The Nights Must Fly By

Well that Bank Holiday weekend went a bit too quickly, didn't it? I keep reading Facebook statuses about people enjoying the sunshine, but I'm not at all bitter that I missed out of most of it due to running around all over the place, no, no not at all. Actually, not at all - I always get lazy when the sun comes out, luckily my weekend was pretty much booked up anyway so there was no chance of that happening. On Saturday we took the, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards' show up to Kendal. To say I felt fresh and active in the morning would have been a lie considering it was my birthday drinks the night before in which I met up with many good friends, drank many beers, and probably offended many people - I can't really remember much of it to be honest. According to Nadia I was dancing outside a pub, I literally have no recollection of this at all. All I can remember about the latter half of the evening is Izzy drinking my last pint for me because I (kind of) knew my limits but didn't want to seem un-manly by rejecting a beer, and Grace being wonderful for driving me home...I can only imagine what nonsense I must have been saying to that poor girl. I got her some Kendal Mint Cake to say thank you. Kendal itself was a long-ish drive, a 9 hour round trip, but Hind and I are so used to working with each other by now that it wasn't much of an issue - there's the banter for a couple of hours, a few good tunes, a line run, me getting stressed about how late we potentially could be, Hind will spill something on my floor, I'll de-stress when I realise we are going to make it in plenty of time...it's all quite routine now. Good show in Kendal - Wilf's Cafe is a fantastic venue and with food that I'd heartily recommend to anyone. My performance was a little rushed at first and the audience were, in the nicest (and factually correct) way, of an older nature and it took a few minutes for everyone to feel comfortable with each other - but we got there, and after about 10 minutes things were very much going the way they should be.

Due to my inability to switch off despite being exhausted after the drive home (instead of sleeping I started working on an idea for a cabaret show), I needed a bit of Red Bull to get me going yesterday morning, but it was worth it - a day at the ADC theatre with the WriteOn lot. I was acting in a fantastic short play by Jenny Scudamore called 'Multiple Choice: Vignettes' alongside Erica (who I've wanted to work with for a while as she's brilliant) and directed by Michelle (who I've worked with a lot, and she's still brilliant). It was proper serious theatre at times, I was slightly out of my comfort zone as an actor, because I still don't consider myself to actually be one. But there was also some nice comedic moments in there, just awkward glances, that kind of thing and as you know - if there's one thing I can do, it's awkward. A great challenge, so many potential intricacies in the script, and Michelle had so many ideas - I think we got a good few of them across, in front of a large (sold out?) audience. Also on the same bill, my new play, 'The Nights Must Fly By' was performed by Sarah Middle and Alan Hay, directed by Geoff Broad - they all did a cracking job with it, but from a writing point of view it wasn't my finest offering. Written in a rush, it's about a woman who gets frustrated by a smoke alarm continually going off, and she drifts from completely losing the plot to trying to retain her dignity...it's a nice enough concept, it got a few laughs, the feedback was largely positive, but this will probably go into my 'leave this for now' pile, despite the great work of the cast and director. I do like these WriteOn evenings though, I was at the ADC for 10 hours yesterday but it didn't feel like it - Hind and Izzy, who I both work with extensively of course, were both coincidentally in other plays on the same billing, and Sarah Ingram - who directed 'An Embarrassment Of Richards' and who is about to direct our forthcoming show, 'Redundancy Club', was the producer for the evening. In between the rehearsals, the tech and performance, it was nice to hang out with them all - Izzy and I even found time to run through, 'Redundancy Club' ahead of the staged reading tomorrow night.

Today I've been rehearsing with The Prisoner Of Mars ahead of some live shows soon and it's great to be playing some rock and roll, they're good tunes, they are. Then I met up with Alister, and then Grace, and then putting together the essential voiceover bits needed ahead of tomorrow's, 'Redundancy Club.' I live by myself, but my landlady is next door. She can only have assumed that I was talking to myself when I was recording the material on my iPhone. Not sure what she would have thought when I had to record the line, "get your kit off" in a particular pervy voice though...

Kindle, Bury, 32

This week a collection of my plays was released as a Kindle book. This was supposed to happen in time for the tour just to help build ‘brand Richards’ and all that, although that wasn’t purely the only reason why it’s also called, ‘Some Plays By Paul Richards.’ Anyway, a few cock-ups later and it’s finally out there – the scripts for 10 plays I’ve been working on over the last 8 years or so, a couple of the Edinburgh shows, a few pieces that have done me proud, a couple newer plays. Much my to amazement it hit the starry heights of 42 in the Kindle comedy charts, which made me both happy and confused in equal measure.

