing pretty well, I'd say.
It's a new thang, ya'all.
I can't believe I didn't comment on the passing of Mr James Brown.
I met James a couple of times, the first time was when I was doing Lenny Henry Hunts the Funk with Susan Shaw directing for the South Bank Show. James was doing Wembley arena and had agreed to do the interview for a sum of cash in a brown carrier bag. I didn't want to pass up the new and rejuvenated Hardest Working Man In Showbusiness (he had just had a massive hit with Living in America) so the cash was found. We watched the show (which was great) and then there was a long wait back stage as we queued for our moment
of glory with the Godfather of soul.
There were several other camera crews and presenters -all standing in line with brown paper bags at the ready. I realised that the Mr Please Please Please, should have named his name to Mr ' I'll have that in large denominations notes please, thank you'. Not only was he being paid over the table for his spectacular show, he was also carving out a nice little niche for himself in running around money with all the interviews he was doing after the show. God bless him, I thought...people want to pay for the privilege of being in your presence -more fool them. So 'Big fool' me walks in, and James is there, cooling backstage after the show. He's got the big bouffant hair, the impossibly white teeth and the razor sharp crease in the pants. Shiny shoes. His assistant has the biggest quiff I've ever seen, he looked like the black member of Sha Na Na , elegant, poised to do Mr Brown's bidding at the first sign of a grunt.
Mr Brown sat in his seat , was powdered down, every speck of dust brushed from his funky shoulders. I began the interview. For 20 minutes, I sat in awe as The Minister For The New New Super Heavy Funk, took me through his musical manifesto ...and I didn't really understand a word of what he was saying.
James muttered, in that Georgia drawl, hoarsened by too many nights of hooting and a hollering , screeching and a-yelling over a fonky back beat, punctuated by horns, rimshots , slides and splits.
Imagine if you will a series of grunts, moans and coughs, interrupted by the odd 'And then I said to Maceo..' and 'Fred loved Chinese food' ... and '...the good foot'
Susan's a genius, so the interview played well within the context of the show. There were rather a lot of shots of me nodding and smiling, barely hiding the fact that I was scared witless to be in the presence of genius.
And he was a genius wasn't he ? He took what he had and shaped his world to fit him. He worked his nuts off, he invented the funk, he worked like a trojan, he made some moneys, and then he was gone.
I hope he had a good time while he was here.
I'm off to play some records..
Peace , ya'all
Len Jan 2007
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