Thursday 30 April 2009

Everything I write...


...turns to shite. Why did I ever think I could write sketch comedy? We've got 15 days until our director wants the scripts, and I'm just churning out rubbish and more rubbish. I should just stick to what I know, I am aware being out of my comfort zone is a healthy thing, but not when there's a deadline.

On a lighter note, Eureka Stockade EP launch this Friday night, the EP itself sounds rather good, and with the exception of one hesitant fill on the opening track I think the drums don't sound bad either. EP cover is above, just sorting out the worldwide digital distribution for it now...

Sunday 26 April 2009

A Good Weekend


I sit here in slightly humid Shepreth fairly late on a Sunday evening (it's 11.30pm), a little skint (understatement) but generally optimistic after a good weekend. Friday I left work early to play with The Lunar Pilots in Colchester at the Twist. The last time I played there was with Dear Old Blighty several years ago and I still remember the vocalist Kerry (yep, the chap I'm working with again now after a couple years off) standing outside the venue as I arrived visibly nervous of the clientele and generally, Colchester. But whilst the outside was still as horrible as it was on my previous visit (I'm too tired to think of a better word to describe Colchester than 'horrible' right now but you get the gist) I found the Twist a thoroughly enjoyable little venue, very clean, a remarkably good sound guy and generally a nice vibe. I've done the right thing in leaving The Lunar Pilots though I think, my heart is leaning towards jazzy funky artiness, but I am still happy to put my all in to my remaining couple of gigs with them, it's the least I can do after leaving them without a drummer. Saturday I had another gig with them - this time at The Dirty South in Lewisham, London. Realising it's a bugger to get to by train, I opted to drive, and searched long and hard for somebody to join me on the trip because let's face it - me, driving to London, not going to work. I just needed somebody to scream at me when I'm in the wrong lane/bus lane/one-way street, that kind of thing. My karma was pretty bad for most of Saturday morning during this finding somebody process...and then my good old mucker Steve not only agrees to join me, but he also drove! Partly because he's got a new car, but mainly I think it's because Steven Megson is a very good friend. The same for Matt, who joined us on the trip, and we generally had a lovely time. Drank some beer, went to Nandos, watched the Spurs match on TV, that kind of thing. Ah yes, and played a gig too. Much better than the Colchester show - oddly the same songs and we didn't play them any different, but a much nicer audience, it was almost like they wanted to hear us or something. The headliner was Mark Morriss from The Bluetones...an odd one really, a remarkable voice, and the man behind many a classic tune, but chose instead to play a good few covers, only with a handful of Bluetones songs thrown in. "We're working on a new album," he told the audience, "I mean, what else can we do? It's all we know. We're too old to train as plumbers." Which I think may have been my issue with his set, this is his 'job', not his passion. That's not to say I didn't enjoy his set though, and I arrived back home slightly merry at 3am thinking it was a good evening.

Today I went to see Cambridge United play with my Dad; they needed to win by 4 goals to be promoted to the league. They didn't - they drew 0-0, but there's something about a football match, no matter how frustrating (and let's be honest, they were rubbish today) that is therapeutic, everything is on hold for 90 minutes. I may need to go to a few more matches, I come out relaxed, cleansed, and yes, still angry with that idiot who claims to be a referee. In the evening I went to a comedy night at the Boat House - okay, so I didn't appreciate being dragged on stage by the unfunny opening act, a woman covered in lipstick who evidently thought I would be good as an awkward person to 'flirt' with a little, and even make me do the song with her, but it's her act at the end of the day and if that's the best she can do then so be it. And the Dutch bloke was just weird - I'm not sure if humour translates across the pond. Or he's just unfunny. But 'Steve and Henry The Hoover' was nothing short of genius, as much as I need to stop using that word so much unless really necessary. Pappy's Fun Club - they are the definition of the word GENIUS. Second time this year I've seen them, third time ever, and I still get to the point where I geniuenly struggle to breathe as I'm laughing so much. It's intellectual stuff, but fashionably hidden in a fine array of very light giggly smut, childishness and most of all an energy which is just tiring to watch - in a good way. I love Pappy's Fun Club, I want to somehow be the equivalent of them in whatever field I end up in. For now, I'm just a happy audience member, grateful I stumbled into their show at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, they are a gift to comedy. I walk away, inspired...

And all of that after a week in which I went to the best gig I've been to in years - Chris Difford at the Portland Arms in Cambridge. Never before have I seen such a naturally comfortable performer, wise, witty and capable of pure musical gold all in such a tiny, intimate and sweaty venue. 'Cool For Cats', 'Up The Junction', 'Tempted', 'Labelled With Love' - you know the drill, great songs, great performer - but Chris Difford is more than that. He's an honest, dignified performer who wants to be there, he believes in what he's doing, and it shows - whether he's playing Maddison Square Gardens with his band Squeeze or The Portland Arms in front of a heaving back room of a pub, Chris Difford is a singer-songwriter who hasn't forgotten the value of entertainment. That's probably why I came away with such reservations about Mark Morriss.

It's all roughly in shape, you know. The Brighton Show is in rehearsals and looking good - I'm forever amazed by actors, one day they don't know their lines and worry me, the next day they are close to perfection, brilliant stuff. Pam, our Edinburgh director is very much in control of all things production for Edinburgh which takes it nicely out of my hands. Ah yes, so we've only got less than 7 weeks to put this show together for the Cambridge Comedy Festival, but we've got a poster, at least, which is a start. Now just need a script, cast and director. Not entirely sure how we'll get there but Alan (co-writer) sent me an encouraging email 2 nights ago with enough mindless blind optimism to suggest he's as mad as I am, and that somehow we'll have a show by the performance date of 13th June.

Next week I have 2 gigs with 2 different bands, and I plan to start growing a beard, my 4th attempt this year.

Picture is of Chris Difford, taken by Chris Boland.

And sleep, next week things are a little calmer (apart from the gigs and beardage), no excuses, Richards, for not getting things done.

Monday 20 April 2009

Busy stuff

It's gonna be a busy week I think...plans for the week:

- Write/finish the sketch show. Our slot has been moved forward by a week, which is concerning as we've not confirmed the cast, and our time slot is now 2pm @ The Boathouse in Cambridge which isn't ideal. Okay, lets be honest; it's a rubbish slot. But it's part of the Cambridge Comedy Festival, which also features the likes of Ardal O'Hanlon and Arthur Smith, it's probably a good thing to be in the same pamphlet as them with whatever shite we churn out. Must remember though, as I seem to often forget, *Cambridge is not the world*

- Write/finish monologue 'Mega Value Mickey' - just because I want to, I don't mind too much about not being part of WriteOn's 'Monologues and Duologue's' season but equally it's a good idea and the deadline is this week. Must remember though, *Cambridge is not the world*

- Organise other dates for the Edinburgh show, and ask the Brighton team what the hell is going on with rehearsals as the show is just over 3 weeks away and nobody knows what's going on.

- Get an agent, and stop being a producer.

And listen to more Camera Obscura, who are a beautiful band. Got in a bit of an argument with somebody at 2am on Friday night/Saturday morning as he mocked my sandwich toastie maker. You see - that's what happens when I don't gig, I get drunk and into domestic rows about kitchen appliances. Thank god I've got 2 gigs this weekend, even if it's with a band I've quit.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

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.

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Brighton Poster


Matt Corrall = design genius.