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It’s April Fools! That is what Mr T likes to say when he checks his calendar.
I want you to know that despite me sending this month’s email on April 1st everything you read in this is true*. Or is at least something I want you to believe is true.** So firstly, my brand new investment in a unicorn farm is going well. HA! APRIL FOOLS! I didn’t invest in one. I was given in in inheritance by a relative. HA! APRIL FOOLS! I don’t have any relatives! HA APRIL FOOLS! I totally do and all this is nonsense. Sigh, April Fools is exhausting isn’t it?
I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend***. While I’m always initially angry that the clocks go forward – not just because I lose sleep but also because I feel like they go forward all the time anyway so it feels a bit like queue pushing – I’m already relishing the lighter evenings****. It helps me pretend I have a normal job for a while as I actually get to at least leave for gigs while it’s still light rather than lurking around entirely in the dark like a villain. Other than that my month was mainly watching Daredevil, hanging out in Ireland with a tiny performing pomeranian called Jiff, doing some lovely gigs, shouting at the budget and seeing more theatre than I expected to. So pretty standard stuff. Hopefully April will be a tad more exciting.*****
Lucky for you it is. Here are some things:
PARTLY POLITICAL BROADCAST
The podcast is now somehow ten (and a half) episodes in. I’m not sure how that happened or how I keep writing that much material for it each week without going completely bonkers. So far feedback has been nice which is good and hopefully listenership will continue to grow. If you have any recommendations for people I should interview, please do give me a shout. The hardest bit seems to be finding people to have a chat to, even though it’s only by Skype and only on audio so they don’t even have to be dressed. I mean, I’m not, most of the time.******
So once again the iTunes link for it is here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/partly-political-broadcast/id1075342863?mt=2
And the non-iTunes link is here: https://www.tiernandouieb.co.uk/podcast
If you enjoy it and do listen via iTunes then please do give it a review as apparently Apple listen to that. Although considering that they don’t listen to the FBI******* I’m really not sure how a sentence on my podcast is deemed valuable info, but someone I know who’s clever about these things******* said it does make a difference. And if you’re thinking ‘but I don’t even know what a podcast is or what wine to have one with’ then don’t worry. It’s really very easy to do. Pretty much just click on the links and have a listen.
Also I tried doing something with the podcast a few episodes ago called Partly Big Society. It’s vaguely worked but would be lovely if more people wanted to get on board. If you have a local issue you’d like me to mention, please let me know too. Here’s a blog about it: https://www.tiernandouieb.co.uk/2016/03/partly-big-society/
And an update for that blog: https://www.tiernandouieb.co.uk/2016/03/partly-big-society-update/
I’m enjoying doing the podcast more than most things at the moment so if you enjoy it to, please do spread the word and hopefully it can become worthwhile to keep it going.
LOST TREASURES OF THE BLACK HEART
I’ve got quite a few nice gigs this month, though all are South of the country all the way to Plymouth. Sorry Northern readers. I’m not sure why that’s happened*********. Anyway, check out the gigs page on my website for details. But one that should be particularly fun is on April 5th in London where I’m stepping in Josie Long’s shoes to host her ‘Lost Treasures Of The Black Heart’ gig while she’s away. Hopefully, if we have time, there’ll be some nice silly tributes to the regular host and it’s got a lovely bill, so should be a brilliant night:
http://www.losttreasurespodcast.com
COMMUNITY ART PROJECT
This is also in London. I’m sorry about that. I mean, chances are, with house and rent prices as they are, it’s only a matter of time before all creative types are forced out of the city so we may as well do things while we can before we make feeble attempts to bring culture to Milton Keynes or somewhere.
Anyway, I’m hosting and judging a Community Arts Competition for Enfield and Haringey all about the Environment. There are some pretty decent prizes and one of the other judges is a Downton Abbey actress so I think this now means I’m an art expert or something. I expect my Turner judge invite any day now. Though I probably won’t know what it is and will accidentally throw it away, as I imagine it looks like a toilet or a cut up shark or something.
Anyway, the deadline is meant to be March 31st so will be over when you read this, but if you are a budding artist from Haringey or Enfield then it might still be worth a try entering before April 6th as I think they are willing to accept a few late entries. Get scribbling:
http://www.collage-arts.org/community-artists-competition/
MACHFEST
Are you going to the secret Welsh comedy festival? I am and I’m doing a show that I have in no way prepared or thought about. It will probably be a mix of old, new and a few rants about the EU referendum. FUN RIGHT? My show is at 12.30pm on the Saturday so unlikely to clash with anything else you actually want to see. Apart from lunch obviously, which is very important. So why not have an early or late lunch and come and see me talk for a bit?
http://machcomedyfest.co.uk/tiernandouieb2016
Many, many tickets are still available.
IAIN DUNCAN SMITH
I’m going to be doing a gig with former Secretary For Work And Pensions Iain Duncan Smith on April 1st at the Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre. Iain will be telling jokes such as how all his time at the DWP actually helped people, and how ‘poverty isn’t all about money.’ Should be hilarious. I’ll be doing poems. The show starts at 1pm so only people who aren’t fit for work can attend. Priti Patel is also joining doing a performance art piece called ‘Leaping From The Titanic’.
