Radio radio

Ah well, that's Easter out the way for another year. Not really Christmas, is it? Still, an excuse to spend a couple days 'relaxing' and building the inspirations. Recent examples of this are:

The Wave Pictures - fantastic show in Cambridge, I'm listening to their last album, the wonderful 'Instant Coffee Baby' more than your average indie-tunage admirer should do.

David Byrne - fantastic show in Oxford. Didn't know much of his stuff going into the gig, but my old mucker Kerry has a supreme music taste and I've learnt to trust his judgement. 3 backing singers, 3 dancers, a percussionist, and shed-loads of good songs. A 'show', not a 'gig' actually.

Tony Hancock, Galton & Simpson - as usual, but the charm of the most simplistic of sitcom writing is still stronger than ever. I'm also very much into this current trend of Channel 4, 9.30pm sitcoms - Peep Show, Plus One, Inbetweeners...all rather marvelous. But back to Galton & Simpson - any writing which can tell a story with equal delivery on either radio or television is a bit special.

It's okay being inspired all the time though, but how about actually getting something done? Well, I feel like I am making progress, but I am starting to get the feeling I'm going round in circles a little. I'm trying - I really am, but the constant gigging in front of the same audience, the same Fringe festivals, the same false hope...it's time for a little direction. I'll keep the DIY approach going for the writing in the meantime - and there's plenty happening what with the Fringe Festivals both creeping up, but the novelty is wearing off a little. Our Edinburgh Fringe venue went bust, got a new one - that's happened before, I didn't even panic this time. Some of the cast don't seem excited about Brighton anymore and rehearsals have been a bit slow in getting off the ground - yep, been here, done that a couple years ago. Got a sketch show coming up for 8 weeks time and we've still not 100% confirmed our slot, got a cast, got a director or written it yet...actually, no, that's a new one, but I'm smug enough to know we'll pull it off somehow. All of this just means that I'm not much of a writer at the moment, I'm a producer. All the admin for these shows takes up so much of my time, new material isn't getting a look in and this needs to change. Yet, equally, as a young scruff bag such as I who writes material which I believe can be liked by a decent sized audience yet equally isn't probably the most commercial appealing, the DIY approach is essential or else I'd become purely a bedroom writer, writing for myself and getting excited about small read-throughs at local writers groups. The answer is simple RADIO RADIO RADIO RADIO RADIO and if the radio rascals don't like it I'll just get them recorded as a podcast. The spontaneity of live theatre can still very much exist. I'm currently writing a new version of my play 'Gone Midnight' for an Essex hospital radio station, not exactly the world just yet but I'm learning this medium, and then I'm gonna go for the BBC.

It could work, I just need to keep on writing - Paul Richards is not an admin assistant, he's an artist. I often forget that...

I'm also going to try and get my work performed in more countries as that looks brilliant on the CV, and get myself an agent - although that's easier said than done, there must be one out there somewhere though?

Musically I've realised it's time to take a step back, a breather, and remember that playing 5 gigs a week in Cambridge does not make you into a professional musician. The key is more about the quality of artist, and now starting to realise a good album can get you a long way. 'Songs About Darling', which I'm currently working on with Kerry 'the genius' Lambert could well be that. Let's hope so! If not, still got loads of gigs coming up, you know, just in case.

Ah yes, and I've now lost 2 plates to cooking disasters, I'm not cut out for this domestic life. Been listening to a Stevie Wonder live album all day at work and felt instantly positive. I sense it's going to be on repeat for the next few months, a positive Paul is often a productive Paul. Or at least a Paul that gets himself into one or two naughty scrapes, which sometimes is equally as fun.