Talking of, ‘Some Plays By Paul Richards’, we performed it again last night for the first time in a month or so. It’s amazing what a month off can do, the refresher rehearsal with Hind on Monday afternoon was worrying to say the least – how can I know a show so well but forget so much of it in the space of 35 days? I’m blaming it on the fact that in that time I’ve been working on two other shows, so my head is just full of other words at the moment. We dug in, got it together, and eventually it all came back to me, and by the final line-run in the car on the way to the venue we knew we’d probably be okay. In the end it was more than okay; we performed at The Bay Tree Cafe in Bury St Edmunds to a completely packed audience – a wonderful, wonderful audience who were just so spirited before we even spoke that we felt so comfortable, so welcome, it was a truly lovely evening in a fantastic venue. We’re up in Cumbria with the show tomorrow night, I needed this month off from performing it to work on the new stuff but equally, it felt great last night to be back with the ‘current’ show – and what an odd show it is...it’s the least theatrical show they’ll see all year, it’s virtually a solo comedy but we’re not brave enough to call it stand-up, yet somehow we seem to be winning people of all ages over (last night the audience ranged from 17-60) wherever we perform it. Last night was my final evening as a 31-year-old. I’m quietly confident things are moving in the right direction.

Writing 'Redundancy Club'

I've had detailed notes for this show for a while now, I've had the idea for even longer...but finally, over the last couple of weeks, I've been able to actually sit down and sweat out the script for 'Redundancy Club', which is the show we have heading to the fringe this year alongside the tour play, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards.' A lot of people seem to think I should be worried about confirming a show before it's written, but that's the norm for me these days - if anything it helps me push on and get on with it, and to be honest - the fringe is in August, which is a fair while off yet and I bet there are a lot of writers also in the same boat. Anyway, the first draft is written - I've put a lot of myself into this one, I've let others down in the process by pulling out of stuff which I'm not proud of (because, despite what I'd like to tell you, there simply isn't enough time for everything), there's been a few late nights, a lot of caffeine and a fair bit of beer involved during the process of nailing something that looks like it could have legs. Naturally, my extensive notes are often ignored as the script spirals off in a completely different direction altogether, and then I remember why I made those notes in the first place - and that's because I don't want the plot to spiral off. 50 minutes isn't a long time when you have a lot to say, and at the moment the script looks too long - I timed it last night and it's around the 65 mark, but it's nice to be in a position where we can cut rather than have to add.

I'm putting it aside for a short while now to work on material for Louise Hamilton's fringe show ('Eartha Tydeville: My Husband's Funeral Party') and a Lodestar piece for The Gamlingay Players ('I Think He's Onto Us') before looking at it again with fresh eyes, and I'll probably hate a lot of it - which is a shame because at the moment I'm feeling quite proud of it as a piece of writing. It's very energetic - this year we wanted to move away from the standard one-act comedy play format and into a play/narrative sketch show crossover, high-octane stuff, and 'Redundancy Club' ticks all of those boxes on paper. The show will open on 26th July in Cambridge - three Cambridge performances and also previews in Great Massingham and Gamlingay that weekend...I'll be playing three gigs that weekend too, and moving house, it'll happen - somehow, because it just has to. At the end of this month, on Bank Holiday Monday, Izzy will see the script for the first time, and a day later our director, Sarah, will see it as we give it a full reading at our regular new material night in the basement of CB2 in Cambridge.

Before that, I'm back on the road with the, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards' show with Hind - two dates next week, Bury St Edmunds and Kendal, my very new play, 'The Nights Must Fly By' is being given a first airing by WriteOn at the ADC Theatre Bar on Sunday evening and on the same billing I'm acting in a wonderful little play by Jenny Scudamore.

There's plenty of band stuff happening too - recorded a great new track with the British IBM last week at Half Ton Studios with producer Bugs, the track is called, 'CGI Adventures' and Aidy and Dave have been presenting it at the Retro Gaming Expo in Wolverhampton this weekend, hopefully it'll be available for everyone else to hear at some point as it's a goodun. I start rehearsing with Fred's House next week ahead of some summer festival dates, tickets for the Dowsing Sound Collective gig at Ely Cathedral are now on sale, the jazz project with Grace is changing and developing in a totally brilliant way, booking Edinburgh Fringe gigs for Trevor Jones and myself, more gigs with the British IBM, Flaming June, Eureka Stockade and The Prisoner Of Mars in the next few months, plus recording with Alister Bunclark and Rohan Leach.

I turn 32 next week, the fear is that one day I'd start to slow down, but I'm busier than ever. It's all good, then.

Currently listening to: Stornoway - Tales From Terra Firma; Duke Special - Adventures In Gramophone; I Am Kloot - Let It All In

Currently reading: David Ford - I Chose This.

