Maybe it's because I've been reading an Elvis Costello biography that I'm so inspired, yet equally feeling a bit fiery at the moment. Costello's work rate is enviable - and his creativity is beyond belief, and even reading about it has given me a kick up the arse. I know I do a lot of things, but to be honest - I really could be doing a lot more, I'm barely scratching the surface. I probably need to change my attitude though in the office, just a little, because I'm getting a little stroppy at times, and I don't mean to be. I can't blame that on the book - but it's the frustration that I feel I should be making a living out of writing and drumming that creeps in, especially after the artistic bliss that was the Edinburgh Fringe. A man still needs to pay the rent though, and I do appreciate the work all the same.
Anyway - not entirely sure why I started this post so negatively, because I am on a bit of a high at the moment. For tonight was a fucking good night. On Friday evening (which I still consider to be last night, even though it's officially Sunday morning as I type this) 'With Arms Outstretched' started the first of two London performances. The venue, The Hen & Chickens, is a brilliant place - you can see why the likes of Stewart Lee still perform there - it's small enough to feel packed with only a handful of people, yet with a lovely performance space, perfect for the kind of show I like to write. It's central, next to a tube line, and has a slightly tatty vibe to it which I really like - the kind of vibe that reminds me a lot of what the Boat Race in Cambridge used to have, you just know legends have passed through here. Friday's performance wasn't bad - especially good because the guys once again have had a week off and not had a chance to refresh with a rehearsal. True, so the energy levels weren't the best it's been, and the odd line might have been stumbled upon, but there was no reason for members of the team to feel so bad about it. The problem genuinely is - they've set themselves such high standards over the last month or so, it's virtually impossible to keep it at that level every single time, as much as the desire is there to do so. Lovely audience too - just 20 of them, but they took to it well, and I went home happy. Today was the last performance, but I was stuck with a dilemma - I was booked to play a gig with Eureka Stockade at the Globe in Cambridge, yet, after all we've been through as a team, it would just be wrong to miss the final, final, final performance of the play - I just had to be there. Somehow, I scraped both. Dropped off my drums at the venue at 4pm (my bandmate Rob very kindly later set them up for me, and even soundchecked the kit for me), headed into London, had some dodgy grub at the venue (great venue, but the food wasn't the best, to be honest), and watched the final performance. I almost felt emotional - this has been a good play for me, my reputation seems to have grown because of it, it felt like such a shame it was the final show but all good things have to end somewhere, and where better to end it than a venue as fantastic as the Hen & Chickens? The final performance started with an exceptional amount of energy - the guys were really up for it tonight. It was going so well until the fire bell rang, halting the show for a bit, causing much awkwardness. It was a false alarm, literally, but did stop the show for what felt like a lifetime (but was about 5 minutes). Still, the energy returned, the audience were again lovely (London audiences = chirpy bunch), and the show ended on a true high. I felt strange - and I know the guys did too. It's been a tough run - Cambridge (x 2), Edinburgh (x 7), Burwell and then London (x 2) not to mention the 4 months of intense rehearsals beforehand for the actors, and before then the 3 months of writing and re-writing for me, aided by a wonderful director. We've all put our souls into this, I feel rather sad it's come to an end. Sadness - or just relief that we're all still friends after such adventures, and that it didn't completely go tits up like most of my Edinburgh shows have done? Elements of the show will return; Kevin as a narrator will be back for the cabaret show (more of a compare, but the same style), I will write more for the characters of Alex & Buddy - simply because I love writing for them (and Colin and Vaughan play them so well), but with Victoria off to drama school this team will dismantle slightly for a while I guess as we move on. We've done well - but whilst the London dates were a superb end to a project we're all so proud of, the cracks were starting to show, it's ended at completely the right time, which is most refreshing. Straight after the show ended at 8.30pm I ran out of the venue, and one tube stop later I was on the train back to Cambridge.
9.52pm I was at Cambridge station, by 9.56pm I was at The Globe - 4 minutes early for my gig. I must be honest, I felt very good dashing in, changing the heights of the cymbals briefly, and then going straight into tonight's gig with Eureka Stockade. And the great thing was - just like the last time we played The Globe, it was a cracking gig. Probably the best we've ever played actually, with the help of a brilliant promoter (Sam Inglis) and brilliant soundguy (can't remember his name), the best sound we've ever had, the new material went down a storm, the audience were so up for it - an all round cracking show. Some people in the audience know the words to the songs better than we do; it's a simple, small thing, but on any level, to know somebody is caring that much to not only turn up, but to singalong and enjoy it, is a really flattering and lovely feeling. These are the kind of days I live for, I feel lucky sometimes, tonight was one of those nights.
What with all these projects on the go, I can't remember the last time I had a really, really good nights sleep. I'm exhausted, but the adrenaline continually bounds me over the finishing line - I'm not just limping over it, I'm proper leaping. I probably need to look into the sleep thing at some point, but the week ahead suggests that's not on the cards just yet. Still, if Costello can do it...
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