There are just four shows left for this year. From Tuesday to Friday (16th - 19th December) we'll be at the Southbank Centre (tickets). Then I'll be wrapping up warm and hibernating over Christmas.
In February we'll start work on series three of Modern Life Is Goodish - it should be on your screen around September. (So long as you choose the right channel at the appropriate time. I mean, it'll definitely be on some screens - it's really up to you to choose whether or not yours is one of them.)
But - you might have spotted that this leaves a bit of a break in my schedule in January. Only it doesn't. Because I'm going to be returning to New York for a short run of Dave Gorman's Powerpoint Presentation.
I've done two other runs in New York. On both occasions I went out for 6 weeks and ended up staying for 3 months as the runs were extended... that's not really an option this time so I'll be doing just 12 shows between January 20 and 31st at a fantastic venue called Subculture. Tickets go on sale later today. From noon. (New York time)
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tour Extension
We're on the home straight of the tour now and the mood in the camp is still high. Of course it is. Touring is fun. And the venues have all been sold out.
There are still a few tickets left for tomorrow night on the Isle of Wight, mind and for a few of the others coming up. (Bristol, Belfast, Dartford, Dorking, Cambridge, Sheffield, Liverpool and then, finally, four nights in London).
I keep having chats with people on Twitter who tell me that they think the shows are sold out - because that's what the internet tells them - but who then manage to get a ticket by calling the venue. There are almost always late releases of tickets that were held for press etc and so most of the time, a handful of people get last minute tickets that never make it back on to the websites.
But because the show has been selling out there are plenty of venues asking us to do extra shows and a fair few new venues wanting the show to come to them as well... and so instead of being on the home straight, we're actually approaching the halfway point. We're extending the tour into 2015.
It will be the same show - with the brilliant Nick Doody too - and we'll start the second leg in October next year. (There's the small matter of making 8 more episodes of Modern Life Is Goodish to deal with between now and then, so it's not as though we're slacking off!)
The tickets went on sale, exclusively through See Tickets this morning. They'll be on general sale from Friday.
Here they all are on a handy, zoomable, scrollable map...
And here they are in list form:
OCTOBER 2015
4 - HEREFORD Courtyard Theatre
5 - NORWICH Playhouse
6 - NORWICH Playhouse
7 - NORWICH Playhouse
9 - EXETER Corn Exchange
10 - TRURO Hall For Cornwall
11 - HAYES - Beck Theatre
14 - CHATHAM Central Theatre
15 - BROXBOURNE Civic Hall
17 - WOLVERHAMPTON Civic
18 - SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn
21 - ALDERSHOT Princes Theatre
22 - CROYDON Fairfield Halls
23 - JERSEY Opera House
24 - GUILDFORD G Live
25 - CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre
28 - POOLE The Lighthouse
29 - SALISBURY City Hall
30 - WATFORD Colosseum
31 - READING Hexagon
NOVEMBER 2015
1 - NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal
5 - WIMBORNE Tivoli Theatre
6 - DURHAM Gala Theatre
7 - MOTHERWELL Concert Hall
8 - LANCASTER Grand Theatre
11 - CRAWLEY Hawth Theatre
12 - SWINDON Wyvern Theatre
13 - YEOVIL Octagon Theatre
14- COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre
15 - SALFORD The Lowry
18 - CHELMSFORD Civic Theatre
19 - NOTTINGHAM Playhouse
20 - NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate Theatre
21 - MIDDLESBROUGH Town Hall
22 - DUNFERMLINE Alhambra Theatre
25 - BASINGSTOKE Anvil
26 - BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall
27 - CAMARTHEN Lyric Theatre
28 - CARDIFF St David's Hall
The link for all tickets is seetickets.com/tour/dave-gorman
There are still a few tickets left for tomorrow night on the Isle of Wight, mind and for a few of the others coming up. (Bristol, Belfast, Dartford, Dorking, Cambridge, Sheffield, Liverpool and then, finally, four nights in London).
I keep having chats with people on Twitter who tell me that they think the shows are sold out - because that's what the internet tells them - but who then manage to get a ticket by calling the venue. There are almost always late releases of tickets that were held for press etc and so most of the time, a handful of people get last minute tickets that never make it back on to the websites.
But because the show has been selling out there are plenty of venues asking us to do extra shows and a fair few new venues wanting the show to come to them as well... and so instead of being on the home straight, we're actually approaching the halfway point. We're extending the tour into 2015.
It will be the same show - with the brilliant Nick Doody too - and we'll start the second leg in October next year. (There's the small matter of making 8 more episodes of Modern Life Is Goodish to deal with between now and then, so it's not as though we're slacking off!)
The tickets went on sale, exclusively through See Tickets this morning. They'll be on general sale from Friday.
Here they all are on a handy, zoomable, scrollable map...
And here they are in list form:
OCTOBER 2015
4 - HEREFORD Courtyard Theatre
5 - NORWICH Playhouse
6 - NORWICH Playhouse
7 - NORWICH Playhouse
9 - EXETER Corn Exchange
10 - TRURO Hall For Cornwall
11 - HAYES - Beck Theatre
14 - CHATHAM Central Theatre
15 - BROXBOURNE Civic Hall
17 - WOLVERHAMPTON Civic
18 - SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn
21 - ALDERSHOT Princes Theatre
22 - CROYDON Fairfield Halls
23 - JERSEY Opera House
24 - GUILDFORD G Live
25 - CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre
28 - POOLE The Lighthouse
29 - SALISBURY City Hall
30 - WATFORD Colosseum
31 - READING Hexagon
NOVEMBER 2015
1 - NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal
5 - WIMBORNE Tivoli Theatre
6 - DURHAM Gala Theatre
7 - MOTHERWELL Concert Hall
8 - LANCASTER Grand Theatre
11 - CRAWLEY Hawth Theatre
12 - SWINDON Wyvern Theatre
13 - YEOVIL Octagon Theatre
14- COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre
15 - SALFORD The Lowry
18 - CHELMSFORD Civic Theatre
19 - NOTTINGHAM Playhouse
20 - NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate Theatre
21 - MIDDLESBROUGH Town Hall
22 - DUNFERMLINE Alhambra Theatre
25 - BASINGSTOKE Anvil
26 - BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall
27 - CAMARTHEN Lyric Theatre
28 - CARDIFF St David's Hall
The link for all tickets is seetickets.com/tour/dave-gorman
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Goodish Bye. For Now.
We've had a couple of days off on the tour... and as Tuesday night came I became aware that quite a few people were sending me messages asking why there wasn't an episode of Modern Life Is Goodish on the box? Has it ended? Has it been moved? It's very pleasing to know that it had become a Tuesday night habit for folks. If you were one of them: thanks. It really does mean a lot.
But yes, the series has run its eight-week course.
Everyone involved has been thrilled by the show's reception. I've tried to respond with gratitude to as much of the feedback as I can.
The nice people at Dave have put all of the shows - the six episodes from series one and the eight episodes from series two online for a while. If you missed an episode, joined the series late, had no idea that this wasn't the first series and would like to see the stuff you missed - or if you just want to prove to yourself that we did move the string quartet to a different location, change the look of the trees for series two and tweak the opening titles so that there were now four different endings... then you can do so here.
I've had a lot of tweets asking about series three. It has been commissioned and we'll start work on it in the new year. One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is how to get tickets to be in the audience. The answer is that, like all TV recordings, the tickets are free. But my mailing list gets first dibs.
You can subscribe - and, for that matter, you can unsubscribe - right here.
In the mean time, it's also easy enough to get tickets for the tour show.
We're half way through the tour now and it's going great guns. Details for all the remaining dates are on the Live Dates page.
A lot of the dates (but not all) show up as sold out online but, as I explained recently, it's always worth a phone call.
But yes, the series has run its eight-week course.
