Friday in the rain

Memorable things happen everyday at the fringe but today's list of notable events is particularly pronounced thanks to a combination of good shows and novel first-times.

I all started predictably enough with a walk down to Opium for Comedy Tapas. On my way down it started raining, which is usually good news for venues on Cowgate as it concentrates the punters. But it's rubbish for outlying venues like The Southsider. I prepared myself for a good show which would then be followed by quiet ones teetering on the edge of being pulled.

The show was solid as ever and there were plenty of people in the room to shout along to 'One Shot'. Having flyered them all on their way out I got chatting to Danni, one half of Cowshowpolitan and we opted to go next door to see Nigel Lovell's 'Worst Show of the Fringe' to avoid the downpour. As shows go it's a definite must-see. Nigel presents three good acts who have at some stage in their career got a one star review.

What was more memorable for me though was sitting down next to a guy who then asked if I was "the rapper from London I've been hearing about". A flyer was duly given and he should be along tomorrow. A first for me, I'm sure the paparazzii are only a door knock away...

Show over I left Dannii exit flyering and trecked back to The Southsider to stand in the rain and give out precisely three flyers to wet angry looking people. The pub itself was busy thanks to a football match but the performance room was an expanse of empty. I got busy setting everything up and hoped for the best. 

As it turned out things weren't as bad as they could have been. We had our perfect mode-average of eleven ready for the start of the show made up of some cheerful looking girls, a middle-aged couple and a back row of grim faced locals. The show ran well and Andy Onions' move to using the TV screen to play 'Hipster or Hungarian', amongst other things, was a big improvement on waving an iPad around. On the downside my newly purchased mic cable broke so I was tethered to the desk by the 3m long house cable like some kind of dangerous dog. The bucket was crap though with the locals giving as little financially as they had emotionally (0p) and the girls only able to summon up £2 between them. Hats off to the couple though who put in a fiver each.

After a quick trip to Farm Foods for quality canned goods and a meal involving said items back at the flat I was back at The Southsider at half seven to prepare for Bear Jokes. The pub was busy, though not necessarily interested in comedy thanks to yet more football on the screens. However, with some concerted flyering by the flatmates we enticed in another fine bunch of eleven made up of football widows and soggy tourists. Between our own eight minute spots Rosie Holt really got the crowd laughing and Sophie Henderson (pictured) topped off the show with an extract from her incredibly funny So Your Think Your Funny Awards Final-ready set. If she doesn't win next week it'll be truly criminal.

The cherry on the very fine cake came in the form of the bucket collection - making almost enough to pay off the significant amount I'd spent printing flyers and buying a panda bear soft toy for the shows. The fringe is more about losing as little money as possible rather than making any but notes in the bucket do show a level of appreciation that affirms what you're doing is worthwhile.

And so to post-show and me taking a night off the drinking and the dancing to type some stuff and get an early night for a change!

More dates at Sportsters now added.

Shows Performed: 3 (36)

Bums on seats at Mirthquake: 11 (238)

Money in the Mirthquake bucket: £12.60 (£304.20)
Steps walked according to my pedometer: 13,615 (272,012) 

CDs Remaining: 76