Wednesday 28 August 2019

The Edinburgh Fringe Run, 2019

This year we headed to Edinburgh, complete with our cat, excited to be there with our full-run show for the third time. We had new venues and new timings and were unsure what to expect.

In 2018 both Clash of the Tight Tens and First World Problems were based in Espionage, a very central nightclub location that never struggled to attract both passing trade and those who'd sort out the shows specifically. It was also a hub of four rooms with audience often moving from one to another throughout the day, with overspills seeking alternative shows if a room was full. Espionage also had its own guide handed out by staff throughout the run (a creation of the people who owned both it, Cabaret Voltaire and The Three Sisters) which was highly effective.

This year 99 First World Problems was allocated Sofi's Southside, a really nice venue on the edge of town a short walk from Laughing Horse's Counting House complex and the paid fringe on Bristo Sqaure and Georges Gardens. However, being almost entirely without passing trade and a function room above a bar, we'd be warned off from going there by several acts who'd experienced very low numbers.

Clash of the Tight Tens had been allocated Espionage but the venue experienced structural issues when a hotel started to be built next to it. As a result all shows in the venue had to move and the show ended up in an adopted storage room at Cabaret Voltaire.  The guide had already gone to print so the address was wrong in there but the app was updated so I crossed my fingers it wouldn't matter too much.

The Numbers


Compared to 2018, both shows attracted less people. In 99FWP case this can be put down to the location and the fact we took 3 Tuesdays off (compared to no days off last year). With CotTT it can be attributed to the change in venue and fierce competition on a short street with no less than 10 other rooms running at the same time (PBH's Carnivore, two Monkey Barrel rooms, Just The Tonic's new space, 3 rooms at Laughing Horse's City Cafe and the other 3 rooms in Cabaret Voltaire).



The money didn't follow the same trend for our main show though. First World Problems at Espionage last year made  £1,217 from 628 people (£1.94 per person) whilst 99 First World Problems at Sofi's Southside made £1,232.50 from 477 people (£2.58 per person.) The 2018 show attracted an average attendance of 25 whilst the 2019 show averaged 22. The difference being though that this year everyone there had planned to come and were committed from the start, there was no element of passing trade - unlike Espionage. This was further proven by the fact we didn't have a single walk-out the entire run. We made more money with less people across less days - which we'll certainly take as a positive.

Clash of the Tight Tens fared worse. In 2018, 749 people watched the show and donated a total of £1,476 (an average of £1.97 per person). In 2019 this went down to 517 people donating £1,186 (an average of £2.29). Per person this is obviously an improvement but it didn't compensate for the reduced numbers. In this case I'd suggest per-person donations were better because there were less people in the room and therefore the feeling of responsibility to donate was higher.  

Marketing

As far as 99FWP was concerned, flyering was utterly pointless. Having asked people everyday what had made them come to the show the main answers were, in this order:

1. Found it on the guide/app when looking for a musical comedy show.
2. Found it on the guide/app when looking for something suitable for 12+ / clean.
3. Saw us last year and looked us up.
4. Using the app, found it to be right time / right place relating to other shows.
5. Recommended by a friend.

Next year, depending on the location, there's a good argument for us to print 1,000 flyers (to give out mainly at guest spots) and 20 posters for our main show - rather than the 5,000 / 100 that is standard.

Clash of the Tight Tens did benefit from flyering but the majority of people still came because they'd seen it in the app and it fitted their plans and/or it was rated 12+.

What we gained


We enjoy doing Edinburgh because we love performing to audiences who are on our wavelength. The Fringe is an exciting place to be and we saw plenty of good shows and caught up with plenty of people we hadn't seen for ages. We received a couple of reviews from which we can pick out a few good quotes for the future and had plenty of lovely feedback from those who watched us. I got to try out a few new ideas during the run which we'll integrate into next year's show and I've also been inspired to write and perform a second, more intimate, show to complement FWP (or whatever, we choose to rename it in these woke times) - possibly in preference to a showcase.

