 | |
| So many stars...what does it all mean? AWESOME!! |
Oh. My. Sweet. Lord.
I am so effing exhausted.
George and I are ensconced in our dear friends' home in Lambeth (in London) and I am reflecting on the last few weeks and, I am not going to lie to you people, I feel a bit like I have been physically assaulted but not in a totally bad way...if there is such a thing...
31 days in Edinburgh.
24 shows.
12 promotional gigs. Gigs ranging from 10 minute bumps of your show (trying to craft the best 10 minutes to entice audience members to come on out) "Best of the Fest" shows, "Pick Of The Fringe" and a fancy turn for the Edfringe proper for "Friends of the Fringe" at the Virgin-Mobile-Bank-Fancy-Building-in-New-Town (this is the only way I can describe it...it looked a bit like this...to give you an idea)...
...to me hosting the List Magazine opening party (they called me a compere...SO fancy) from 10:30pm till 2:00am...yes, you read that right...and then hosting the Waverly Cares night at the New Town Bar...which was amazing...from 8:00pm till 10:30pm...so many things...so many gigs...so much talking and singing...so little sleep...the energy is so all consuming...it makes it hard to sleep when you actually have the time.
So...where were we...31 days...24 shows...12 promotional gigs...and one scotch a day...to keep me honest....or just a little bit drunk...I am not sure which, really...really.
Team #GOLD out on the Mile and in the Pleasance Courtyard every LIVE LONG DAY!! Filling my houses everyday! I had the best houses of all the peeps that I knew! Never a shit house! THEY WORKED THEIR ASSES OFF!
Rob Harris, the producer of awesomeness.
Huw Allen, the assistant producer of excellence.
Simon Sanders, the husband/pitch hitter/flyerman for Rob
and my dear love of my life...George Masswohl.
I CANNOT convey to you the time and planning that went into every day of selling.
Every other artist WISHED they had a Team #GOLD. Other artists went so far as to try to poach TEAM #GOLD.
YOU BETTER NOT.
Just...well, so lucky was I.
And to Anjali Kale (Queen of all Things Technical/Stage Management) I give my deepest kisses.
And then...to Cooch...we rocked the shit out of that shit, Cooch. LOVES. Loves. Loves.
TEAM #GOLD!
One of my greatest joys was being present at Michael Hughes' first show at the Edinburgh Fringe and the last...he was amazing to begin with...but the growth that happened because he had the chance to perform his show 20 times in a row in front of an international audience...lord, it made me cry. I remember this day.
The day (Five Years AGO!) I had him on "Sharron's Party" and then I sat there 3 days ago and watched him kill it in Scotland...holy fuck.
I just wanted to have the Canadian Gov't see all these great things, these audacious acts of creativity...other artists should get the chance to do this and not have to sell his or her left nut to do it.
SO MANY Canadians in Edinburgh this year....so many young entrepreneurs out there...via NY....via London...via Scotland...via Vancouver...so many...doing their thing...branching out...seeing the world...and getting the chance to see the work of so many other artists...and being inspired. Being shocked...being surprised. So many things.
Now, please clock the fact that I have had two scotches and one glass of wine and a wonderful meal prepared by my dear friend Tober, who takes me in this time of year and soothes my frazzled and tired soul. I cannot thank HIM enough.
This year I learned many things.
That I will continue to find a great way to pace myself yet still give 100%.
I will forever try to perfect that.
To stay stay stay in the moment...even when the lady in the front row is going through her purse...or a lady is gettin up to pee as I getting to one of the most important moments of my show....or as 12 people have a conversation with me when I ask a rhetorical question.
To roll with the vibe the audience is giving off...it is probably not what I planned by why the fuck fight it....give in...as Lola says.
WAIT!
Please let me interject...that I saw David Effing Hasselhoff do his "one man show"...yes, there are quotes...my god...what the ....when will we ever...what just...I have never been a part of something like that. High camp...then a dude trying to be take seriously doing a Bob Seger duet as a ballad...and then bringing out a neon Berlin Wall and knocking it down with two crusty lash-ed (yes, you know what I mean) blond skank dancers. Oh my sweet lord.
There were two hundred of us...and when we exited flyerers said to us...as they, obviously, handed us flyers..."Yes, that just happened...but so is this in about an hour...and it will probably be better.".
My god.
Life here is a trip.
A fabulous trip...but a trip all the same.
We had great houses.
We sold out a number of times.
We laughed...I cried...we drank...we slept at 5:00pm a number of times...we always had a Sunday night game of Celebrity that turned ugly....
 | |
| Rob, Fiona and Simon play CELEBRITY! |
We celebrated...commiserated...knocked on each others doors for comfort...and ate dinner together almost every day...and it was magic.
What an amazing month.
I thank the universe and TEAM #GOLD.
What a time we had.
A few final thoughts...some that may not be popular...but what the scotch?
I think the landlords of the accommodations are fucking bleeding acts dry...for not a lot of quality service...but what kind of service would be enough for $5000.00 for the month...yes, you read me right...$5000.00. It is a sin and a crime, really. People know it is just a part of what happens...but please! FOR ARTISTS!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!
I feel that the chasm that exists between the big comedy acts and the rest of the festival is as big as the fucking grand canyon...uh oh...it is like a whole different festival...a BIG ACT comedy festival perhaps...how does one compete with banners the size of the Titanic? One doesn't, really.
Thanks to the Pleasance for being such an amazing venue...I have dreamt about being a part of your roster...and it was amazing, really. The tech crew, the venue manager...all the Pleasance people...and the experience was just stellar. Special shout out to Theo, Tom, Aisha and Lindsay who worked in my space and Xander, Elise and Tim...who worked downstairs!! You guys are top drawer!
Lord...I am feeling sleepy...I have my London gigs this Friday the 31st and Sunday the 2nd to get all ready for!
Check here for the times and venues! COME ON OUT!!
Here is the POP Up version of the last week as I fall off to sleep! Night all! And thanks Edfringe 2012!!!
 |
| Cooch's instagram of some of our neighbouring acts in the Pleasance Above and Below!! |
 |
| Cooch's Instagram of me and my European Stalker...who I love...Kris! |
 | |
| Chris and Abby Collins...at BEst of the Fest |
 | |
| More Above and Below!!! |
 |
| George is a pirate at Celebrity this week! |
 |
| We miss our dogs. George met Buddy on the Mile. |
 |
| Tired and Kooka! |
 | |
| Charlie's Angels of the Tesco |
 |
| Outside the Cowgate Rooms...we are monsters... |
 | |
| Sweet Love. |
 |
| Time to go home...yes...it is. We shall miss you...but our time is over! |
No comments:
Post a Comment