Everyone involved has been thrilled by the show's reception. I've tried to respond with gratitude to as much of the feedback as I can.
The nice people at Dave have put all of the shows - the six episodes from series one and the eight episodes from series two online for a while. If you missed an episode, joined the series late, had no idea that this wasn't the first series and would like to see the stuff you missed - or if you just want to prove to yourself that we did move the string quartet to a different location, change the look of the trees for series two and tweak the opening titles so that there were now four different endings... then you can do so here.
I've had a lot of tweets asking about series three. It has been commissioned and we'll start work on it in the new year. One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is how to get tickets to be in the audience. The answer is that, like all TV recordings, the tickets are free. But my mailing list gets first dibs.
You can subscribe - and, for that matter, you can unsubscribe - right here.
We're half way through the tour now and it's going great guns. Details for all the remaining dates are on the Live Dates page.
A lot of the dates (but not all) show up as sold out online but, as I explained recently, it's always worth a phone call.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
And So We Face The Final* Curtain...
*When I say "final" curtain... I mean for series two. Series three will be along around the same time next year. So it's not final-final. Just final-for-now.
But the final-for-now, last episode of series two - episode 8 - gets its first airing tonight. Thanks to everyone who's tuned in throughout the series... it means a lot to me.
Nobody really knows how ratings work, but the first series was the channel's most watched original programme of the year and this series seems to have done even better. Across the various broadcasts in a given week, we regularly get over a million people tuning in.
I've only just been made aware of this article from Broadcast...
But the final-for-now, last episode of series two - episode 8 - gets its first airing tonight. Thanks to everyone who's tuned in throughout the series... it means a lot to me.
Nobody really knows how ratings work, but the first series was the channel's most watched original programme of the year and this series seems to have done even better. Across the various broadcasts in a given week, we regularly get over a million people tuning in.
I've only just been made aware of this article from Broadcast...
... and that was written after week 4 or 5 and I know our numbers have been rising since then.
I hope you can catch the final episode of the series tonight. At 10pm. On Dave. (Unless you're in the audience in Tunbridge Wells - in which case, you have a very good excuse.)
I'm having a ball on tour and there's certainly enough demand to justify extending it... but that's looking tricky because we start work on series three early next year.
That's a good problem to have, obviously.
I'm having a ball on tour and there's certainly enough demand to justify extending it... but that's looking tricky because we start work on series three early next year.
That's a good problem to have, obviously.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Covering The Bases...
This week will take us up to the half-way point on the tour... and at the same time, will take us on the longest journeys yet. We start the week bouncing around the capital - St Albans, Tunbridge Wells, High Wycombe and then head to Stafford, Preston and eventually Aberdeen.
The remaining 30 dates aren't all sold out yet, but I'm delighted to say that it looks like things are on target to sell out. But if a venue's website says a show is sold out, I'd always encourage you to contact the venue directly.
Our last show - Cardiff - was a great illustration as to why. With a show like mine, it goes without saying that you need to be able to see the screen. The venue in Cardiff is multipurpose. It has seats that are almost side-on to the stage... fine if you're watching an orchestra... fine if you're watching one person and a microphone... not so fine if you're watching a double act between a man and a screen that you can't actually see. So those seats weren't initially on sale.
But looking at a seating plan and a technical drawing of the venue doesn't always tell you everything you need to know and we always try and set the show up in a way that affords as many people as possible the best view. So, when we arrived in Cardiff and worked out where the screen ought to be we then went through a process of running around the venue and working out if any new seats could be put on sale. In the end, we released a further 40+ seats... and because the venue had been so organised and kept the contact details for people who'd been trying to get tickets, they were able to sell them all in an hour and a bit.
That's not the only time there have been late releases... and it's not unusual for venues to get returns, or to release tickets that had been held for press etc too. The websites won't tell you that... they'll only tell you whether a ticket is currently available or not. And I figure most people will assume that's that... they won't think of trying again in a week and in this day and age, it seems people are reluctant to pick up a phone and actually speak to a human being. If the internet isn't there to help us avoid human contact, what the hell is it for?
Obviously, I'm delighted to be in a position where this is relevant... and I want everyone who wants to see the show to be able to do so...
Like I say, there are plenty of venues where the show isn't sold out yet... but it does look like they will... and if/when that happens, that doesn't mean that all is lost... it often means you're best speaking to someone... just in case...
Our last show - Cardiff - was a great illustration as to why. With a show like mine, it goes without saying that you need to be able to see the screen. The venue in Cardiff is multipurpose. It has seats that are almost side-on to the stage... fine if you're watching an orchestra... fine if you're watching one person and a microphone... not so fine if you're watching a double act between a man and a screen that you can't actually see. So those seats weren't initially on sale.
But looking at a seating plan and a technical drawing of the venue doesn't always tell you everything you need to know and we always try and set the show up in a way that affords as many people as possible the best view. So, when we arrived in Cardiff and worked out where the screen ought to be we then went through a process of running around the venue and working out if any new seats could be put on sale. In the end, we released a further 40+ seats... and because the venue had been so organised and kept the contact details for people who'd been trying to get tickets, they were able to sell them all in an hour and a bit.
That's not the only time there have been late releases... and it's not unusual for venues to get returns, or to release tickets that had been held for press etc too. The websites won't tell you that... they'll only tell you whether a ticket is currently available or not. And I figure most people will assume that's that... they won't think of trying again in a week and in this day and age, it seems people are reluctant to pick up a phone and actually speak to a human being. If the internet isn't there to help us avoid human contact, what the hell is it for?
Obviously, I'm delighted to be in a position where this is relevant... and I want everyone who wants to see the show to be able to do so...
Like I say, there are plenty of venues where the show isn't sold out yet... but it does look like they will... and if/when that happens, that doesn't mean that all is lost... it often means you're best speaking to someone... just in case...
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Yoyoing
There are two reviews from the Dublin show, one in the Herald and one in the Irish Independent and a third from the Nottingham Post for last Sunday's show.
The spoiler-free pull quotes would be:
"Observational comics are supposed to say what we're all thinking, but
Gorman has made an art form out of digging deeper and picking apart the
obscenities of modern life through actual research and analysis. It's an
inventive approach, but his greatest talent is that he is naturally
funny, with effortless comic timing and delivery. Dave Gorman gets
straight to the point, all right. He's also a deadly teacher."
The Herald
"Contemporary comedy is populated by the good, the bad and the
unfunny. The circuit is full of chancers trying to shock and chicken 'n'
chips charlatans telling willy jokes.
Dave Gorman brings something fresh and exciting to the table. It is an absolute joy to behold."
The Irish Independent
and
"...had the crowd it fits of laughter from the
get go, and using PowerPoint to hit home his observations, the subtle
social commentary stayed away from preaching and just made everyone
laugh at their own behaviour."
The Nottingham Post
I've been studying the patterns of our tour travels, hitting a reset button every time we return home. Block One was really rather gentle:
Then Block Two was kind of exhausting... mainly because the show is, naturally, quite technical and working out how to hire things in for an overseas show while still having our regular kit ready for us on our return adds a layer of time and effort...
Block Three is starting to look like one of those spider's webs made by a spider on amphetamines...
This week's travels - Wednesday = Southend, Thursday = Wimborne, Friday = Wrexham and Saturday = Cardiff - look gentle by comparison.
And of course, there are plenty of dates left after that as the tour continues through til mid-December.
And while we're yoyoing around the country, the TV show continues for another two weeks also. Episode 7 contains some yoyoing of a different kind. You have been warned.
I've got a new TV Show: Modern Life Is Goodish
I've written a new book: Too Much Information
I'm on tour: Dave Gorman Gets Straight To The Point
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Two Spoonfuls Of Sugar
I've had a lot of emails and tweets from people who have, naturally enough, assumed that this will be the last episode of the series. Six episodes is pretty standard in the UK. And six is the number of episodes contained in series one.
