This year is flying by

Last month I was still unpacking from the Edinburgh Fringe and now one of my booking agents is asking me what shows I have for next year, starting with the Leicester Comedy Fest in February, the deadline for which is tomorrow. I mean, I know, I'm always writing, but it's a bit soon, isn't it? Made the deadline for two new shows with a whole 24 hours to spare.

Both of those shows have been in the pipeline for a while; the first is a play based around a conga player who doesn't feel like he gets enough credit as a musician because he is so flamboyant onstage (it's based on someone who plays percussion for someone really famous, but I can't say names here because you never know who reads this blog) (I mean, 68 of you, I think). It feels like a lovely story that needs to be told, how the showman is more popular than the skilled man, and when he changes his 'act' he faces a battle. 

The other show is a little more personal. I've been feeling a bit restless recently, I'm working silly long teaching hours and, whilst drums is my business and it's a million times better than being trapped in an office drumming on the desk annoying co-workers, there are moments where I'm feeling like I'm working really, really hard and then having very little energy left for the fun stuff, and all my money goes on bills and car repairs. At the same time, a kind of friend of mine (I mean, she is, but we've only met four times as far as I know: once at a mutual friend's party, another at a recording session we were both on, another when she played at my wedding party and then last year at a gig where her band supported FH - she's always been lovely) is incredibly poorly and it's got us all thinking about big life and perspective and things whilst also offering support to her and her partner, she's only 29 and it's just not right. Selfishly, we all start to score ourselves against others, achievements and that. I made a little list of things I haven't achieved yet, and fully intend to do all of those in one hour, onstage, every night, in a chaotic sort of way. Yes, it's very fringe, but let's be honest: I am.

The new show about my many cars opens next week and it's still not right. It needs to be right. I've been up late, every night, with red wine and a flickering computer monitor. 

Band-wise, more projects with singer Vicky H emerging, a gig next week, student collaborations, wedding stuff for next year. I admit to being quite scared of her when we first met a couple years back when she stepped in to sing with Queen Bee as maternity cover, but actually she's becoming a useful collaborator and I've warmed to her now we're chatting a lot. I just like people who work hard. James is another one, as a guitarist. Send him gigs and he just cracks on with it. 

But yes, this year is flying by, mostly because we've started Christmas songs already in the schools. I'm fine with that. 

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