Lessons learned

A unique selling point and/or a catchy title is far more important than flyering. Clean musical comedy you interact with is our niche. If that doesn't sound like your kind of thing that's fine - we've found that there are plenty of others who do. 

Accommodation pricing is eye-watering and the earlier you can book, the better. Consider staying further out. We were over 2 miles from the centre of the city but the Just Eat bicycles (similar to London's Boris Bikes) made it a quick and easy journey.

Reviews aren't as important as reviewers would like to think they are - but if you get a good one it's always nice to have.

Thanks

We'd like to thank Alex and the rest of the crew at Laughing Horse, particularly for their efforts in finding Tight Tens a new home when Espionage when kaputt. The staff at Sofi's Southside and Cabaret Voltaire, who were always happy and helpful. All the acts who did spots at Clash of the Tight Tens and consistently made it a quality hour. All the acts who I either had a beer, coffee or sandwich with at some point. Dave Nattris, Peter Merritt, Tom Short, Paul Richards (apologies for not making it twice) and Aaron Levene for the guest spots. Andy Onions for being an all round superstar buddy to both of us and Marvin McCarthy for being the only act aside from Onions to come and watch our show!

Monday 26 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 25th

The final day of the Free Festival is usually a busy one and so, for the final time, I hopped onto my Just Eat bicycle and pedalled into the centre to don my laurel wreathe and host Clash of the Tight Tens.

As shows go it was a slightly odd one. The audience were a lovely but very diverse group of 18 all with their own distinct taste. The acts presentation ranged from the comparatively fresh faced Nathan Cassidy (concluding his one-week run) to the close-to-death Ollie Horn (no doubt on his 2 billionth spot of the month) but they all gave it everything they had. The bucket wasn't bad but I hoped for better at 99FWP.

99FWP didn't disappoint. The room filled close to capacity, the audience were more than up for it and the space stayed just the right side of boiling hot. We danced, we chatted, we cheered a newly married couple and then laughed along with a wife identifying her husband as a first world problem because, "he can be irritating at times." The bag for life had plenty of money in it and people swore they'd be back next year. A great way to finish things.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 18 (Total: 477)
Cash in the swing bin: £39 (Total: £1149)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 34 (Total: 477)
Cash in the bag for life: £88 (Total: £1223)

And yes, that means both shows had EXACTLY the same attendance, with 99FWP beating CotTT in the bucket by £74!

Saturday 24 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 23rd/24th

August 23rd started slightly ominously when Tight Tens took its lowest bucket for the run despite solidly brilliant sets from acts who got the room laughing throughout. I put it down to poverty and meanness and crossed my fingers we didn't have a repeat at 99FWP. The finger crossing clearly worked as the show rallied with a similar attendance but a much improved bucket. We had photos taken with one of the younger audience members and a couple of familiar faces from London also put in an appearance.

Today things improved further with the city busy at midday and Tight Tens following suit. A near-full room thoroughly enjoyed themselves throughout and the cash-per-person ratio approached £4. At 99FWP it was a similar story with a very much up-for-it crowd singing along to the tracks and laughing along with the segues. A few more familiar faces were in the near capacity room from both old uni friends and those in comedy and a lot of enthusiastic comments came our way afterwards. It only seemed fitting to round things off with an ice cream on The Meadows. 

Aug 23rd:
Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 17 (Total: 427)
Cash in the swing bin: £22 (Total: £994)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 18 (Total: 408)
Cash in the bag for life: £71 (Total: £1050)

Aug 24th:
Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 32 (Total: 459)
Cash in the swing bin: £116 (Total: £1110)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 35 (Total: 443)

Cash in the bag for life: £85 (Total: £1135)

Friday 23 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 22nd

Things began to pick up today after the early week lull. Clash of the Tight Tens gave the audience solidly brilliant laughs for an hour. Ash Preston's debut went down a treat with the younger teenagers - who he encouraged to share their favourite swear word, much to the amusement of their parents.