But when Dave commissioned series two and three, they asked for eight episodes apiece... and we were more than happy to oblige. So, including tonight's, there are three more still to go out for this series.
In tonight's episode, I return to a topic from series one. By which I mean... Alan Sugar gets another mention. When we decided on the running order of our shows we had no idea that this episode would be landing on the same day as the return of The Apprentice. But there you have it. If you want two spoonfuls of Sugar tonight, you can watch that and then turn over to Dave at 10pm...
New TV Show: Modern Life Is Goodish
New Book: Too Much Information
I'm on tour: Dave Gorman Gets Straight To The Point
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Goodish News
I was really proud of series 1 of Modern Life Is Goodish. It did a rare thing in telly terms: its audience grew. And Dave (the channel) have been brilliant with the way they've got behind it - and showed real faith in us by commissioning two more series. And not just two more... where series 1 was 6 episodes, series 2 and 3 are eight episodes apiece.
And right now, we're half way through series 2 and I've just been told that episode 4 of series 2 is the best performing episode of both series, so far. Which is fantastic news. And makes me feel very grateful to everyone who's tuned in. If you're one of them: thanks.
When the show's on air, I normally try to be around so that I can reply to tweets and so on. But that's not really been possible since the tour started. When episode four was going out for the first time last Tuesday I was onstage doing a preview show in Wolverhampton. But when I came off stage and looked at my tweets I found myself chuckling. There were lots of tweets like this
@DaveGorman you just got me with that QR reader thing I almost had a heart attack! Had to go ask my brother what I should do! Haha good one!and this...
— amy (@L3STRADE) October 3, 2014
@DaveGorman Fell for the Barcode joke on MLIG. So much so that I checked my bank a/c thinking I'd bought two Lawnmowers!!Often they were in pairs, with one expressing outrage at the apparent purchase of a lawnmower and another a few minutes later, basically saying, "Okay... you got me."
— John Clark (@B16jay83) October 3, 2014
I don't think we expected quite so many people to actually have (or get) a QR code reader on their phone and to go through with it. I expected most people to watch it passively, and thought that they'd find the knowledge that someone, somewhere must have done it, abstractly amusing. But for so many people to have interacted with the joke feels really special. And odd. Because we played a practical joke on people in the future.
I haven't replied to that many of those tweets because I didn't want to leave any spoilers lying around the internet for people who were yet to watch it on one of the week's repeat screenings. But as the last of those went out last night - and the latest episode will be on the box tonight (10pm, thanks for asking) I figure now's as good a time as any to mention it. But, whether I replied or not, please know that the lawnmower-tweets have been making me giggle all week. Thanks.
I've just sent an email to my mailing list with a competition question that relates to episode five. (10pm, tonight, thanks for asking). As there wasn't really a souvenir from episode 4 that I could give away, I'm going to give away a couple of books. My latest book, Too Much Information and the Found Poetry book. (Which is more of a booklet, truth be told).
I'll try and do the same for each of the remaining four episodes this series. If there's something from the show to give away, I will... if not, I'll make it a book or two. I do it via my mailing list for several reasons. I kind of dislike those, "retweet to enter" competitions because they seem like a way of artificially boosting some measure of twitter activity. They also exclude the people who don't use Twitter but are on Facebook or what have you. If I ran one on Facebook that would exclude people on Twitter too. By running it for my mailing list it keeps it out of the way of people who simply aren't that interested.
And of course, I hope it encourages a few people to sign up. Because nobody sees every tweet or every facebook post... but an email lands in your inbox and so it seems like a far more reliable way of staying in touch with folks.
You can subscribe - and if it comes to it, you can unsubscribe - right here.
Friday, October 3, 2014
It's Tour Day!
Here we go...
Zoom in, scroll around or see it full screen by clicking on the top right corner-------------------->
While I'm here, congratulations to Daniel Armstrong who won the mailing list competition for the jigsaw from episode 3. An impossible jigsaw with a slightly unsavoury picture will be winging its way to him shortly.
If I find time while I'm on tour - or more to the point - if I have a workable wifi connection on Tuesday - I'll run another competition for the next show. But as there's not really a souvenir from show 4 that I can give away, I'll make the prize a book instead. Not just any book. My latest book.
This one:
As the question is asked in an email to my mailing list... you have to be on that to be in with a chance of winning...
Hope to see you on tour...
Zoom in, scroll around or see it full screen by clicking on the top right corner-------------------->
While I'm here, congratulations to Daniel Armstrong who won the mailing list competition for the jigsaw from episode 3. An impossible jigsaw with a slightly unsavoury picture will be winging its way to him shortly.
If I find time while I'm on tour - or more to the point - if I have a workable wifi connection on Tuesday - I'll run another competition for the next show. But as there's not really a souvenir from show 4 that I can give away, I'll make the prize a book instead. Not just any book. My latest book.
This one:
As the question is asked in an email to my mailing list... you have to be on that to be in with a chance of winning...
Hope to see you on tour...
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
So Really, We're Already On Tour...
For the first batch of work in progress shows it's been me trying out different bits of material and shuffling the order of things around to find the most pleasing flow and so on. It's a part of the process I really enjoy. And the shows have all been fun.
Last night a whole new ingredient was stirred into the mix, in the shape of Nick Doody, who's joining me on the tour. Nick's a brilliant comic. I'm a huge fan. He was one of the first people I turned to when the first series of Modern Life Is Goodish was commissioned. You'll see his name on the credits of every show. On a show like that, it's no use working with people who think exactly like you - you're already doing that for yourself, it's about finding people who think differently, but who have ideas that can work alongside your own. So it's no surprise that Nick's material blends nicely with my own.
And it means that last night was the first show where all the ingredients have been in place. It didn't really feel like a warm up show. Which is the point of the process, really. For the final work-in-progress shows to display enough progress. For the finished article to emerge before the deadline.
Not that things won't change some more. The more familiar I get with things, the better some of it will be. There'll always be tweaks I want to make. But the show is now, I think, the right things happening in the right order. It doesn't officially kick off until Friday, but in essence, we've already started the tour. It's just that tonight - (Wolverhampton again) and tomorrow (Tring) the venues are a little smaller.
I think about 20 of the 50 dates are sold out now. (Apologies if my website isn't completely up to date on this.) I get a lot of people asking me for information about whether there will be extra tickets here or there... the truth is, I only know what a venue tells me. I'd always recommend contacting a venue direct. Call them. Speaking to someone is always going to be more informative than just looking at what the website says.
I wrote before about how the tour, book and TV show all arriving at the same time was more down to coincidence than any Machiavellian scheming on my part. The timing has led a lot of people to ask whether the tour show contains material that will also be in the current series of Modern Life Is Goodish. It doesn't. It's a whole new show.
In any case. I hope you can join us. It's more fun when you do. And if not you, someone like you.
Last night a whole new ingredient was stirred into the mix, in the shape of Nick Doody, who's joining me on the tour. Nick's a brilliant comic. I'm a huge fan. He was one of the first people I turned to when the first series of Modern Life Is Goodish was commissioned. You'll see his name on the credits of every show. On a show like that, it's no use working with people who think exactly like you - you're already doing that for yourself, it's about finding people who think differently, but who have ideas that can work alongside your own. So it's no surprise that Nick's material blends nicely with my own.
And it means that last night was the first show where all the ingredients have been in place. It didn't really feel like a warm up show. Which is the point of the process, really. For the final work-in-progress shows to display enough progress. For the finished article to emerge before the deadline.
Not that things won't change some more. The more familiar I get with things, the better some of it will be. There'll always be tweaks I want to make. But the show is now, I think, the right things happening in the right order. It doesn't officially kick off until Friday, but in essence, we've already started the tour. It's just that tonight - (Wolverhampton again) and tomorrow (Tring) the venues are a little smaller.
