I know, I know... I'm a bit slack in keeping this blog active, in my defence though I have been insanely busy! For 40 weeks after returning from Thailand I've been booked solid every weekend which included further trips to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Amsterdam, back to Hong Kong, several trips from Bournemouth to Leeds, Manchester & Liverpool to Exeter & Torquay, Big gigs for Jongleurs on the Road, little gigs at pubs in towns so small even the locals didn't know they lived there... (Cornwall). After that palaver Edinburgh Fringe 2012 hit with massive costs and me running around doing everything I could to recoup my expenditure. I spent over £6,500 to make just short of £600... which puts me firmly in the 1% of paid venue shows that made a profit in a year that had the audience levels down due to the Olympics and show numbers on the increase  (over 4,000 this year!) Then I ended up staying in Scotland for an extra week to cover off four more shows in Aberdeen, Glasgow & Motherwell before heading down to Poole to say goodbye to some very dear friends (Scott Charlton & Dave Fitzgerald) in my farewell gig before heading back to Hong Kong to headline their comedy festival for a week with additional performances in Macau before returning to New Zealand!
I'm HOME! It's very strange to be back, so much has changed, yet strangely many of the people seem eerily the same, like NZ is a little time capsule for people and even though new streets and tunnels spring up around them, people don't seem to age, some didn't even seem to be aware that I had been away, walking in to the Classic comedy bar in many respects was like watching a rerun of 'Cheers'. The same people, having the same conversations. It's quite bizarre! My girls have grown though, their young ladies now, testing their new found lady abilities on twisting Daddy around their little fingers to get what they want. Such is life :D
Now that I'm back, what am I doing? I can't really afford to go back to what I was doing when I left, I'm 40 years old (in a week). I struggle to justify scratching for 4 gigs a month at the Classics door for the same amount of money I'd been able to earn at a pub gig in London. Still want to keep my hand in with stand up, but need to earn more here at home that what stand up can provide. So far I've managed to swing a guest spot on Auckland Daze, confirmed for a 4 minute spot on Maori TV and sorting out a voice reel for Johnson & Laird so I can try and get work that way. I've also been offered a job as a TV Producer with Noggin Films/Film Construction who are interested in  Repo Kings as well for next year. Finally folks, I'm off to Jakarta next week for my birthday and to perform in the Jak Fringe - alongside some comedy favourites of mine, Bill Bailley, Phil Nichol & Glenn Wool. Seriously looking forward to that, I've also rejoined the NZ Comedy Guild and will be working with Nick Rado & Tarun Mohanbhai to organise guild fundraising events.