Currently watching: Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, Match Of The Day, Would I Lie To You

Currently eating: Badly - I had a bit of a 'learning to cook' period at the tale end of last year/early this year, but with the exception of the (rather nice, if I may say so myself) meal I cooked for Grace last month before our rehearsal I have been completely on the burgers and pizzas whilst writing this new material. Not big, not clever, I do know this.

Currently of the realisation that: I write better material when dressed smartly; the scruffier my clothing, the messier my dialogue, so it seems.

Gig report: Eureka Stockade @ The Portland Arms, Cambridge

Band: Eureka Stockade
Venue: The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Date: 17/05/13
Audience: Quite busy, quiet but nice
Set: Speed Of Sound, Without You, Caught In A Fire, If, Through Every Darkness, All Alone, Violence
Notes: This felt like a short set - even though it was a standard half an hour support slot, but it's shame we didn't get a chance to play 'This Vow' - which is my favourite track of the new Eureka material. Saying that, it was good to blast through some new stuff on Friday night - Speed Of Sound, Caught In A Fire and If are all non-album tracks that will be released at some point and these also feel like probably the strongest songs in the set. It wasn't a bad gig at all - supporting local legends Sunday Driver, average turnout but those who were there applauded at the right time, can't really argue with that.

Recording with The Prisoner of Mars, and other such adventures

Over the course of the last week I have drummed for Flaming June, Trevor Jones, Bare Bones Band, Eureka Stockade, Dowsing Sound Collective (band session and also rehearsal with full choir), the British IBM and The Prisoner of Mars...I've thoroughly enjoyed most of it, as much as it's perhaps halted the progress of the latest draft of the fringe script. The Edinburgh Fringe means a lot to me this year - more so than any other year perhaps. There are many reasons behind this - a key reason being that I've got all of August up there and if we're stuck with a script that doesn't work/feels mediocre after five performances, it's going to be a very miserable time indeed. Also, I just feel the need to develop - to progress, I'm proud of what has been achieved in previous years but I'm far too reliant on using awkward situations as a comedic device. We have a wonderful venue this year for 'Redundancy Club', a great team (just two performers - Izzy and myself, with Sarah Ingram directing and Alan Morgan doing sound stuff), the opportunity is there to create something rather special. But the writing of it has often felt like another Oscar Pike play (nothing too wrong with this, but we're mutually done with Oscar now - a third show would be too much, as much as I still want to write 'The Inevitable Demise Of Oscar Pike' at some point), but the first draft of the new show is finally showing signs of something a bit exciting - it's fresh, it's manic, it'll be exhausting to perform. Our other fringe show of course is 'Some Plays By Paul Richards' but that's all tried and tested, with previews confirmed and everything, I'm almost getting cocky about it...

Pulling my hair out writing the show aside, it's been a great week to be a drummer - I know it's my life anyway, but to be playing with this range of artists has been a bit of a treat. From drumming for just Grace (vocals) in our duo project (Bare Bones Band) on Friday night to backing a full choir on Saturday with Dowsing, there's been plenty to stretch my musical bones. Yesterday the busy, busy week concluded with recording drum parts for the new Prisoner Of Mars album, 'Stage Directions'. Drums were recorded in a warehouse in Huntingdon and they sound bright, full of life, with a 'live' feel but still with a certain amount of control. Songs were learn't "Neil Young style" - Bryan showed us the songs, we play through it, we record it. The result was 10 drum tracks successfully laid down in the space of 4 hours, 9 original songs and a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Paper Thin Hotel' - a wonderful session in which I had the chance to play without restriction. If only all recording sessions were as easy as this!

The admin of life (press for the preview dates, programme blurbs, sorting my schedule which is double booked to buggery) will now consume me for a couple days, but by the time I write my next blog post I hope to have written an absolute masterpiece. But then again, I always hope that.

Gig report: the British IBM @ The Castle, Luton

Band: the British IBM
Venue: The Castle, Luton
Date: 11/05/13
Audience: Busy enough, enthusiastic
Set: Cannibal, 3 Years, Animal, Sugar Water, Bob Noyce, Oscar Pike, Feeling, Just Said No, The British IBM
Notes: Despite one or two glitches in the run up to this show (me getting very lost, very very lost indeed - making us a little late, and a misunderstanding regarding who is providing drum hardware meaning we had to use a chair for a snare stand) this wasn't a bad night at all. I've always been very dismissive of Luton - I've always considered it to be an ugly place with a scary amount of gun crime - and I stand by this, but The Castle was a lovely place to play; excellent soundman who understood our needs completely and we felt very welcome indeed. Our support act, Liam Burke, was very enjoyable, our set was alcohol-fueled but with enough passion to cover any technical slips and the audience were really into it. A good night, after a long, exhausting week of drumming for pretty much everyone I know.