I think about 20 of the 50 dates are sold out now. (Apologies if my website isn't completely up to date on this.) I get a lot of people asking me for information about whether there will be extra tickets here or there... the truth is, I only know what a venue tells me. I'd always recommend contacting a venue direct. Call them. Speaking to someone is always going to be more informative than just looking at what the website says.
I wrote before about how the tour, book and TV show all arriving at the same time was more down to coincidence than any Machiavellian scheming on my part. The timing has led a lot of people to ask whether the tour show contains material that will also be in the current series of Modern Life Is Goodish. It doesn't. It's a whole new show.
In any case. I hope you can join us. It's more fun when you do. And if not you, someone like you.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Oh Neil, Did You Have To?
As I type this, there is one day left to watch the third episode of Modern Life Is Goodish online. It's repeated tonight at 8 too. If you're reading this and wondering what all the fuss is about and there's still time, watching it will help to make sense of where I'm going.
I was intending to let this whole episode pass without comment but it's somehow ended up in a place where some serious allegations have been made and I think they're worth addressing. I don't think anyone who saw the show would think anything racist or homophobic has been said - indeed, not a word was said that could even be misconstrued that way - but someone reading twitter might think so and that's serious enough...
In the show, I spent quite a bit of time dissecting the writing of a journalist and author called Neil Sean. You might not know the name but you will have read something he's written.
For years he's written a showbiz column in the Metro (although it appears to have ended at some point between the show being recorded and now) and he's been a correspondent for Sky TV here in the UK and for FOX in the States.
He's not without influence or power. He's a critic. He offers his opinions on others constantly and, well... he's just not a very good writer and some of what he says appears to be a bit disingenuous, if not downright dishonest.
The material about him was all about seeing patterns and inaccuracies in his work and pointing them out for what they are. I won't repeat it all here, but he's written a book called "How To Live Like A Celebrity - For Free" and it's not hard to demonstrate that much of its content doesn't stack up. It's a risible piece of work.
Anyway, during the show, the Sky news presenter, Stephen Dixon tweeted:
I find it far easier to defend making jokes about a professional writer's writing than about a singer's weight. His work ought to stand scrutiny and someone who makes a living being bitchy and unpleasant about others is really in the last place to complain about it. (Incidentally, all of these points were accepted with perfectly good grace by Stephen who, I think, was a little surprised to see the nature of some of Neil Sean's outgoing tweets. But that's another story.)
Meanwhile, perhaps prompted by Stephen Dixon's tweet, Neil Sean himself had decided to get involved. And, rather deliciously, his response contained the trait I was mocking him for in the show. I think 20 of the 50 dates had sold out already.
Up until this point, I hadn't seen many people tweeting Neil Sean about the show's content. There'd been one or two. But not many. But after this tweet a lot of people got involved. Naturally I was interested in what they were saying so, using tweetdeck, I created a column that showed me every tweet that mentioned Neil Sean's twitter handle.
Most of what he received was mocking him for the inaccuracy of the tweet or referring back to the way he often writes gossip about slebs who are smokers and so on. Some of it was abusive. I don't condone it. I saw the C word flying around. That makes me uncomfortable. The criticism of him in the show was done with a smile, after all. It was never abusive. It was factual. I certainly wouldn't describe it as a bashing. I'd say it was a ribbing.
But then Neil tweeted this:
Like I say, I'd been monitoring the reaction on Tweetdeck so I'm pretty sure I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't seen a single reference to his sexuality. Or race for that matter. But I was naturally concerned that maybe I'd missed something.
Neil told me that I wouldn't be able to see them because they had been sent as private messages. Which seemed odd. Because you can only receive private messages on Twitter from people that you've chosen to follow. And Neil was only following 33 people. It seemed unlikely that people he'd been following since before the show was broadcast had suddenly turned homophobic and abusive. I explained as much to him. And he blustered something along the lines of, "well I am getting them".
We chatted for a while after that. It was all perfectly civil. I understand that he's upset at being criticised by me. I think that, given his line of work - and given that the criticism wasn't personal or abusive - he ought to be able to take it. I'm afraid, I can't conclude anything other than he's invented the homophobic abuse as a defence mechanism.
If I'm wrong about that then he obviously has my sympathy. I would never condone such abuse and anyone who sends it has nothing to do with me. It certainly doesn't relate to anything said in the show. (I don't even think someone who watched the show would come away knowing anything about his sexuality either way.) I'm confident that if it did happen and it was sent in the form of direct messages then it certainly had nought to do with the show. And if it wasn't sent as direct messages, well, then why would he tell me it was? Odd.
Unsurprisingly, it hasn't been hard to find evidence that he hasn't always been sympathetic to others who've been on the receiving end of Twitter abuse:
My worry, having written this, is that, this being the internet, some people will misunderstand and see this as some kind of incitement to send him more abuse. Or more abusive abuse. That really isn't the point. Really. I just wanted to spell out what I think has occurred. (And what I think hasn't.)
Please play nicely.
I was intending to let this whole episode pass without comment but it's somehow ended up in a place where some serious allegations have been made and I think they're worth addressing. I don't think anyone who saw the show would think anything racist or homophobic has been said - indeed, not a word was said that could even be misconstrued that way - but someone reading twitter might think so and that's serious enough...
For years he's written a showbiz column in the Metro (although it appears to have ended at some point between the show being recorded and now) and he's been a correspondent for Sky TV here in the UK and for FOX in the States.
He's not without influence or power. He's a critic. He offers his opinions on others constantly and, well... he's just not a very good writer and some of what he says appears to be a bit disingenuous, if not downright dishonest.
The material about him was all about seeing patterns and inaccuracies in his work and pointing them out for what they are. I won't repeat it all here, but he's written a book called "How To Live Like A Celebrity - For Free" and it's not hard to demonstrate that much of its content doesn't stack up. It's a risible piece of work.
Anyway, during the show, the Sky news presenter, Stephen Dixon tweeted:
Can't quite understand Dave Gorman having a go at @neilsean1 Leave him alone. He's a nice fella
— Stephen Dixon (@StephenDixonTV) September 23, 2014
He didn't contain my @ so I didn't see it initially... but it didn't take long for a few people to reply and include me and bring it to my attention. I have no problem with Stephen's tweet, by the way, he's obviously worked with Neil, liked him and so felt sorry for a friend. That's a perfectly natural reaction. It sparked a little dialogue that, I think, covers an important topic... because Neil isn't always that nice about others. He tweets jokes about a singer's looks, for example. And worse.I find it far easier to defend making jokes about a professional writer's writing than about a singer's weight. His work ought to stand scrutiny and someone who makes a living being bitchy and unpleasant about others is really in the last place to complain about it. (Incidentally, all of these points were accepted with perfectly good grace by Stephen who, I think, was a little surprised to see the nature of some of Neil Sean's outgoing tweets. But that's another story.)
Meanwhile, perhaps prompted by Stephen Dixon's tweet, Neil Sean himself had decided to get involved. And, rather deliciously, his response contained the trait I was mocking him for in the show. I think 20 of the 50 dates had sold out already.
@StephenDixonTV @DaveGorman I note not one of your tour dates is a sell out ! lets hope my bashing creates some interest then #comedyfail
— neil sean (@neilsean1) September 24, 2014
Up until this point, I hadn't seen many people tweeting Neil Sean about the show's content. There'd been one or two. But not many. But after this tweet a lot of people got involved. Naturally I was interested in what they were saying so, using tweetdeck, I created a column that showed me every tweet that mentioned Neil Sean's twitter handle.