99FWP was a solo show due to Anna losing her voice so I tested my ideas for next year again with the audience and they happily went with it. After one crew member shared her self-checkout horror story with us I dug out Tales of the Unexpected for an encore. Altogether, a great gig.

Between the two shows Andy Onions and I watched Saskia Preston at the Underbelly. A story with a twist, Saskia packed the hour full of jokes and callbacks whilst also taking us on what felt like a real trip down memory lane with her family. Well worth sitting in another of the weird little black boxes at the top end of town for. 

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 20 (Total: 410)
Cash in the swing bin: £51 (Total: £972)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 18 (Total: 390)
Cash in the bag for life: £66 (Total: £979)

Wednesday 21 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 21st

A quiet day on the fringe still came with its highlights as Clash of the Tight Tens minimal audience enjoyed the sets delivered if to ten times the number whilst 99FWP hosted a truly international audience of Germans, Chinese, Irish and Brits. Though the three Chinese members struggled with the language barrier they joined in with enthusiasm and the tell tale constant scribbling in a notepad by a man at the back suggested a reviewer was in town.

Post-shows, we caught Jollyboat at The Liquid Rooms for some raucous musical comedy and then headed up town to see John Long perform Planet Killing Machine with his trademark very small guitar. Old favourites such as "You Can't Recycle That" were joined by new songs and a poignant tribute to, musical comedian, the late Chris Joyce. A thoughtful counterpart to the previous show, it was well worth the ticket.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 10 (Total: 390)
Cash in the swing bin: £21 (Total: £921)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 10 (Total: 372)
Cash in the bag for life: £28 (Total: £913)

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Edblog August 19th/20th

Week 3 Monday is always slow as Scottish families send their kids back to school and the big weekend presents its hangover.

Clash of the Tight Tens was noticeably more subdued despite reasonable numbers but solid sets came from all involved and flyers were willingly taken from all acts on exit. I caught up with Andy Onions and Dylan Dodds over a beer and chips before making my way to Sofi's to collect flyers and stand about in the rather quiet thoroughfare around George's Square.

99FWP was down to ten people but they gave it their all and we had a great time. The last of the key rings were handed out and the bucket was respectable for the numbers.

Later on I performed guest spots at Comedy Shorts at The Newsroom and a late night hour at City Cafe alongside Peter Merriment, Joe Bains and Rhodders which resembled a good natured hostage situation featuring eight students in a tiny room.

We also saw a few more shows. Katie Pritchard's Storm Stud was an anarchic musical comedy show full of gloriously homemade costumes and bubbling enthusiasm whilst All Aboard with Dragos showcased a Romanian talent of the old school music hall variety to much mirth from the small but captivated audience.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 18 (Total: 380)*
Cash in the swing bin: £30 (Total: £900)*

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 10 (Total: 362)
Cash in the bag for life: £31 (Total: £885)

*Includes an additional 27 people and bucket money for Tuesday's show hosted by Sonia Aste (99FWP has the day off.)

Monday 19 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 18th

After a couple of very busy days, normality resumed on Sunday with more usual numbers at both shows and a city which you could walk across at more than a shuffle. Clash of the Tight Tens welcomed returning groups from Saturday keen for another lunchtime comedy fix whilst 99FWP was busy without being squashy. A lengthy soundcheck ensured everything sounded ten times better than the previous day and we did our best to ignore the intense stare of a single man at the back of the room who kept tapping his phone. Reviewer or stalker, we'll soon find out I'm sure.

In between all this comedy-ing I've seen a few more shows and have a whole list to attend this week before it's too late. For the record, Zahra Barri's, "Special", at Cabaret Voltaire is way more fluid than its "work in progress" tag suggests and is an enjoyable hour of personal storytelling. Ashley Haden's, "Fuck You and Fuck Your Beliefs", at Sofi's Southside is a sardonic sixty minute polemic on modern politics and wider society. The Sacrifice at Opium is a strangely brilliant forty minutes of clowning based on the unlikely relationship between a viking and a vampire preparing for a blood ritual. And finally, Trainspotting Live brings Irvine Welsh's best known novel to life in a tunnel where the audience sit along the sides and watch Renton and co hurtle up and down to collapse on sofas, go cold turkey on mattresses and splash around frantically in a toilet bowl.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 21 (Total: 353)
Cash in the swing bin: £42 (Total: £847)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 22 (Total: 352)
Cash in the bag for life: £48 (Total: £854)

Sunday 18 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 17th

Today was utterly frantic in town with huge numbers of people treading the Royal Mile and beyond. 

