Blog 59
Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 10:48AM Thank you for all your urgings for me to return (or not return) to standup. At the moment the plan is that I will be mc-ing part of one of Robin Ince’s Atheist Christmas nights at the Bloomsbury theatre on the 18th of December and I should also be putting together three of four nights, downstairs at the Soho theatre in January, again where I will be compering between acts that I have chosen. I don’t know if I’ll do anything before then. I keep going to comedy clubs with all my bits of paper in my pocket with bits of material scribbled on them thinking I might perform but as soon as I get into the club I think “sod this there’s no way I’m getting up there.” I am often reminded of a line William Goldman the Hollywood screenwriter says is ascribed to him but he thinks in fact is apochryphal since he can’t remember saying it. Anyway according to legend Goldman is in a script meeting being lectured at by some young executive when he stands and says “I’m too old and too rich for this shit” then walks out. I sometimes mention that line to audiences when I’m doing bookreading and they’re never very sympathetic.
In the meantime I have been going round a few comedy clubs to get a feel of what the scene is like these days, if anybody’s got any recommendations for acts they think are good I’d be keen to know. The one thing I don’t find very interesting is all the bland observational stuff that’s out there, “young men in T shirts noticing things” as Tony Laws one of the acts I saw and liked in Edinburgh put it.
Blog 59a
Since you ask Mr Semple, there is a sequel to "Stalin..." planned all being well it should be published in Spring 2013. The title I have at the moment though I may change it is "The Way We Was" It starts round about the time when the film "The Way We Were" came out. For those of you that don't remember this was a movie that starred the two biggest stars of the era Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford and it was all about how great Communists were.
Blog 59b
Hi Mike, if you want a copy of "Didn't you Kill My Brother..." going by Rachel's post there's a copy of the picture 12inch nailed to the wall of a bar in Montmartre. Otherwise its on the Panic album I think.
Reader Comments (40)
Bring back Bobby Chariot!
There seem to be hundreds of comedians on TV today. The “young men in T shirts noticing things” brigade includes Jack Whitehall and Russell Howard, still not sure if they're funny or not. But I quite like Rhod Gilbert...oh, he belongs to that group doesn't he? Greg Davies is funny, and I like to let out a cheer at the end of any Time Vine joke. But otherwise I can't help...shouldn't have really posted then....
xx
The “young men in T shirts noticing things” seems to be a consequence of live comedy having turned into big business. It's like they've done a course in stand-up and studied these "how to write a joke" books.
As Stewart Lee said (something like) - stand-ups used to be unemployable freaks who had to get up on stage just to vent their maniacal thoughts. But there's always a danger of romanticizing the past, and, as with genocide, we should never forget Stan Boardman.
There's a comic called Lewis Schaffer who plays The Source Below in Soho - "Free Until Famous." He's a self-loathing, divorced, bankrupt disaster of a man. He's totally unpredictable and can be blisteringly funny or utter shite, so maybe not bookable if there's no guarantee. I'll try and think of some more.
Tony Law is very good - you can get his DVDs (including a brand new one) from Go Faster Stripe. If anyone cares.
Will Hodgeson is also very good. I saw him battle a crowd and win them over. Something I imagine he has to do a lot.
Damned if all us motorcycle riders can't even find an audio of the skit (season 1 episode 6 ?) of dropping down a cog with Lil (no head but all instinct) and coming around the roundabout...!
Best piece ever but cannot find it anywhere. Bought it on cassette tape back in the late 80's.
HELP!
Paul Kett in Canada
There does seem to be a proliferation of posh comics about; don't really relate to them and every time I see Michael Macintyre my belief in non-violence immediately leaves me.
I go to the comedy club in Glasgow; tough gig for a stand-up, but can be hilarious with audience interaction. I'll keep my eye out for anyone who survives. Hoping Macintyre comes here...
I can highly recommend going to see Sara Pascoe, Peter Beckley and also three Andrews: O'Neill, Lawrence and Maxwell.
Sara Pascoe, in particular, will often appear at the bottom or middle of a bill only to steal the entire evening. She also has a lightning-speed turnover of material, something I've only witnessed happening show-after-show with one other comedian, Simon Munnery.
Good to see Alexei getting a name-check ...in Jim Davidson's blog. (I was Googling Alexei).
http://www.jimdavidson.org.uk/2011/07/21/1328/
It's weird to see Jim replying to most of the posts on there - the positive and negative ones (it's about fifty-fifty) - and how he just doesn't seem to understand the problems with having a spiteful point of view. How it detracts from his argument and confuses things. This was my highlight in his replies:
"I think the only way for a comedian to show his worth on television is live, then it is not edited by some 14-year-old woman producer who thinks she knows about comedy"
Have you ever noticed that Alexei's face is on the ceiling of a dive in Montmartre?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tchatchke/6192313682/in/photostream
Now you are.
Hey Paul from Canada-- that "Drop down a cog, give her a handful is on the "Panic" album, by Alexei S. I have it on vinyl-- used to put it on when I had too many beers. You should be able to get a copy somewhere. Wah wah wah wah- old bill, right, he don't like it-- bloody big tool goin down the road with no head on the rider.... etc etc.
p.s I would post it to youtube, but have no turntable at the moment sorry.
I very much enjoyed 'Stalin Ate My Homework'.
Is a sequel planned, and if so, when will it be published?
Regards
Sean Semple
Spring 2013?!
"if anybody’s got any recommendations for acts they think are good I’d be keen to know"
Darren Maskell is my favourite new act at the moment.
So off the wall but funny at the same time and a prop act who actually uses props well rather than simply as some cloak to hide behind.
Martin Davies is still my favourite old act ... I dont know why but I think it's simply because he has this childlike impish quality - he's genuinely quick witted too. Lots of stand up techniques can be learnt but that kind of fast interaction I dont think can be.
I haven't bumped into Andrews O'Neill in years so he must be very good these days...
Will Hodgeson ...didn't he win Perrier Best newcomer one year?
Dear Alexei
I wish to ask if you can help me with my enquire. Do you know where I can get a copy of your song "Didn't You Kill My Brother?" I have not been able to found a proper stereo version anywhere and would like to hear it again.
I look forward to your reply
Cheers
Mike
Just returned from a trade-visit to Iran, alas the only comedians I saw were in the government.
No beer, long 8 days indeed.
Ooh, a little bit of politics there.
Just finished 'Stalin....' want to say I loved it! Sounds crazy, but it reminded me soo much of my adolescence too- -despite being born 15 years later and growing up in London, and not being a communist. i think things changed so much slower from 1950-1980 than 1980-2010, but some things too are timeless, if that makes sense.
Looking forward to the next installment : )
yes, do come up north, we need something to cheer us from the relentless rain
Diana
Nice work with the library campaign, Alexei :)
http://www.london24.com/news/comedians_stand_up_for_brent_libraries_at_sell_out_gig_1_1098638
xx
-Alexei, it's not me is it.. you'd just send the money over to the hotel, wouldn't you.. FFS-
Used to be a good website, this.