Most of what he received was mocking him for the inaccuracy of the tweet or referring back to the way he often writes gossip about slebs who are smokers and so on. Some of it was abusive. I don't condone it. I saw the C word flying around. That makes me uncomfortable. The criticism of him in the show was done with a smile, after all. It was never abusive. It was factual. I certainly wouldn't describe it as a bashing. I'd say it was a ribbing.
But then Neil tweeted this:
@DaveGorman "fans " I have reported all your homophobic/racist abuse to twitter /police @lgfoundation @LondonLGBTPride @AllOut #gay
— neil sean (@neilsean1) September 25, 2014
... and that's a far more serious allegation.Like I say, I'd been monitoring the reaction on Tweetdeck so I'm pretty sure I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't seen a single reference to his sexuality. Or race for that matter. But I was naturally concerned that maybe I'd missed something.
@neilsean1 @lgfoundation @LondonLGBTPride @AllOut I’d be upset if there was anything as you describe. I’ve not seen any. Examples?
— Dave Gorman (@DaveGorman) September 25, 2014
No reply came. And a bit of time passed. And slowly the tweet started to get under my skin. What would the casual reader think if they alighted on that tweet without any of the context? Without having seen the show? The suggestion that I've done or said things to encourage that kind of abuse is deeply unpleasant. And untrue.
@neilsean1 Actually, the inference that this is to do with me is a bit off. I’m sure you’ll clarify? @lgfoundation @LondonLGBTPride @AllOut
— Dave Gorman (@DaveGorman) September 25, 2014
No reply came. No clarification. So I called Neil's place of work and asked to speak to him. I was put through. We had a perfectly friendly chat. I explained that I was calling to express my concern about the idea that he was receiving homophobic abuse. I also explained that I hadn't actually seen any.Neil told me that I wouldn't be able to see them because they had been sent as private messages. Which seemed odd. Because you can only receive private messages on Twitter from people that you've chosen to follow. And Neil was only following 33 people. It seemed unlikely that people he'd been following since before the show was broadcast had suddenly turned homophobic and abusive. I explained as much to him. And he blustered something along the lines of, "well I am getting them".
We chatted for a while after that. It was all perfectly civil. I understand that he's upset at being criticised by me. I think that, given his line of work - and given that the criticism wasn't personal or abusive - he ought to be able to take it. I'm afraid, I can't conclude anything other than he's invented the homophobic abuse as a defence mechanism.
If I'm wrong about that then he obviously has my sympathy. I would never condone such abuse and anyone who sends it has nothing to do with me. It certainly doesn't relate to anything said in the show. (I don't even think someone who watched the show would come away knowing anything about his sexuality either way.) I'm confident that if it did happen and it was sent in the form of direct messages then it certainly had nought to do with the show. And if it wasn't sent as direct messages, well, then why would he tell me it was? Odd.
Unsurprisingly, it hasn't been hard to find evidence that he hasn't always been sympathetic to others who've been on the receiving end of Twitter abuse:
Celebrities who moan about twitter trolls just block rather than trying to shore up PR no one buys it #blue #marybeard #twitter
— neil sean (@neilsean1) August 23, 2013
There isn't a lot of high ground to occupy when you've been that unsympathetic to Mary Beard. And there's simply no comparison in the level of abuse the two of them have been subjected to. My worry, having written this, is that, this being the internet, some people will misunderstand and see this as some kind of incitement to send him more abuse. Or more abusive abuse. That really isn't the point. Really. I just wanted to spell out what I think has occurred. (And what I think hasn't.)
Please play nicely.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Jigsaw
The tour previews are going well, the book seems to be doing just fine and the reaction to the series has blown me away. If you've been a part of one or more of the above; thanks.
One thing that got a big reaction in episode three was the jigsaw. If you haven't seen that show you obviously won't know what I'm talking about and I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil the show for those who are planning to watch it on Saturday night or on Dave On Demand or what have you.
But there were lots of tweets like this:
But I have it and, as lots of people have expressed a desire to get hold of one, I thought it might be a good time to revive the competition. I'll email the mailing list on Tuesday with a question relating to that night's show. There'll be an email address for you to send an answer to. And a time to get it in by and, y'know, whatever else I can think of that makes it feel like a proper competition and then someone will win the, um, rude version of the special jigsaw.
If you're the kind of person who would like to know what I'm up to without gambling on whether or not you see a particular tweet or an ad in the paper then you can sign up to the mailing list here.
One thing that got a big reaction in episode three was the jigsaw. If you haven't seen that show you obviously won't know what I'm talking about and I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil the show for those who are planning to watch it on Saturday night or on Dave On Demand or what have you.
But there were lots of tweets like this:
@DaveGorman is your jigsaw available to buy? My mum would love one for Christmas!
— Karen Tuplin (@KarenTuplin) September 23, 2014
and this
@DaveGorman I WANT TO TRY THAT JIGSAW!
— Mog ™ (@mindofgeekness) September 23, 2014
and this
@DaveGorman will the jigsaw go on sale? Looks fun.
— Teario (@Teario) September 23, 2014
And it reminded me that, during the first series I often used to give away little souvenirs from the show through competitions for my mailing list. Here's the thing. There is another jigsaw. It's very like the jigsaw but it's not exactly the same. It's a little cruder. It doesn't contain an eagle. It contains something a bit more childish and rude in place of the eagle. (Which is why, when it came down to it, we didn't send it to you know who.)But I have it and, as lots of people have expressed a desire to get hold of one, I thought it might be a good time to revive the competition. I'll email the mailing list on Tuesday with a question relating to that night's show. There'll be an email address for you to send an answer to. And a time to get it in by and, y'know, whatever else I can think of that makes it feel like a proper competition and then someone will win the, um, rude version of the special jigsaw.
If you're the kind of person who would like to know what I'm up to without gambling on whether or not you see a particular tweet or an ad in the paper then you can sign up to the mailing list here.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Getting Straight To The Tour...
The tour is almost upon us and I'm delighted to say that the first few shows - and quite a few beyond them - have sold out already.
The first couple of work-in-progress shows at New Greenham Arts a few days ago went well. Which is a relief. The first time you perform a new show, you have no real idea as to what you're dealing with. Will it need a complete re-write or will it just need a few nuts and bolts tightening? There's no way of knowing with any certainty until it's been put in front of an audience.
Now that I've done so and discovered that it doesn't need a complete re-write, I can roll my sleeves up and get stuck in to the show. It's why I often do these work-in-progress shows in pairs - because it means I have a day without travel in which to tinker with the powerpoint... which currently stands at 629 slides. It's a time-consuming thing to tinker with. But in lots of ways this is the fun bit.
The remaining work-in-progress shows start tonight and tomorrow in Braintree... followed by Andover, Wolverhampton and Tring...
I've had a lot of emails, tweets and facebook messages asking me if the tour will contain material from the current TV series. It doesn't. If you like the series, I reckon you'll like the tour... but there's no crossover of material. (Of course, I might take stuff from the tour and use it in series 3... but that's a different matter.)
And then the tour proper kicks off a week on Friday...
Hopefully see you there...
The first couple of work-in-progress shows at New Greenham Arts a few days ago went well. Which is a relief. The first time you perform a new show, you have no real idea as to what you're dealing with. Will it need a complete re-write or will it just need a few nuts and bolts tightening? There's no way of knowing with any certainty until it's been put in front of an audience.
Now that I've done so and discovered that it doesn't need a complete re-write, I can roll my sleeves up and get stuck in to the show. It's why I often do these work-in-progress shows in pairs - because it means I have a day without travel in which to tinker with the powerpoint... which currently stands at 629 slides. It's a time-consuming thing to tinker with. But in lots of ways this is the fun bit.
