Blog: An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail

< previous

next >

Last night I headed over to distant Edgeware Road to play a GIG for An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail at The Cockpit Theatre. I had a GRATE time but it was VERY different from my usual such outings!

To start with it was in an ACTUAL THEATRE, with lighting rigs, sound systems, backstage areas etc etc. On the rare occasions when I venture into performing in such venues I am always amazed by how many PEOPLE are involved with everything. I'm used to doing things like Totally Acoustic where the entire CREW is ME and/or STEVE, but then that's because there's no tickets, no sound system, and no lights (apart from switching off the ones at the back when things start). Here there were all sorts of people wandering around doing jobs, not least an excellent STAGE MANAGER who very kindly talked me through many aspects, and especially how a RADIO MICROPHONE works.

Cor! I have never used a radio mic before and it was AMAZING. Once it's put on (round the back of your head! Who knew?) and you hear your voice MAGICALLY amplified it's like everyone else is suddenly hearing the voice inside your MIND. I had been practicing my set in Actual Gig Conditions with a microphone stand, but not having to worry about that was FABULOUS.

I'd got there super early to soundcheck so had plenty of time to wander round the corner to The Seashell Of Lissom Grove for a MASSIVE, also DELICIOUS, portion of chips. I then waddled back round to the theatre to read my book for a bit, at which point The Sentences In My Paragraph arrived and we went in, she to the auditorium and me to the DRESSING ROOMS.

For LO! there were actual dressing rooms which, as ever, were Quite Exciting when first encountered but then turn out to be just some rooms, if with lightbulbs around the mirrors. All of us performers were gathered there to take our turn going on, and I must admit I was not highly sociable because i was wracked with NERVES. The whole thing was so very different to my usual gig experience that it made me AFEARED. For instance, usually I'd be sat in the AUDIENCE watching everyone else do their bit, but here I felt like I was HIDING. Unfortunately this meant that I didn't catch much of most of the other acts - you could hear a bit of what was going on but not see much of it, which always makes me TERRIFIED. What if I go on and BLITHELY repeat something that someone else has just said, for instance?

I was thus in a BIT OF A STATE by the time it was nearly my turn and I stood next to the backstage entrance in MORTAL FEAR, but then once I was announced and had strode onto the stage everything felt MUCH better. The microphone worked, the SLIDES functioned correctly and best of all people seemed to LIKE it. Another FEAR FACTOR was that I had a twelve minute SLOT, with a COUNTDOWN appearing in front of me. I knew that my fastest practice so far had been 11 minutes 47 seconds, so I was highly aware that I shouldn't WANDER OFF too much, but I am happy to report that in the end my full set was 12 minutes and 38 seconds, which hopefully was within acceptable parameters. Phew!

I've talked about Doctor Doom before (A LOT) but this was the first time I'd performed any of it in the new MUSICAL format, with two new songs - Like Batman But Better and My Unified Catalogue Of Transmedia Character Components. They both seemed to WORK, which was a relief, but my favourite bit was when I did the section where I asked the audience to suggest a fictional character to use to DEMONSTRATE the unified catalogue. The FIRST character shouted out was Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which I was DELIGHTED by because I had used Buffy as my own example during my final rehearsal the day before, so had half of it already worked out. I guess Buffy is currently in THE ZEITGEIST what with the possible revival (NB NOT A REBOOT), but still it was a nice surprise.

I was the last act in the first half so once I'd de-microphoned it was time for a well-earned BEER before returning to thoroughly enjoy Matt Parker's preview of some of his new material in the second half. After that there was some LURKING AROUND in the bar during which I answered several INCISIVE questions before saying our farewells and heading home. It was, all in all, a pretty FAR OUT evening for me, full of NOVEL experiences on a journey into a whole other world of GIGGING. It was scary but I did enjoy it - I hope I get to do it some more!

posted 11/2/2025 by MJ Hibbett

< previous

next >