Gig report: Black Bull Music Festival, Godmanchester

Bands: Flaming June, Trevor Jones
Venue: The Black Bull, Godmanchester
Date: 05/05/13
Audience: Busy, happy
Sets: Flaming June: Rejoice, Stop The Ride, Rumplestilstkin, Nerves Of Steel, Those Were The Days, The Infidel, Little Love In A Cruel World, Wednesdays & Weekends. Trevor Jones: Broken Chains, Bad Man, Can't Take This Anymore, Old Fashioned Woman, Alive, Roll On The Rain, Falling
Notes: Cracking little festival, that one. On a Bank Holiday Sunday, with a decent BBQ, an enthusiastic crowd, and playing with two bands that I'm really enjoying being the drummer/percussion for at the moment. As you probably know, I'm not normally this optimistic, and it's fair to say that one or two of my projects aren't quite moving in the direction I'd like right now, but this felt like a good one. The festival ran over two stages; one outdoors and one inside, both of my acts played inside and despite the blistering sunshine we had enough people stroll in to make us feel welcome. Flaming June played a rare 'family friendly' set which still offered enough punch to make it feel like a real work out. Trevor Jones - playing as a full band (Trevor, Tony, Ali, me) oozed through a nice set with the odd complex bit, these songs are a joy to play. Enjoyed that one a lot, and agreed to join the lovely Fred's House for some summer festival gigs whilst there too.

Fringe confirmed, new projects, new material, new stuff

My weekly to-do list, which is typically a long list of admin tasks (book new tour dates, confirm gigs here and there and everywhere for such and such band, send script to this place) has barely been touched this week, mostly because of all the exciting creative things which have kicked off.

Our Edinburgh Fringe run is now confirmed - it's really great to be working with PBH again, we did shows with them in 2010 and 2011, our venue is a brand new one for the festival but we have the perfect theatre slot and it's all rather lovely. Takes a lot of work and persistence to get a fringe show at the best of times, but this year - with 40% more applicants to the free fringe, it's been even trickier, but we got there in the end thanks to the wonderful Mr Buckley-Hill's management. As I say, it's a good slot - now we just need to have the shows worthy of them. For week one of the fringe I'll be doing the, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards' show alongside Hind, and then for weeks two and three, Izzy is up and we're performing the 'Redundancy Club' show - which I'm still writing at the moment. The concept and painstakingly clear treatment for it has been ready for a while, I know these characters inside out and what will happen to them, where the big jokes will be, where the twists and turns will be...just need a couple days to nail that damn dialogue and then rehearsals can start. Izzy is away in Spain next week, I reckon I'll have it written by the time she comes back.

It's been quite a fruitful time as a writer of late, little things keep happening to me and then I elaborate them to develop stage plays - for example the smoke alarm next door kept going off (that's now the main plot device in, 'The Nights Must Fly By' which WriteOn are performing at the ADC Theatre Bar next month), a girl rejects me (that featured, perhaps a bit too heavily in, 'Filling In The Gaps' which we gave an airing of last night at the new material show - which was hit and miss, but more hit than normal). In the meantime we're booking more dates for the 'Some Plays...' show around the country with another little tour being plotted at the moment, 'Toxic Tornado' is being presented at the Hotbed Festival at the Junction, 'An Embarrassment Of Richards' is now live on YouTube. I'm back as the Director Of Theatre for Lodestar Festival this year which is an amazing thing, I always like to write something new for that festival alongside our fringe shows (Lodestar is conveniently 4 days after the Edinburgh Fringe ends), the ideas are coming in quicker than I can write them, but I guess that's what Red Bull was invented for.

Musically it's been great to be playing regularly with the British IBM and Eureka Stockade again, Flaming June are always gigging and that's been really fun, The Dowsing Sound Collective is kicking back into life ahead of the huge shows and with Trevor Jones it's ranged from being duo sets where I'm a manic conga player to full-band stuff where I've had to be the laid-back session pro - I enjoy it either way. Grace Williams and I recently started a new project and it's ludicrously ambitious (and this is coming from a man who plays with Dowsing) - this girl has a breathtaking voice and I can't wait for our recordings to go public, I wasn't in the market for another project but sometimes you just have to do these things, don't you? I've also got some recording sessions popping up in the coming months with bands I've never played with before (in one instance, never even met) which keeps things interesting, and particularly looking forward to recording jazz with the mighty Rohan Leach - a good friend and magnificent musician.

Things are moving in the right direction, that's for sure. Nowhere on my to-do list does it say calm down, Richards, but then again - there really isn't time for that right now.