The remaining work-in-progress shows start tonight and tomorrow in Braintree... followed by Andover, Wolverhampton and Tring...
| September 21st and 22nd | Braintree Arts Centre | Tickets |
| September 23rd and 24th | Andover, The Lights |
Tickets |
| September 29th and 30th | Wolverhampton, The Slade Rooms | Tickets |
| October 1st | Tring, The Court Theatre | Tickets |
I've had a lot of emails, tweets and facebook messages asking me if the tour will contain material from the current TV series. It doesn't. If you like the series, I reckon you'll like the tour... but there's no crossover of material. (Of course, I might take stuff from the tour and use it in series 3... but that's a different matter.)
And then the tour proper kicks off a week on Friday...
| When | Where | Venue | Tickets | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCTOBER 3, 2014
FRIDAY |
WINCHESTER | Theatre Royal | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01962 840 440 |
| OCTOBER 4, 2014
SATURDAY |
HEREFORD | Courtyard Theatre | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01432 340 555 |
| OCTOBER 5, 2014
SUNDAY |
SHREWSBURY | Theatre Severn | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01743 281 281 |
| OCTOBER 6, 2014
MONDAY |
NORWICH | Playhouse | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01603 598 598 |
| OCTOBER 7, 2014
TUESDAY |
NORWICH | Playhouse | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns | 01603 598 598 |
| OCTOBER 8, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
NORWICH | Playhouse | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01603 598 598 |
| OCTOBER 10, 2014
FRIDAY |
DUBLIN | Vicar Street | get tickets | 00353 (1) 775 5800 |
| OCTOBER 11, 2014
SATURDAY |
BRIGHTON | Comedy Festival | get tickets | 01273 709 709 |
| OCTOBER 12, 2014
SUNDAY |
MARGATE | Theatre Royal | get tickets | 01843 292 795 |
| OCTOBER 14, 2014
TUESDAY |
YEOVIL | Octagon | get tickets | 01935 422 884 |
| OCTOBER 15, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
ALDERSHOT | Princes Theatre | get tickets | 01253 329 155 |
| OCTOBER 16, 2014
THURSDAY |
HARROGATE | Royal Hall | get tickets | 01425 502 116 |
| OCTOBER 17, 2014
FRIDAY |
IPSWICH | Corn Exchange | get tickets | 01473 433 100 |
| OCTOBER 18, 2014
SATURDAY |
COVENTRY | Warwick Arts Centre | get tickets | 024 7652 4524 |
| OCTOBER 19, 2014
SUNDAY |
NOTTINGHAM | Playhouse | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
0115 941 9419 |
| OCTOBER 22, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
SOUTHEND | Cliffs Pavillion | get tickets | 01702 351 135 |
| OCTOBER 23, 2014
THURSDAY |
WIMBORNE | The Tivoli | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01202 885 566 |
| OCTOBER 24, 2014
FRIDAY |
WREXHAM | William Aston Hall | get tickets | 01978 293293 |
| OCTOBER 25, 2014
SATURDAY |
CARDIFF | St Davids | get tickets | 029 2087 8444 |
| OCTOBER 27, 2014
MONDAY |
ST ALBANS | Albans Arena | get tickets | 01727 844 488 |
| OCTOBER 28, 2014
TUESDAY |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS | Assembly Hall | get tickets | 01892 530 613 |
| OCTOBER 29, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH WYCOMBE | Wycombe Swan | get tickets | 01494 512 000 |
| OCTOBER 30, 2014
THURSDAY |
STAFFORD | Gatehouse Theatre | SOLD OUT EXTRA SHOW ADDED ON NOV 5 |
01785 254 653 |
| OCTOBER 31, 2014
FRIDAY |
PRESTON | Guildhall | get tickets | 0844 844 7710 |
| NOVEMBER 1, 2014
SATURDAY |
ABERDEEN | Aberdeen Music Hall | get tickets | 01224 641 122 |
TUESDAY |
We tried to reschedule, but it wasn't an option. |
01332 255 800 | ||
| NOVEMBER 5, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
STAFFORD | Gatehouse Theatre | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
01785 254 653 |
| NOVEMBER 6, 2014
THURSDAY |
BEDFORD | Corn Exchange | get tickets | 01234 718 112 |
| NOVEMBER 8, 2014
SATURDAY |
DURHAM | Gala Theatre | SOLD OUT contact venue for returns |
03000 266 600 |
| NOVEMBER 9, 2014
SUNDAY |
NEWCASTLE | Theatre Royal | get tickets | 08448 11 21 21 |
| NOVEMBER 11, 2014
TUESDAY |
LIVERPOOL | Philharmonic | get tickets | 0151 709 3789 |
| NOVEMBER 12, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
SWINDON | Wyvern | get tickets | 01793 524 481 |
| NOVEMBER 13, 2014
THURSDAY |
LEICESTER | De Montfort Hall | get tickets | 0116 233 3111 |
| NOVEMBER 15, 2014
SATURDAY |
LONDON | Eventim Apollo | get tickets | 0844 249 4300 |
| NOVEMBER 19, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
CHELTENHAM | Everyman Theatre | get tickets | 01242 572 573 |
| NOVEMBER 20, 2014
THURSDAY |
GUILDFORD | G Live | get tickets | 0844 7701 797 |
| NOVEMBER 21, 2014
FRIDAY |
READING | Hexagon Theatre | get tickets | 0118 960 6060 |
| NOVEMBER 22, 2014
SATURDAY |
ST ALBANS | Albans Arena | get tickets | 01727 844 488 |
| NOVEMBER 23, 2014
SUNDAY |
SALFORD | The Lowry | 4pm: get tickets 8pm: get tickets |
0843 208 6000 |
| NOVEMBER 24, 2014
MONDAY |
BIRMINGHAM | Symphony Hall | get tickets | 0121 345 0600 |
| NOVEMBER 27, 2014
THURSDAY |
ISLE OF WIGHT | Shanklin Theatre | get tickets | 01983 868 000 |
| NOVEMBER 28, 2014
FRIDAY |
BRISTOL | Colston Hall | get tickets | 0844 887 1500 |
| NOVEMBER 29, 2014
SATURDAY |
BELFAST | Ulster Hall | get tickets | 028 9033 4455 |
| DECEMBER 2, 2014
TUESDAY |
DARTFORD | Orchard Theatre | get tickets | 01322 220 000 |
| DECEMBER 3, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
DORKING | Dorking Halls | get tickets | 01306 881 717 |
| DECEMBER 5, 2014
FRIDAY |
CAMBRIDGE | Corn Exchange | get tickets | 01223 357 851 |
| DECEMBER 6, 2014
SATURDAY |
SHEFFIELD | Sheffield City Hall | get tickets | 01142 789 789 |
| DECEMBER 16, 2014
TUESDAY |
LONDON | Queen Elizabeth Hall - Southbank Centre | get tickets | 0844 875 0073 |
| DECEMBER 17, 2014
WEDNESDAY |
LONDON | Queen Elizabeth Hall - Southbank Centre | get tickets | 0844 875 0073 |
| DECEMBER 18, 2014
THURSDAY |
LONDON | Queen Elizabeth Hall - Southbank Centre | get tickets | 0844 875 0073 |
| DECEMBER 19, 2014
FRIDAY |
LONDON | Queen Elizabeth Hall - Southbank Centre | get tickets | 0844 875 0073 |
Hopefully see you there...
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
New Series Day!
So this is the day that the series launches! Very exciting. It's on Dave, tonight at 10pm. I hope you can catch it...
Here are a couple of nice write-ups... I don't think they contain too many spoilers... the first is from the Radio Times...
Tonight. 10pm. On Dave. Or have I already said that?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
It's Publication Day!
... and so begins the busiest week of my year...
September 4th is publication day. That's it. The new book is out. Officially. Today.
Today is also the day that UKTV - the company that runs the channel Dave (as well as Watch, Really, Alibi, Gold etc etc) - launches their new slate of programmes. They do it with a big live event called, naturally enough, UKTV Live. I'll be there this morning doing a short piece to launch the series to members of the press and then in Battersea tonight to launch the book.
