Vocool at The Tooting Progressive Club

Tooting is an hour from Hackney by tube. I have grown accustomed to cycling to pretty much all my gigs in less than thirty minutes. As a taste of what the multitude of comedians I know who live in outer London and beyond have to experience several times a week I don't rate it.

However, once I did get there I was given a warm welcome by the locals at the social club (buzzer entry) and, having arrived about an hour earlier than necessary, settled in for an hour of TV, random chat and a sub £3 pint.

Once the promoter arrived we headed upstairs to a room best described as a lounge with the sofas replaced by rows of plastic chairs. From the photo you can see it got a bit of a makeover though. These mini roller-banners have been popping up (literally) everywhere I've been recently. The black backdrop was a nice touch too.

8pm arrived but the audience hadn't. A bunch of acts sat in a room deciding what to do. With the exception of one, we decided to plough on regardless. In a gig this intimate full credit has to go to MC Andy Zap for keeping things going regardless of how quiet the general reception was to every person who got up.

I opened the second half to the same room of quietly appreciative comedians, now joined by 3 older gentlemen who'd decided to pop up from the club below. They looked pretty unimpressed with my set but it turned out that was their natural state so I won't read too much into it. 

Overall the show was pretty good, a few poorly placed homophobic and Jewish jokes aside, and I did have a good chat with Sara Mason afterwards about delivery which was useful. I'm assured it's usually busier. I think the summer is taking its toll on all small shows.