After a brief spot of flyering for Tight Tens (and it's twice-changed lineup due to drop-outs) I was in the room chatting to a capacity crowd and doing my best with Shake It and a sore throat. The assembled thoroughly enjoyed the whole show and a little old lady enquired if 99FWP had any rude words in it as, "I liked all the acts but I'm too old to hear swearing and things about sex." She took my flyer and promised to come the next day. A recent show also got a user review on the Edfringe site:



After a spot of shopping and eating I made my way to Sofi's confident that it would fill with no flyering. Which it did, ridiculously so. Despite some full rooms in the past, none of them compared to this audience. People were sat in the window bays, on extra stools brought in from the other rooms and peering in through the doorway. The show itself went well though the PA started to show its limitations when turned up to a volume to cope with the numbers, distorting the vocals at times. We used this as part of our bucket speech to buy bigger speakers.

A full soundcheck with be happening today before the show commences.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 40 (Total: 332)
Cash in the swing bin: £100 (Total: £805)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 45 (Total: 330)
Cash in the bag for life: £110 (Total: £806)

Saturday 17 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 15/16

Another couple of great shows over the past few days. August 16th's 99FWP was particularly special with a full room of happy people. 

Aug 15th
Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 18 (Total: 278)
Cash in the swing bin: £61 (Total: £661)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 20 (Total: 250)

Cash in the bag for life: £61 (Total: £576)

Aug 16th
Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 14 (Total: 292)
Cash in the swing bin: £44 (Total: £705)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 35 (Total: 285)
Cash in the bag for life: £120 (Total: £696)

Wednesday 14 August 2019

Edblog: Aug14th

Another nice day at the fringe with a decent turnout at Tight Tens and a not-bad-for-a-Wednesday group of ten in 99FWP. 

In between the two I met up with Andy Onions to take part in Alan Shed 7's Music Quiz. Using an interactive tablet we answered questions on music from decades and genres way beyond the hey day of the mighty shed. By the penultimate round we were in the third place but in the final round we got question after question wrong and slipped further and further down the leaderboard. However, with three questions to go we aced one no-one else got and gained a thoroughly unfair bonus boost to the top. The final question duly answered correctly and we were the winners!

Possibly the only award I'm likely to win this summer.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 25 (Total: 260)
Cash in the swing bin: £58 (Total: £600)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 10 (Total: 230)
Cash in the bag for life: £19 (Total: £515)

Tuesday 13 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 12th (includes reviews)

Mondays are often busier than you'd think and this one didn't change the pattern. 

Clash of the Tight Tens presented another collection of thoroughly decent sets to a half full room and the audience left happy and reasonably generous. Considering its last minute change in location and the fact that its location resembles a sewer tunnel things have been going well here.

It was a second solo outing for myself with 99FWP as Anna's ankle injury had flared up again. With little time to flyer I figured I'd just see how it went and was pleasantly surprised to see a collection of families and students in the room for the start. With an audience of fourteen, some adjustments were necessary with lower volume for the music and a chattier interaction. I tried out my new interactive piece for next year again and it worked well again so it's almost certainly something we'll take forward to 2020.

Between the shows I've had the chance to see some other acts in action. The free fringe / festival is an unwieldy beast but I've felt lucky so far to only trip up on one truly terrible show. The best are below:

Lightfoot James - Aidan "Taco" Jones
I've known Taco for years, ever since the days of Bear Jokes in Hackney. Always ready with a story to tell, he starts the show with easy going chat with the assembled group in his tiny attic room. Tales from remote towns in Australia follow, punctuated with Facebook stalking and his biological origins. Interesting, funny and vivid. A very easy to watch afternoon show. 

