BlackMan Time

Archive for the ‘Comedy’ Category

Apparently today was International Disturbed People’s Day. So to commemorate the occasion an ex-girlfriend sent me a set of humorous pictures, one of which you can see to the right above.

They are all very creatively (and professionally!) well executed. It also made me laugh.

They are all carved, etched or created out of fruits or vegetables to stunning effect. This one, which seem to have been a melon before being operated on, also looks like some additional work has been done on the image in PhotoShop.

Nonetheless, it is a funny graphic.

What actually perturbed me a little was the message at the end of the email accompanying the attachments which said: “Please send an encouraging message to a disturbed friend… just as I’ve done.”

I’m wondering if this ex was actually trying to tell me something.

What do you think?

Everyone who’s anyone who knows anything about British Black Comedy (funny how that abbreviates to BBC!), knows that Black comedians are getting a raw deal from Britain’s mainstream television and film networks.

This is how it has always been: Black talent is simply not being recognised at all. Even when they do they are not given the encouragement and support system to make their foray into the entertainment world sustainable.

One of the main problem is that the power for deciding who gets seen on television is in the hands of people who don’t seem to see Black talent, even when they are sitting right on their own doorstep.

It is fair to say that the talent spotters, who are generally not Black or have a sensibility towards spotting black talent, are either sleeping, looking in another direction or simply not interested in black talent.

Radar Recognition

The only time British Black talent drift into their radar is when such talent is first recognised in America. Then suddenly the powers that be run around to try and source that talent when that talent may have been here in Britain all along but left to pursue their career in America, where they are generally more appreciative of true talent.

I was primarily thinking of comedians when I sat to write this piece but the same dynamics is true of any form of Black talent endeavours including acting.

This is more than a case of a good man is never honoured in his own country: this is a case of a good man is not even being acknowledged at all. That good man may as well be invisible.

It seems like Black talent has to do whatever it can to break through this shadow into the light of public consciousness, by any means necessary, short of selling one’s soul and dignity.

A revolutionary approach may be the best thing when the polite, pay dues and join-queue-to-be-recognised-and-given-an-opportunity way, simply isn’t working.

A friend turned me on to Dave Chappelle a Black American comedian whose edgy stand up routine and HBO comedy sketch shows I’ve been enjoying over the past week or so.

Although Chappelle is clearly positioned and aimed at the mainstream, his material revolves around truths and observations found in his life as an African-American, often without pulling punches or making much compromises. This is refreshing.

When I was first told about him, I thought he would be another one of those Black comedians who in their quest for personal fame would sell their souls at the expense of any integrity.

Suffice to say I’ll be following Chappelle’s career and material from here on. Any comedian who delivers their material apologetically, afraid of telling truths and upsetting sacred apple carts, has to be worth the effort

Watch this space.

I try my best to take foreign holidays per year largely because I like experiencing new cultures and I like travelling. Last year I made only three foreign trips taking me to Jamaica, Morocco and Spain.

So far this has been a slow year since I have only so far booked to go to Bulgaria and the day of my departure is actually…today!

Most Black people I’ve told I’m going to Bulgaria don’t even know where the place is. Then the second question they ask me is it business or pleasure because they are thinking what or why in the world would I want to go there.

I guess the answer is I am going to link up with a friend I had been linking with for six years on the internet as it seems the time is right.

It is not a situation where big romance is promised or anything along that line is even on offer. Although I do not rule anything in or out, I am just happy to go along with the flow. That way I can’t be disappointed because my expectations are below zero.

The only thing I know for sure is I want to get out of the UK for a few days and go to a place I have never been before.

The journey time by plane is only three hours and fifteen minutes so it is also very accessible. I’m adventurous like that and hopefully when I return my knowledge of the world and culture would have increased.

Can you ask for much more than that?

I watched an African man in his early 20s die right in front of my very eyes yesterday! He was performing at a comedy gig in Camden, London and started off very well, with his first few jokes connecting with the audience.

Then he veered off a tangent to reveal that he had a dog that he loved to make love to “doggy style”. For some reason, he said, his girlfriend didn’t like him doing that but he just loved dogs. “Dogs are a beautiful thing,” he said. The more he went down this alley, is the more the audience recoiled from his act.

I followed suit simply because the joke he was telling was simply not funny.

As if that wasn’t bad enough he then declared that two men having homosexual sex was “a beautiful thing.” By this time the audience, which was actually quite gay-friendly, could not care less what he was saying. He had somehow lost them and in the end several members of the audience begged him to leave the stage.

It was humiliating.

Afterwards I analysed the comedian’s actions and tried to understand how (and why) he got into that predicament. It quickly became clear he had not prepared adequately and his material was inappropriate, weak and delivered badly. Unfortunately, his performance was a lesson in how not to be a stand-up comedian.

Obviously, as a budding stand up comedian myself, I made notes!

Without even really trying I have secured my third gig as a Stand Up Comedian! It all came about when I met “L” on a flight from Jamaica to England. In a follow up a phone call “L” outlined plans for an event she is hosting at an Oxfordshire country manor.

It all sounds really posh but I’m assured that it’s in front of a predominantly Black audience. Of course we know that Black people are as posh as the best of them – and I know quite a few who are – it’s just refreshing that we’re also organising and supporting events in upmarket places too.

