Edinburgh is over and I am now back in the big smoke eating muesli and apples and drinking water in a bid to convince my digestive system that the last month was just a bad dream.
This was the third year in a row i've been up to the festival (first time doing a show for the whole month) and i've realised that i no longer remember what August is like in the real world. August for comedians is a month where the whole world stops so that we can get together for a month and tell some funnies while drinking and eating tatty dogs! Having spoken to people that were not in Edinburgh, it turns out that apparently the world actually carries on and people go about their daily lives without worrying about audience numbers and reviews!
This year i was part of Avalon's 'Comedy Zone' at the Pleasance with John Robins, Barry Dodds and Joe Wilkinson and i can only be thankful that those three were chosen as they are top guys. Funny on and off stage and whenever one or more of us were in the pits of Edinburgh dispair, there was always one of us to try and snap the others out of it.
I was also doing a free show in the afternoons with Chris Martin and Benny Boot which was always fun. Again they are two funny guys and despite us doing many shows with hangovers and sleep deprivation we somehow pulled it off.
Now for a roundup of my personal favourite moments of the festival:
1. One evening in the Spiegeltent, Chris Martin spotted Nathon Caton chatting up a girl with Cornrows in her hair. Without hesitating he walked over and advised Nathon not to do anything with her in case he caught "BR-AIDS". Possibly the funniest joke i heard at the festival and it wasn't even on stage!
2. Dr CocaColaMcDonalds - Went to this show on the final Sunday of the festival and it was one of the funniest things i have ever seen. Its a good thing i didn't see it earlier in the festival as i would have been there every night!
3. Pappy's Fun Club getting nominated for the IF.Comeddie award. Pappy's show was hilarious and the only show i saw twice. They are also four of the nicest blokes in comedy so I was made up when they got nominated.
4. The final night at the Comedy Zone was a drunken funny mess with Russell Howard and Jon Richardson ripping John Robins from the soundbooth mic, Joe doing all new jokes, Barry singing Erasure and me doing a trailer of my set from backstage before coming out and not doing any of the jokes in the trailer! It could have all gone wrong but somehow ended up being a great show and a fitting end to the festival.
5. Chris Martin describing having a cup of tea with biscuits as having a "Turbo Tea"
6. Me threatening (under my breath) to punch a bearded man in his "Face Cushion"
7. John Robins getting his cock out for absolutely no reason in the Brookes Bar. Mark Talbot later in the festival repeated this act in front of Sean Hughes who was completely unphased by it.
8. Another John Robins moment. Having asked an audience member his name, the guy responded with the obvious lie "John Smith". John was horrified that given the guys chance to choose any made up name, he chose such a boring response. He then came out with the line "You could have chosen Serpico McCockface". Genius!
There are more but my brain is still not working well enough to remember them all. I will do an update soon.
To roundup, every comic should do Edinburgh as it teaches you more about yourself as a standup that six months of gigging will but prepare yourself for a month of stupidity and seeing more cocks than you ever thought you would!!