Made in Spain 2 - Sonia Aste
Sonia's previous show continually filled its room last year and this time around not much has changed for the lady who mixes up her paella with puns. Over the course of an hour we learn about various aspects of Spanish life, presented as courses in an audience-selected tapas menu. Arming the front row with maracas and tambourines, as well as the whole audience with fans, the show is both informative and amusing with plenty of light humour building up the repore.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 21 (Total: 235)
Cash in the swing bin: £65 (Total: £542)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 14 (Total: 220)
Cash in the bag for life: £35 (Total: £496)

Sunday 11 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 11

A rainy Sunday confronted me this morning but it didn't dampen the spirits of Tight Tens' capacity crowd. As ever, the acts all did well - Tom Little putting in a particularly hectic set necessitated by booking his guest slots too closely together. The crowd were happy and the bin took its best feed so far.

The rain didn't affect turnout for 99FWP either with a close-to-full room greeting us on entry. Anna J was back in action and quizzing the crowd as usual whilst I urged them on during the tracks. The bucket take was a reflection of the age of the crowd - who were largely 18-22, apologetic and skint - so we didn't take anything negative from it.

Given our abject lack of reviews, tweets, insta's etc it appears that good old word of mouth is pushing our audience figures in the right direction.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 40 (Total: 214)
Cash in the swing bin: £118 (Total: £477)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 35 (Total: 206)
Cash in the bag for life: £32 (Total: £461)

Edblog: Aug 10th

Edinburgh was busy today. Footfall around Cabaret Voltaire suggested that all would be well when it came to numbers at the shows but I didn't predict just good they would be.

Clash of the Tight Tens played to a capacity crowd and the acts all did well whether it was stand-up from John Pendal, Megan Shandley or Ali Woods; sketch for Bad Clowns or surreal music from Hugo Hamlet. The donations bucket was just shy of three figures as the assembled departed.

A quick chat over a sandwich with Simon Caine later and I headed over to Paul Richard's "Complete History of Pop" show at The Globe Bar. This was also full and he had plenty of acts in to be his choir. My solo spot (the result of Anna busting her ankle the night before) raised the roof and I handed out the few flyers I had to hand - having given out more than expected at the end of Tight Tens.

Then it was up to Sofi's for 99FWP. With Anna absent I had needed to quickly think of a new mid-set feature to break up the songs and came armed with a fistful of cards. I won't explain further as it turns out it worked really well and will probably be part of next year's show. Having not done any street flyering I wasn't expecting the room to fill but fill it did and people had to bring in stools at the back to fit in. A warm (in both senses) show littered with minor errors due to the lack of my backup dancer, we had a really good time. The bag for life took £115 at the end to back this up. More of the same would be great! 

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 40 (Total: 174)
Cash in the swing bin: £99 (Total: £359)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 40 (Total: 171)
Cash in the bag for life: £115 (Total: £439)

Friday 9 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 9th

A definite day of two halves. The rain was hammering down when Tight Tens kicked off and the audience of four were outnumbered by the acts. The sets were solid though and those in attendance experienced exactly what it was like to be at a weeknight new act show in any UK city outside of the fringe. The bucket was exceptional for the numbers and I even finally used the card reader.

99 (First World) Problems, on the other hand, benefitted from sunny weather and word of mouth and accommodated a decent crowd. The second mic cable turned out to be broken today so we were back down to one mic with our own lead but shared well for the most part. The assembled could have been louder but the bucket was decent and the compliments were forthcoming.

