Gig #14 – Comedy Balloon, Manchester

To be honest I wasn’t sure how to write this gig up – it was, to steal a terrible phrase used regularly on Match of the Day, a game of two halves.

I’m going to start with the dull stuff. I opened the gig and it was fun, a quiet and quite difficult room I tried to be as energetic as possible to get the mood going. I was feeling sick prior to the gig (the remains of a terrible kebab the night before) but lots of energy drinks, beer and multiple visits to the toilet seemed to get me on stage. I used a developed Preston section with added facts and twitter remarks – both have potential but they don’t really work without the clapping section to intersect them. I followed with sex questions (okay, mild titters), through confidence (which works less well without the earlier build up),  and then eating out (which gained the necessary groans), however I failed to follow it up suitably. So, all in all a good learning experience and it did make me want to compere really badly!

But the rest of the gig…

I think on any ordinary night I would remember more of my set, however this was no ordinary night. I’m going to bullet point the main events, without names attached, some will know the people but I don’t want to name people..

So… In essence:

• A prostitute in the front row…
• …with a comedy promoter…
• …who it would seem is also her employer…
• …and possibly also pimp…
• …pointed out by a comedian.
• This changed the vibe of the gig…
• …she preferred the term escort rather than prostitute…
• …and then told everyone about the prices…
• …some comedy happened including a set involving just 5 words…
• …this led to a standoff between comedian and pimp/promoter…
• …comedy also happened…
• …there was lots of sexism (which was a bit awkward)…
• …promoter ended up getting the mic…
• …and proclaiming that “sex sells”…
• …and prostitution is similar to the comedy store…
• …(I was lost around this point)…
• …it all got a bit tense…
• …compere may have asked her for her number. (allegedly)
• A toe stubbing occurred.

So yeah… weird gig..