Sunday 24 October 2010

The Last Night...

Help.

We.... feel..... awful.

Let me explain...

Last night we did our last show at the Galway Comedy Festival 2010 and it went brilliantly. We'd made some tweaks to the show since the night before, and the best surprise of all was that the room was full. About a hundred or so people turned up and were a fantastically supportive audience. If you were there- thank you. You made our weekend. A big Thank you to Kevin and everyone at the Roisin Dubh too for putting us up, looking after us and showing us the best that Galway has to offer, we loved every minute.

After the show however, is where things started to go wrong for us in terms of decision-making. Pappy's had come to the show so we decided to go drinking afterwards. Bear in mind it was now midnight and we had to be up and off to the airport to fly home in six hours. An hour and a few drinks later we decided to go to the silent disco... it is here the wheels really started to come off.

Between songs, Matt from Pappy's was inexplicably downing pints of Guinness so naturally, we all joined in. We were all stood in a circle (except Paul- who'd given his pint to Lee while he went to the loo) and were going round downing Guinness after Guinness like some bizarre alcoholic initiation ceremony.

Of course we all gleefully got on with the downing, pint after pint until it got to Lee. Now Lee was looking worried, but none of us knew why, we were all just shouting at him to down it, which after a moments hesitation, he did. As Paul returned from the loo in search of his pint Lee'd been looking after.... we all realised. Paul wasn't happy. Everyone else was in stitches. Still, minors* shouldn't really be drinking so fair's fair.

At half two, with three and a half hours till we had to be up, we probably should have knocked it on the head. Instead, we traipsed across town to the Raddison hotel as their bar was open till four. Of course. A few more Guinness and, regrettably, a kebab later... we got back to the apartment at five. One hour before we had to be up for our flight.

The hours of the morning between six and landing back in England are something of a miserable blur. All I know is I was in more pain than I thought possible, and I was tired. So, so tired. We were in a bad way, and as we slumped into our seats on the plane, we duly collapsed:


All in all though, it was all worth it. What a brilliant weekend and what a fantastic thing the Galway Comedy Festival is. Thanks to everyone to came to the shows, we hope we'll see you again next year!

Gimp-love,

LNGF.
x

*Paul's nickname is Junior.

Saturday 23 October 2010

The first show...

So we did our first full Late Night Gimp Fight show at the Galway Comedy Festival, and it was a success, thank god.

We'd spent most of the day attempting to flyer and generally worrying that no-one would come as:
a) we're not exactly as The Beatles over here, and
b) only nine people had booked.

In the end, about seventy people made it down to the show so the room was pretty full and the reaction from those who came was really good. In celebration of this we decided to stay at the venue drinking guinness till four in the morning so today we are feeling a little worse for wear. Matt Tizzle has gone back to bed and Richard was last seen wandering down a road saying he was "Off to buy a postcard". That was three hours ago.


I think hair of the dog is the order of the day so we're off to have a pint and a chinwag with sketch legends Pappy's and then do our final show. Hopefully with a bit of luck the buzz after last night's show will ensure we get a good crowd tonight. Fingers crossed.



Friday 22 October 2010

Our Irish debut...

One word to describe last night's gig... awesome.

Phil Nichol did sterling work as MC, and Phill Jupitus and Karl Spain kicked the night off in great style. We were on in the second half and spent the interval worrying if our references to British TV shows in our closing song would be completely lost on the Irish crowd. Luckily, they weren't. Turns out they have Loose Women over here too. Our stuff was really well received, which was great as it was a packed house so that should get some buzz going.

The highlight of the night however was the finale, after the brilliant Dead Cat Bounce had done their set Phil Nichol came back on stage and brought back all the acts on with him for a rendition of I'm The Only Gay Eskimo, the memory of which will stay with us for a while.