Then there are a load of interviews to promote them both - oh, and the imminent tour, natch - oh, and a family wedding too. I'm looking forward to it all. I'm just not sure how it'll all fit into seven days.
The first episode of Series 2 of Modern Life Is Goodish airs on Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to it actually being out there. Especially as the fools at Dave have decided to let me loose as a live continuity announcer that night.
Then there are a load of interviews to promote them both - oh, and the imminent tour, natch - oh, and a family wedding too. I'm looking forward to it all. I'm just not sure how it'll all fit into seven days.
The first episode of Series 2 of Modern Life Is Goodish airs on Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to it actually being out there. Especially as the fools at Dave have decided to let me loose as a live continuity announcer that night.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Bush Telegraph
With so much going on in the world, if you want people to know you're going on tour, you need to be creative. People don't notice posters as they walk down the street. Their eyes flit straight past the ads you place in the papers at great expense. You need to find new ways of putting the information in front of them.
For this tour, I had a cunning plan.
I put in a call to Kate Bush.
"Kate," I said, "it's been a while since your last live gig hasn't it?"
"Thirty five years," she replied.
"Really! That long! Blimey. You should get back out there. Do some more."
"Well, I've thought about it Dave," said Kate Bush, katebushily, "but I always get so bored before a show. I just don't know what to do with myself."
"Oh, we all get that," I said, trying to jolly her into it.
There was a pause.
"Is it true that you have a dartboard that straps on to the back of a door?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. I could hear her resistance breaking down.
"And is it true that when you're on tour, you take it with you and play darts for an hour before the shows?"
"Uh huh."
"Um... can I borrow it?"
"Of course you can!" I said. "Do you want to borrow some darts as well?"
"Don't be daft," she squeaked. "I've got my own arrers!"
So that was part one of my plan accomplished. Persuade Kate Bush to go back to live performance.
I knew she'd choose the Apollo in Hammersmith, the scene of her last gig in 1979. That was crucial. Because that's also one of the venues on my tour.
And of course I knew there'd be a huge amount of attention given over to Kate Bush performing again. Her tickets would go in a flash. Her first night would be a huge event. The world would talk about little else for one day. There would be TV cameras outside the venue, interviewing punters before and after.
I just needed to make sure the electronic billboards outside the venue were timed right. They were. Here I am on the BBC website:
It was clearly seen by a lot of people on various reports. Tweets started arriving about it last night and have continued this morning. As you can see, it was on the box at 8.11 am:
I couldn't afford to buy that kind of exposure. Mission accomplished. Thanks Kate.
If only my plans to get B*witched to promote my book launch had gone as well...
For this tour, I had a cunning plan.
I put in a call to Kate Bush.
"Kate," I said, "it's been a while since your last live gig hasn't it?"
"Thirty five years," she replied.
"Really! That long! Blimey. You should get back out there. Do some more."
"Well, I've thought about it Dave," said Kate Bush, katebushily, "but I always get so bored before a show. I just don't know what to do with myself."
"Oh, we all get that," I said, trying to jolly her into it.
There was a pause.
"Is it true that you have a dartboard that straps on to the back of a door?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. I could hear her resistance breaking down.
"And is it true that when you're on tour, you take it with you and play darts for an hour before the shows?"
"Uh huh."
"Um... can I borrow it?"
"Of course you can!" I said. "Do you want to borrow some darts as well?"
"Don't be daft," she squeaked. "I've got my own arrers!"
So that was part one of my plan accomplished. Persuade Kate Bush to go back to live performance.
I knew she'd choose the Apollo in Hammersmith, the scene of her last gig in 1979. That was crucial. Because that's also one of the venues on my tour.
And of course I knew there'd be a huge amount of attention given over to Kate Bush performing again. Her tickets would go in a flash. Her first night would be a huge event. The world would talk about little else for one day. There would be TV cameras outside the venue, interviewing punters before and after.
I just needed to make sure the electronic billboards outside the venue were timed right. They were. Here I am on the BBC website:
It was clearly seen by a lot of people on various reports. Tweets started arriving about it last night and have continued this morning. As you can see, it was on the box at 8.11 am:
@DaveGorman bit of free advertising on BBC this morning Dave. (That's not me btw!) pic.twitter.com/hoe4nogcXG
— Matt Phipps (@ElCarrot) August 27, 2014
and again at 8.33:
Shameless bandwagon jumping by @DaveGorman during BBC interviews of Kate Bush fans at 1st gig...tkts still on sale? pic.twitter.com/yWcFa6P6E2
— DenNY (@Denbarry1) August 27, 2014
If only my plans to get B*witched to promote my book launch had gone as well...
Sunday, August 24, 2014
TMI (OCEJSUFAMSOUATTT)
I took a trip up to Edinburgh for the Book Festival on Friday - and my first book-reading for the new book. I'd forgotten how much I like doing book readings. It was great fun. I'm glad I had the opportunity to pop up to Edinburgh during the festival, however briefly. Some strings had to be pulled to make it happen, seeing as the book isn't actually published yet. If you bought a copy in Edinburgh... well, it's like you're time travelling when you read it. You're in the future. It's like it's September 4th, already. Imagine that!
Some nice people who know what they're doing with computers have made this tour of the front cover as a trail for the book...
... the phrase "pre-order" is lightly mocked at one point in the book (I'm pretty sure the word "order" covers it) but you can't fight the tide - so if you want to, um, pre-order it... you can do so here.
Oh... and if you fancy it, you can come along to Battersea Arts Centre for the book launch event on the 4th September.
Some nice people who know what they're doing with computers have made this tour of the front cover as a trail for the book...
... the phrase "pre-order" is lightly mocked at one point in the book (I'm pretty sure the word "order" covers it) but you can't fight the tide - so if you want to, um, pre-order it... you can do so here.
Oh... and if you fancy it, you can come along to Battersea Arts Centre for the book launch event on the 4th September.
Friday, August 15, 2014
The disorganised stuff has been organised...
As I wrote yesterday, it's been a bit complicated putting things together when three separate projects are all landing at about the same time. Which is why details on events have been confirmed at different times... and things have been making it here (and to my website) bit by bit.
But I think I now have all the various elements in place. So here they are. And because there are four different types of event going on, I've tried to make it as clear as possible what's what.
There are Screen Guild Shows, book readings, signings and work-in-progress gigs... and of course, come October 3rd, I start a 50 date tour...
... and then the tour kicks off on October 3rd...
But I think I now have all the various elements in place. So here they are. And because there are four different types of event going on, I've tried to make it as clear as possible what's what.
There are Screen Guild Shows, book readings, signings and work-in-progress gigs... and of course, come October 3rd, I start a 50 date tour...
