It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post on here, which can only mean one thing: things have been really busy. Okay, it could mean two things, the latter being that I’ve forgotten, but I promise that’s not the case.
Drum teaching-wise it’s all been a bit frantic. Alongside my private students (all of whom are doing brilliantly, a couple of them have even formed bands recently which is awesome), I’ve started teaching at yet another school and I’m looking forward to their students developing into happy drummers.
Gig-wise, I’m enjoying gigging with Glymjack and their extremely technical tunes, and Fred’s House are deep in rehearsals working on new material ahead of a tour later in the year.
The Edinburgh Fringe is a bit close, isn’t it? I’ve had a lovely time with my Harvey Greenfield is Running Late show, I mean - it’s physically exhausting to perform, but let’s be honest, I drink too much beer and eat too much junk food, so a show that involves me running on the spot for an hour can only be good for my health. I’ve had a great time with that show at the Brighton and Swindon fringes, plus the private performances, and it’s heading to the ever wonderful Theatrefest in Barnstaple for three nights this week. I’m looking forward to three weeks of that in Edinburgh. History of Pop also returns for another intentionally shambolic singsong, and I’ve got another new show, All of this Must Count for Something. It’s technically a stand-up show, about my plans to quit stand-up, which will happen as soon as the final Edinburgh show is done. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with stand-up over the last five years and have had some brilliant nights (and some really awful ones, of course), it’s taken me all over to the country and even America to perform, but it feels right to focus on my theatrical shows…I’m trained in theatre and it feels right to go back to focusing on that, I was never really a stand-up, I just got accidentally pigeonholed as one and went along with it. For five years. Touring, relentlessly. My final Edinburgh stand-up hour will be a speedy one, because I have a lot to say and only 60 minutes to say it in! Either way, it’s going to be a brilliant Edinburgh Fringe this year, I know it is. I’m also drumming every day for the very great Dominic Frisby, which will be fun.
There’s still BBC radio sitcom stuff ticking over in the background, and some publishing bits and bobs in the pipeline, more on that soon when I’m in a position to reveal details.
Oh yeah, and I also got engaged last month! But everyone was expecting that anyway. She’s amazing, she totally gets me more than anyone else and I’m a very lucky boy.