This morning Massimo and I ate our own bodyweight at the breakfast buffet and now we're checking out of our hotel to move to an apartment nearer our venue for the shows. The hotel lobby this morning is like a comedians Who's Who... we just met Brendon Burns who's flown in from L.A. to be here and Andrew Maxwell just wandered in with his son. Looking round I can see Jimeoin and David O'Doherty too... oh, and there's Phill Jupitus getting out of a lift. Just a normal Friday.

We wandered out in the pouring rain to the university to flyer some students and spread the word of the gimp, then we went for coffee and muffins and then Matt dropped his bouncy ball in a canal.

Matt Tizzle and Campbell just arrived so we're off for dinner now and then the show. We'll let you know if anyone shows up.

David.

Thursday 21 October 2010

LNGF hit the Galway Comedy Festival!

Hello from Ireland!

Our trip started off in rather alarming fashion this morning when we noticed our plane had propellors. Still, we survived the flight and arrived at Galway airport (more of a metal shed, to be fair) and found a taxi driver holding a sign saying"Massimo". Now, there is no Massimo in Late Night Gimp Fight. There never has been and there never will be. Still, when we approached the toothless driver and enquired if he was waiting for us he slurred "Are ye a band?" "umm... more of a comedy group" we nervously replied. "Whatever!" he shrugged, and we were on our way. And now Paul shall be referred to as Massimo for the rest of the trip.

Myself, Lee, Matt and Massimo are here a day early as we're performing in a mixed bill show tonight with Phill Jupitus, Dead Cat Bounce, Karl Spain and Phil Nichol. We're doing ten minutes that'll hopefully pick up some audience for our shows tomorrow and Saturday. We're staying the first night in a hotel, which is absolutely lush. We have two suites, on two levels and three bathrooms in each. That's right, more bathrooms than guests. Richard and Matt Tizzle will join us tomorrow, provided they don't miss their flight.

We went for a pint of guinness and a wander round the town, which looks like a lovely place, and we had a look at the venues we're performing at. Tonight's at a posh 400 seater Town Hall Theatre and our own gigs are at a cool 180 seater music venue, called the Roisin Dubh. We're on at 11pm on Friday and Saturday, after Rich Hall.

Right- better be off for tonight's show now- we'll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned for more gimp updates from the Emerald Isle.

David.

Sunday 17 October 2010

Hello again!

Well. Haven't done one of these in a while have we?

What have we been up to you ask? Well....

Since Edinburgh a lot of very exciting things have happened. We're in the final stages of talks before signing with a management company- gimps with agents. imagine. We have done a LOT of gigs around the London circuit, We've planned what we'll be doing over the next twelve months, We've been mentioned on Channel 4 news (not in a piece about Rape, for once) and most recently, we performed at the Brighton Comedy Fringe.

We love performing down in Brighton, and this time was no different. The crowd down there are always really up for it; dark, smutty and drunk. Just how we like them. More importantly though, going down to Brighton means we get to go on the games and rides on Brighton Pier. Gimps love slot-machines and rides. Paul (who went to Disneyland Paris twice in twleve months. No-one's ever done that before or since) loves the waltzer, Matt (gambling addict) can't get enough of the slot machines and David lost five pounds trying to win a sweet that he could have just bought for ten pence. Still, you live and learn.

So we went on a ride. To give you an idea of just how exciting this was, here's a photo. Look at David's face. The ride hasn't even begun. The safety bar hasn't even been lowered. It was that fun. If that's wet your appetite then take a look at this video of us on the ride.

The two dates at the glorious Upstairs at Three and Ten went really well, the second particuarly so as it was sold out and the crowd were fantastic. We'll definitely be back in the new year.

So what next? Next week we're off to Ireland for the Galway Comedy Festival and the week after, on 30th October at the Pleasance Theatre we're doing the Edinburgh show in London for the very last time. Do come, it's bound to be eventful.

I think that's about all in the gimp news round-up. Oh- one more thing, Paul has a new nickname (which he hates, so definitely call him it)... "Junior".

Stay tuned for more gimp news soon- I think we might blog from Ireland actually, if the internet has reached that part of the world.

Lots of Gimp-love,

David.
LNGF.