Something in the air tonight.
It was one of those days (and maybe I mentioned this phenomenon last year) where every comic I spoke to had exactly the same kind of audience. Very quiet, very reserved, banker material going down to titters rather than big laughs. I had worked my arse off with the crowd and wasn't getting much back and had felt a little depressed. But the audience members who saw me afterwards told me they had really enjoyed the show. And then again and again the comedians I talked to confirmed this had been a simultaneous phenomenon in venues all over the city.
Whether it's the time of week, the inevitable dip caused by tiredness and hangovers or something to do with the news today it's impossible to say. But it's weird that everyone was in the same kind of mood. In fact as I went on I asked "Are you having a good Festival?" and one man shouted out, "No!" It was in a good humoured way I suppose, but maybe is indicative of a slight depression hanging over the city. If I was a journalist I would try and look into this and come up with an explanation for this spooky happening.
Afterwards I went to see
Paul Provenza's Talk of the Fest. Paul is one of the guys behind the film "The Aristocrats",
which I mainly enjoyed and is a relaxed and quick-witted host. I was quite excited as Harry Shearer was one of the guests. He is one of my comedy heroes, appearing in two of my favourite comedies of all-time. My top 4 is
1. This is Spinal Tap (he is Derek Smalls)
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm
3. The Larry Sanders Show
4. The Simpsons (he is Mr Burns and lots of other people)
Shearer is, I believe, the only person to play a significant role in more than one of those projects. I saw him before the show, but was too nervous to go and say hello and tell him the above fact. I have to tell you that it was unbelievably and embarrassingly satisfying to see him run through a quick sample of the voices he does on the show. Even though I understand hoiw cartoons work, I (along with everyone) was in awe at actually seeing these familiar characters brought to life by an actual man. During the chat he mentioned the Tap moment where Smalls is stopped at the airport security scanner and found to have a zucchini down his pants. I chipped in asking why the zucchini is wrapped in tin foil. Shearer replied "Have you ever put an unwrapped zucchini down your pants?"
"Yes I have," I replied.
I was riffing with one of the comedy greats. How cool is that? That's as far as the riffing went, but fuck you. I still win.