Given the #99FWP theme of our show it does seem somewhat ironic to not have received a single tweet yet.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 4 (Total: 134)
Cash in the swing bin: £13 (Total: £260)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 14 (Total: 131)
Cash in the bag for life: £42 (Total: £324)

Edblog: Aug 8th

Just a quick update for this one. Another great Tight Tens, albeit with reduced audience numbers, and a successful 99 (First World) Problems despite crackling mic cables.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 9 (Total: 130)
Cash in the swing bin: £25 (Total: £247)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 16 (Total: 117)
Cash in the bag for life: £38 (Total: £282)

Wednesday 7 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 7th

It was another quality selection of lunchtime comedy at Clash of the Tight Tens today with solid sets from all involved, including a surprise appearance by Francis Boulle (of Made In Chelsea fame) - standing in for a last minute drop out. The numbers were good too, especially for a Wednesday.

I had a few hours to spare before 99FWP so after some cheese and chips for lunch I chanced my arm on a Free Fringe show in Bar Bados. For the sake of the show it'll remain nameless as it was possibly the worst five minutes I'd ever endured before I walked out. How anyone can present a show with no introduction and no acknowledgement of the audience - then launch into a barely audible, baffling, sketch with no jokes is almost beyond my comprehension. Someone should have told them this before they brought it to an actual audience.

Duly bewildered, I was back on the street and decided to get some flyering done. The skies darkened but the rain didn't break until we had 15 people singing along with Shake It in our little room. My mic lead was popping, I misgendered someone and on several occasions a word or two slipped my mind mid-song but - surprisingly - it still went pretty well.

Straight after the show we headed over to The Place to do a spot at Laughing Horse Pick of the Fringe. The rain had done it's job and the audience was small but we still had a good time in the hotel's back garden shed. After that it was off to Wahaca for midweek tortillas with Andy Onions.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 27 (Total: 121)
Cash in the swing bin: £53 (Total: £222)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 15 (Total: 101)
Cash in the bag for life: £38 (Total: £244)

Tuesday 6 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 6th

Today was the first of our days off. Based on turnouts in previous years I concluded that Tuesdays were the slowest day and therefore the best to take off and go and support other acts. Due to a late night I saw less than I had planned to but I at least dented my monolithic list of shows to see.

Last night I saw Wingman: My Brother The Top Gun Pilot featuring JB Carter  at the multi-storey squat that is Bar Bados. A neat tale drawing parallels between the film and JB's brother's airforce-based incidents, it was a diverting hour with some nice jokes and a genuine personal story.

This lunchtime I joined a long queue for David McIver's Teleport at The Banshee Labyrinth (Cinema Room.) Some people thought it was a magic show but those of us who had read the blurb knew it to be a character comedy based hour recalling David's own personal experience of growing up immersed in online fantasy quest games. Exceptionally funny takes on adventurers, magical items and everything in-between followed with a healthy dose of audience interaction and a powerful emotional twist towards the end. One to see this year before it inevitably ends up somewhere bigger and more expensive in 2020.

Following this I was at The Mash House (Snifter Room) for Andy Storey's Still (Awkward) Life. With his softly spoken delivery, the show was as much a quiet chat with friends as it was a series of amusing anecdotal stories about awkwardness and anxiety. Addressing and equally engaging a front row featuring an age range of about 4 decades - Andy's ability to capture the attention of the assembled was delivered with understated confidence. The bombastic (for Andy) twist at the end is well worth waiting for.

The final show of the day was again at The Mash House but this time I was up and down from the audience at regular intervals as I was MCing The Musical Comedy Guide Showcase. After introducing the show and a couple of songs it was simply a case of getting up and clapping on the next act every ten minutes. The acts were great and the audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Definitely one for those who like their mirth with a tempo and melody.

Stats unchanged from yesterday

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 13 (Total: 91)
Cash in the swing bin: £40 (Total: £159)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 15 (Total: 86)
Cash in the bag for life: £61 (Total: £206)

Monday 5 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 5th

They call it "Black Monday" apparently but there was no sign of a let-up when it came to our shows. Clash of the Tight Tens may have been a lot quieter than the day before but the audience enjoyed the acts to the tune of an average £3 a person whilst at 99FWP we went one better with £4 per person on a turnout of 15 - 5 of which were a theatre group performing nearby.