When |
What | Where | Whatsits |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 20th | Screen Guild | Hackney Picture House | This is the gig I set up to allow me to try out new material and play with ideas. Four ace comics, introduced by me. More details.Tickets |
| August 22nd | Book Reading | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Book Festival. Sold Out. But you can check for returns. The book is called Too Much Information (or Can Everyone Just Shut Up For A Moment, Some Of Us Are Trying To Think) |
| August 28th | Screen Guild | Hackney Picture House | I might be refining the material I try out on the 20th. I might be doing completely new stuff. It might be a mixture of the two. The guests will be different. More details. Tickets |
| September 4th | Book Launch | Battersea Arts Centre | A night to launch my new book. I'll be reading a few bits, explaining what it's all about and doing a Q&A. I love doing these events. The ticket price includes a copy of the book. Tickets. |
| September 10th | Book Reading | Newcastle, Mining Institute (for Waterstones) | I'll be reading a few bits from the book, explaining what it's all about and doing a Q&A. I love doing these events. Details (Should be live from Aug 16) |
| September 11th | Book Signing | York, Waterstones | From 12.30, I'll be in Waterstones, York to sign books and have a chat. Come along. And have a chat. |
| September 11th | Book Reading | Leeds, Waterstones | I'll be reading a few bits from the book, explaining what it's all about and doing a Q&A. I love doing these events. Tickets. |
| September 16th & 17th | Work In Progress | New Greenham Arts Centre | Two shows in an intimate setting to help me put the pieces together and make things hang together as a show. Kind of. Tickets |
| September 21st & 22nd | Work In Progress | Braintree Arts Centre | Two more shows to allow me to shuffle the pack. Tickets |
| September 23rd & 24th | Work In Progress | Andover, The Lights |
I've done a few tour warm ups in this venue... always a great place to play. Tickets |
| September 29th & 30th | Work In Progress | Wolverhampton, The Slade Rooms | More tour previews Tickets |
| October 1st | Work In Progress | Tring, The Court Theatre | And finally... Tickets |
Thursday, August 14, 2014
This Post Contains Too Much Information
I sometimes get the impression that people expect my life to be more organised than it really is. Some people seem to imagine that in my profession there must be a scheming agent working out a series of five-year plans on my behalf. Or behind my back. The truth is that - like burglary - it's all much more opportunistic than that.
With live work I have a degree of control. With everything else it depends on someone else giving me an opportunity. Offers come and go. You try to apply judgement as to what is and what isn't a good idea. And so on and so on.
My new book comes out in September. The new series starts in September too. And the tour kicks off at the start of October. That looks like some kind of masterplan is in place, where all the pieces slot together in some kind of perfect storm of mutually beneficial publicity. But it's not. It's a coincidence.
I'd agreed to write the book before the first series was commissioned. I just couldn't start work on it until the series was done and dusted. And the tour was planned before the series had been recommissioned. It's force of circumstances that means they're all coming in to land at the same time, not masterful puppetry on the part of my controllers.
In some ways it adds complications to things. The publishing company, the broadcaster and the promoter are all different entities. They all work on their project and it means things are hitting my diary in haphazard ways.
I really like doing book-readings and normally, when I have a new book out, I try to do as many as possible. I'd normally do a dozen or more in the first couple of weeks. Because they're fun. But this time round, because the tour is imminent there simply aren't that many free dates to play with.
I'm going to be doing a pre-publication event at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 22nd (although I think that one's sold out already).
The official publication day is September 4th and I'll be doing a launch event that night at Battersea Arts Centre. (Tickets are £20, which includes a copy of the book).
On September 10th I'll be heading to Newcastle for an event at Waterstones and on the 11th I'll be doing a lunchtime signing in York before an evening event in Leeds. The details for all three of those should be here.
And in non-book related news, I have another couple of tour warm-up shows to announce. On September 16th and 17th I'll be doing work-in-progress shows at New Greenham Arts near Newbury. (Expect it to be a bit rough and ready. And, y'know, fun.)
There'll be a few more tour warm-ups to announce soon.
They'd all be announced at the same time if things were a bit more planned.
With live work I have a degree of control. With everything else it depends on someone else giving me an opportunity. Offers come and go. You try to apply judgement as to what is and what isn't a good idea. And so on and so on.
My new book comes out in September. The new series starts in September too. And the tour kicks off at the start of October. That looks like some kind of masterplan is in place, where all the pieces slot together in some kind of perfect storm of mutually beneficial publicity. But it's not. It's a coincidence.
I'd agreed to write the book before the first series was commissioned. I just couldn't start work on it until the series was done and dusted. And the tour was planned before the series had been recommissioned. It's force of circumstances that means they're all coming in to land at the same time, not masterful puppetry on the part of my controllers.
I really like doing book-readings and normally, when I have a new book out, I try to do as many as possible. I'd normally do a dozen or more in the first couple of weeks. Because they're fun. But this time round, because the tour is imminent there simply aren't that many free dates to play with.
I'm going to be doing a pre-publication event at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 22nd (although I think that one's sold out already).
The official publication day is September 4th and I'll be doing a launch event that night at Battersea Arts Centre. (Tickets are £20, which includes a copy of the book).
On September 10th I'll be heading to Newcastle for an event at Waterstones and on the 11th I'll be doing a lunchtime signing in York before an evening event in Leeds. The details for all three of those should be here.
And in non-book related news, I have another couple of tour warm-up shows to announce. On September 16th and 17th I'll be doing work-in-progress shows at New Greenham Arts near Newbury. (Expect it to be a bit rough and ready. And, y'know, fun.)
There'll be a few more tour warm-ups to announce soon.
They'd all be announced at the same time if things were a bit more planned.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Passing the baton... to myself.
It really was all-consuming. This was the first World Cup since I was a teenager that has passed me by completely. Didn't watch a single game. Got it all on my Sky+ box obviously so will be catching up with England's inevitable triumph soon. No spoilers.
If you came to any of the dry-runs for the series - to Worthing, Canterbury, Fareham or Maidenhead - then thank you. You helped to make the show a really enjoyable process for me. Not writing things down. Not having endless meetings with people trying to second-guess what they think an audience will like, and letting the story-telling elements develop organically through the process of, um, telling-the-stories is a far more enjoyable way to work and I think we get something much more genuine out the other end as a result. (It's a collaborative show, lots of people bring all sorts of talents to bear, but I dread the idea that it would ever feel like it was made by committee.)
Of course, now that it's over it's time to look to the next challenge. The tour. The tour kicks off in October, but as with the series, I don't want to sit around on my tod, second-guessing what will work best. I want to try stuff out.
You can get tickets here.
(I might do the same stuff both times. I might not. It depends on how much I can squeeze into a show and whether things need polishing or changing. That's the point, I suppose... if I knew exactly what I was going to do at each of these shows, there'd be no point doing these shows in the first place.)
In September I'll start doing some one-man shows as tour warm-ups. The details of which aren't finalised yet - but I'll be letting my mailing list know some time at the end of this week or the start of the next. And I'll blog the details too.
Monday, June 9, 2014
A Goodish Return
I haven't been tweeting, blogging or doing pretty much anything online lately as I've had plenty of other stuff on my plate.
On Saturday night, we taped the first two episodes of series two...
... and it all seemed to go pretty well.
Thanks to everyone who came along.
Thanks also to everyone who came along to the dry runs in Worthing. Doing the shows live is far and a way the best way of honing things and as I want the finished product to be as unedited as possible - so that I can link ideas together, rather than just having a mish-mash of disconnected thoughts and gags, it's essential that I at least try and squeeze it into time before we get to the recording.
Anyway... there were sleepless nights along the way - I always forget just how time consuming creating 800+ slides of powerpoint can be - but it was a really enjoyable experience. And that's it now... we're strapped in to the rollercoaster and the shows are coming thick and fast.
I've got one last show of the Screen Guild gigs at the Hackney Picture House on Thursday - which doesn't necessarily feed in to the series, but then there are dry runs in Canterbury before the next recording on June 25th.
Phew.
On Saturday night, we taped the first two episodes of series two...
... and it all seemed to go pretty well.
Thanks to everyone who came along.
Thanks also to everyone who came along to the dry runs in Worthing. Doing the shows live is far and a way the best way of honing things and as I want the finished product to be as unedited as possible - so that I can link ideas together, rather than just having a mish-mash of disconnected thoughts and gags, it's essential that I at least try and squeeze it into time before we get to the recording.
Anyway... there were sleepless nights along the way - I always forget just how time consuming creating 800+ slides of powerpoint can be - but it was a really enjoyable experience. And that's it now... we're strapped in to the rollercoaster and the shows are coming thick and fast.
I've got one last show of the Screen Guild gigs at the Hackney Picture House on Thursday - which doesn't necessarily feed in to the series, but then there are dry runs in Canterbury before the next recording on June 25th.
Phew.
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