Hectically Gigging Away Like a Mad Man

Has been a hectic October in 2012, the last couple weeks I’ve been all over the shop, gigging away like a mad man.

The life on the road for a comedian leaves a lot to be desired. It’s not the pleasure filled experience one might think. The journey lacks any and all of the rock star qualities associated to ‘the road’. In fact the hardest task is to not drink oneself unconscious while passing the hours of down time before taking the stage, to a crowd that you hope has been doing exactly that for the whole evening.

Any who…

Was back in The International Comedy Club for the Craic Attack Comedy Competition, which was a night to forget. Damien Clarke was the evenings MC and he was in great form, getting the skeptical audience of nine laughing. There were nine comedians performing on the night, so it was an even playing field. I did 7-minutes and rushed off (before the results were calculated) to get the bus back to Galway. To my knowledge nobody got through on the night, the voting ballots must have been misplaced…

Was down in Limerick for the Seafoid comedy night in the Blind Pig. Was a cool pub, good atmosphere, though the comedians were somewhat thrown to the wolves, for the stage was plopped right in the middle of the hectic pub. The hustle and bustle of the people moving around the pub made for some interesting audience interaction throughout my set. Had a good gig, did 30-minutes and got some big laughs talking about love and the male ego, and how the two collide from time to time to make for some tense situations. There was a couple, or what I perceived to be a couple in the corner of the stage; the girl was laughing away and the guy seemed a bit uneasy about the subject matter, he was playing it cool and I was messing with his vibe… My bad.

On the Sunday I had my second appearance on the Comedy Cocktails stage at Busker Brownes in Galway. The audience seemed confused as to what was going on, so I figured I would go up and try out some new bits about recent visits to the psychologist and how I lost my virginity, all of which went down to muffled responses. There was a lesbian couple in the front row; they were at each other throughout my set; sucking the faces off each other so they were! I had to comment, I made a reference to yokes, which lead to some playful banter and ended with them calling me gay… Surely they’re the one’s who… Gotta love the uncomfortable laughs.

Crowbar Comedy was on the road in Naas, Co. Kildare, in Kavanagh’s Pub. The pub was packed out, the mic was broken, awkwardness in the air, but the show went on. I was up first and was greeted warmly; there was a crowd of Spanish up front that were having a great time for themselves, not sure who they were laughing at, but… The jokes went down well, Danny O’Hanlon and Kenny Gaughan hit form, and Johnny Graham brought the house down. Was the first time gigging in Naas and sure, I would be happy to go back. The night was packed out, and even though sound was an issue, the night went down swimmingly.

I was back in Ned Keenan’s Comedy Club to a much different atmosphere than my first appearance; was good craic nonetheless. Cheap drink, a few cheap laughs, and a room full of comedians, the punch lines were flying around the place! The rooms spirits were down for Germany had just finished spanking Ireland 6-1 when the gig started, which took from the nights atmosphere, it’s never a good felling when your country gets bent over by a group of Germans… My stuff went down like a hypodermic needle in NA, got a few laughs, but the head was not in it and it showed, I felt like Edward Norton when he kicks the shit out of himself in Fight Club. At least he left with a computer.

To top it all of I had my first Capital Comedy Club appearance. Was a stormy auld Sunday night in Dublin, so punters were scarce. Did a 7-minute spot, Al Porter MC’d in only the way he can. FJ Murray and Matt Saddlier were in, and Colm O’ Regan headlined to an eclectic crowd consisting of a few Galwegians, a few from the North, and an English/Indian hen night that got lost and found throughout the show. There were even a few Germans in, who graciously handled being at the butt end of a good few jokes. Laughing away, the Germans took it on the chin and rolled with the punches, like Enda Kenny does when he speaks to Angela Merkel…

By the end of all that I got back on a crowded bus, ended up sitting next to a girl who was coughing like a banshee suffering from the plague. The harrowing red clock that looms over all bus passengers continues to haunt my dreams; taunting me as the inflamed clock makes a two and half hour journey back to Galway seem like a never-ending episode of the Twilight Zone.

All and all it was great craic! What can I say; I’m a glutton for punishment. Thanks to everyone who had me in,

All the Best,

Connor McDonough-Flynn

http://conmcflynn.com/