These stats follow a trend I've previously noticed where large audience don't necessarily equal large buckets. Whilst larger audiences assume that everyone else will put in and therefore adjust their donation accordingly, smaller audiences express their more personal experience in quite the opposite direction. 

Tomorrow we're taking the day off. Originally this was to see shows but we've somehow ended up hosting the Musical Comedy Guide show in the middle of them so it's "work" as usual.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 13 (Total: 91)
Cash in the swing bin: £40 (Total: £159)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 15 (Total: 86)
Cash in the bag for life: £61 (Total: £206)

Sunday 4 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 4th

Things just got better today with increased turnouts at both shows threatening to hit their respective room capacities. 

Over at Cabaret Voltaire things started unpromisingly with little footfall down the street and the Royal Mile full of pedestrians utilising their best leave-me-alone glares. However, as showtime approached people began to stream in - all apparently drawn by the fringe guide (note to self, stay in bed later.) The acts then absolutely smashed the room. Superb sets from Lenny Sherman, Aidan "Taco" Jones, The Bristol Revunions, Stevie Gray and Tom Little repeatedly hit the funny bone and the cave reverberated to the call of, "Meal De-al!" A special mention goes to Stevie's extra special guest, his 9 month old son who he held throughout his ten minutes.

Following an hour of hit and miss flyering in the pay venue powerhouse zone of Georges Square (choice quote from a retired lady, "I saw some comedy at The Pleasance last night but it was awful so I don't think I want to watch any more"), it was time to head to Sofi's Southside for 99 (First World) Problems. The street was, as usual, quiet and the show previous to us had about 5 people in it. We were braced ourselves for an "intimate" performance.

As it turned out, our worries were misplaced. At 3.40 the foyer area was full of people and Anna J was directing them to write their names on their VIP Crew Pass stickers. Delaying slightly for people waiting on cocktails, we launched into our biggest show yet. The audience; a real mix of young, old, local, national and international, joined in whole heartedly and we raised the roof. The set pieces worked, the songs were strong and we even pulled off most of our improvisations to genuine laughs. Alongside a good bucket take (given the number of families with children) the key rings went like actual desirable objects and we would have taken our first card payment had my device not suddenly decided it was exactly the time to do a software update.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 34 (Total: 78)
Cash in the swing bin: £50 (Total: £119)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 28 (Total: 71)
Cash in the bag for life: £52 (Total: £145)

Saturday 3 August 2019

Edblog: Aug 3rd

Saturday is usually a very busy day at fringe and though we certainly increased our numbers it wasn't quite the sell-out rush I'd predicted.

Clash of the Tight Tens was just under half full as we kicked off at 12:15 and fantastic and varied sets came from Ali Woods, John Pendal, Bad Clowns, Hugo Hamlet and Andy Onions (now with projector screen.) The ceiling occasionally dripped on the people at the back but didn't do too much to distract from what was going on at the front. The front row was the domain of a group of middle aged men clearly out on the piss who were very good humoured. One of the advantages of running a lunchtime show rather than one later on.

A guest spot at the Globe Bar to an audience of 8 with The Complete History of Pop in an Hour was sandwiched between Tight Tens and 99FWP and provided light relief as we sang along to pop classics and performed Stuck On Hold and Meal Deal in the feature spot.

From here it was a brisk walk to Sofi's to find twenty people milling about our foyer area outside the room. Though our venue is further out than most it does have some definite advantages when it comes to layout and general look. Espionage may have been a busier spot last year but it's rabbit warren of tunnels and rooms pales in comparison to a light airy bar with a dedicated waiting area.

The show itself went well with the audience happy throughout out. Some good ad-libs from both of us kept things moving along and we came in at exactly 50 minutes. The room may have had a few spare seats but it was a great show for the weekend.

Clash of the Tight Tens
Bums on seats: 15 (Total: 42)
Cash in the swing bin: £35 (Total: £69)

99 (First World) Problems
Bums on seats: 20 (Total: 43)
Cash in the bag for life: £41 (Total: £93)