THE WORLD’S FULL OF IDIOTS, LET’S LIVE IN SPACE
No, I have no idea when the filmed version of this will be out. However as soon as it is, I’ll annoy you so much about it you’ll wish you never asked. What do you mean you didn’t ask in the first place?
BLUE DOT FESTIVAL
I’ve just been confirmed as a host for the late night comedy show at the Blue Dot Festival at Jodrell Bank in July. This is stupidly exciting as it’s a fully space based festival, with Tim Peake, Brian Cox and clever people like that, alongside Public Service Broadcasting and DJ Shadow. I’m on Saturday 23rd hosting Adam Kay and Robin Ince at 11pm, which should be a lot of fun. I think you can still get tickets as I assume there’s be loads of space. HA! GEDDIT? SPACE? HA!
http://www.discoverthebluedot.com
FRANKIE THINGS
Psst, I’m not meant to say this yet, but as I’m not doing Edinburgh this year, I will be spending a lot of August supporting a certain Frankie Boyle in London again. Some will be at the Phoenix and some at Soho Theatre. YES LONDON AGAIN. SORRY. ‘If you love it so much why don’t you live there or something?’ I do. This may be part of the problem. Anyway, I’m not sure when these shows will be officially announced but keep on eye on Frankie’s twitter and website if you fancy coming along. His latest show is out should be out on Netflix by the time you read this and is very very good. It’s the one I supported him on the warm up gigs for last year and it made me laugh everytime I watched.
OTHER STUFF
Ok tons of other stuff by people I like to promote this month. So firstly:
THANKS FOR TRYING PODCAST
My brother Corin aka The Last Skeptik has a new podcast out called ‘Thanks For Trying’ where he interviews people while very drunk on tequila. The first episode is with his good friends Doc Brown (very funny comedian and actor) and Ed Skrein (great actor, plays the bad guy in Deadpool). It’s a great listen.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/thanks-for-trying-podcast/id1095260650?mt=2
My brother also has a new beat tape out which is super cheap and contains several of the beats I use as background music on my podcast. Check it out here:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-beat-tape-sucks-vol.-1/id1084727023
DEAD CAT
After much, much hard work my friends have finally got their romantic comedy feature film released. It’s a great fun watch with an excellent cast including Tom Mison from Fox’s Sleepy Hollow and the film One Day.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/deadcat
DON’T SLEEP THERE ARE SNAKES
Some other pals of mine have their own theatre company called Simple 8. They have done many excellent shows in the past and their latest show, Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes, is no exception. I saw it last week and loved it. Go do that. It’s on at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, London. YES, LONDON AGAIN! I KNOW! WHY DON’T I JUST MARRY IT OR SOMETHING? Anyway, ticket link is here:
http://www.simple8.co.uk/production/dont-sleep-there-are-snakes
OTHER PODCASTS
Since starting a podcast I’ve got really into listening to other podcasts too. So here is a very long list of worthwhile listens.
- The Box Set Podcast – I sometimes guest on this so I have some bias but it’s a fun weekly chat on tv stuff.
- Adam Buxton’s podcast – this doesn’t need a plug but it’s so so good. His recent one on Bowie was so well done.
- Mouth Time by Reductress – A faux women’s magazine cast. This makes me howl with laughter.
- Scienceish – Fascinating stuff from Rick Edwards and Dr Michael Brooks who take sci-fi novels and films and find out if the science behind them exists.
- Beef And Dairy Network – Chris Morris-esque silliness. Wonderful stuff.
- Man Buy Cow – Top notch sketch nonsense. Also makes me laugh a lot.
- The Guilty Feminist – Very sharp and funny podcast from Deborah Francis White and Sofie Hagan.
- Athletico Mince – A football podcast that thankfully hasn’t got much football in it, from Andy Dawson and Bob Mortimer.
Also try Sustainababble, Rick and Paul Heal The World, Mystery Show, Skylines and of course The Comedian’s Comedian. Phew. Now rest your ears.
SOME OTHER THINGS:
- Sad Ben Affleck is my new jam: https://t.co/KiHw9U7jWh
- Please all sign this. Just for japes. Please: https://t.co/xCWo7UOxWH
- RIP Phife Dawg, from one funky diabetic to another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIah18jcJko&feature=youtu.be
- Here’s a piece I wrote for Politics.co.uk on the Parliamentary ban on HoC footage being used for comedy: http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2016/03/07/it-s-time-to-scrap-the-ban-on-satirising-parliament
Right. That was a long one wasn’t it? And all filled with 100% truths. 100%. So make sure you do all of those things and I’ll see you again in May when I’ll be single-handedly battling pollen and trying to work out who’s the least worst person to vote for as London Mayor.
BYE
* Ha! April Fool’s! This is not true.
** This is mostly true. But also not. Ha! April Fool’s!
*** Ha! April Fool’s! I don’t! Ha!**********
**** Ha! April Fool’s! I don’t as it gets in the way of my attempts to get rickets.
***** Ha! April Fool’s! It won’t be! Ha!
****** I’m actually usually in my pyjamas. Or at least pants.
******* Though in that case I think they were right to do that. Just clarifying my position for y’all.
******** I read a thing online.
********* I do. It’s because I hate you all. ***********
********** But I actually do.
*********** But I actually don’t.