At this stage I have no idea what material I will perform but I do know I will have to come up with some new material and learn it before the date in a few weeks time.

Now that I’m back in England I will probably step up the number of gigs I do and aim for around one or two per month, rising to around one per week by the end of the year. There’s no method in the thinking, other than the more shows I do is the better I hope to get. I also realise I have to face the full gamut of reaction from as varied an audience as possible because again that will test my skill and hopefully enable me to produce my best work.

As you may guess, I still see myself as a novice at this thing but I don’t enter into anything lightly and I do not like to fail so I will put in as much work and energy into my preparation to ensure at least that I am worthy for a paying audience’s fee.

Tell me to break a leg or something!

Earlier tonight I performed on my second comedy show at a venue in London, E2. It couldn’t have been more different to when I made my debut on March 29, 2007!

For starters there was no microphone and my opening act depended on there being one. So, I had to project my voice across the intimately small but full room, to be heard. It was a good experience but one which was at first a little daunting!

Another thing that was different was that no alcohol was served so the crowd was as sober as could be, so if they laughed it mean they really wanted to laugh. What I learnt from this was that alcohol not only lowers audience’s self-consciousness factor but it loosened their inhibitions too. This translates to them being more susceptible to laughing and/or applauding your act, even if it was only moderately funny.

The third thing that was different was that the DJ, a really talented guy called Mr. Gee, had over sold me as a “professional comedian” which raised the audience’s expectation of my output. The “professional” title was also patently not true so when I took to the stage I had to explain to the audience that this was in fact only my second performance. Lesson learnt here was to always provide the MC/organiser with your bio beforehand.

Overall it was still a good performance and I did manage to make them laugh, but not necessarily in the places I actually expected them to laugh. This threw me initially, but I didn’t let it distract me. It made me aware that I needed to get more experience knowing how to know my audience and adjust my material according to them.

Definitely a learning experience!

Last night I attended a comedy gig at the BBC West One Club in central London. Three up-and-coming comedians were performing and I was keen to see them because earlier that day I had secured a slot for a show on April 26. My second gig!

Thus, I wanted to get a feel of the build up, preparation, crowd and general vibes that goes on before a show. Maybe I also wanted to learn something, a tip or two perhaps, from others more experienced than myself. Come show time, though, all pretence at wanting to learn disappeared: I wanted them to make me laugh! Dammit!

For a comedian, this is the ultimate goal: can they make an audience laugh? I have been considering this myself and I was still wondering if, after my successful entry into the business on March 29, I could actually make someone laugh!

What gives me a glimmer of hope is the fact that I think I have found ‘a voice’ with which I am comfortable. In this voice I am able to assume a new persona, ego or identity behind which I can deliver my gags with impunity. It’s not that I become ‘Superman’ or anything like that, but it sure feels that way!

This voice is my facade from behind which I look out onto the world and deliver my lines.

Distinctive Voice

From what I’ve seen so far, having a distinctive voice also separates you from other comedians. So, I paid great attention to the voices of the three performers.

The first, don’t remember his name, a slightly overweight blonde haired guy, talked about his inadequacies in bed and general disfunctionality in the sex department. His style and delivery were matter-of-factly and he interspersed his jokes with a stint playing a really tiny ukulele which seemed to symbolise the size of his penis!

The second, Andrew Lawrence, a slim, wild haired, young-faced, hippie looking guy, spoke fast and knew how to work the crowd with spontaneous interaction. He looked like the cheeky, troublesome friend you had as a youth, edged with a sense of fun.

The third, Lucy Porter, a slim, short woman flirted with the crowd, spoke super fast and a lot about her sex life, also interacted extensively with the crowd, particularly with one younger guy from the audience. She feigned being shy and apologetic, but she was smart and alert!

I learnt something from all three but my favourite was number two, simply because I laughed the loudest in his set. As for me I won’t describe my voice this time around. You will have to catch me in action and tell me what you think.

Watch this space!

I have reached the conclusion that, in some ways, stand up comedy share a lot in common with journalism! How, do I hear you ask? Well, they both involve communicating with an audience, albeit in different media. But whereas the stand up comedian’s job is to make that audience laugh, the journalist’s chief task is usually to inform.

Now, wouldn’t it be good if the stand up comedian could also inform while simultaneously entertain his audience? Effectively, combine the best of the stand up comedy traditions with the best journalism techniques. Now that would be neat trick!

These thoughts came to me with laser beam clarity following my debut as a stand up comedian the other night. The general consensus was that the evening was a success! In the aftermath of this everything I look at seem to suggest humour or can be made funny with some treatment.

To say the least, this is all too weird for me because I’m a serious journalist with some pithy topics to deal with, dammit!

I’m gonna have to chew over these things in private…

Something totally amazing happened last night: I experienced the power (and glory!) of being able to captivate an audience with the power of sheer talent!

This is not a bragging trip, but a revealation and discovery of yet another talent I felt I had but had never before explored. I’m talking about, of course, the ability to stand up in front of a live audience and tell them jokes and actually make them laugh!

I did just that at the BBC Club Woodlands, 80 Wood Lane, London W12 last night and the most amazing thing was the number of people stopping me afterwards to tell me “I was great!”

My five minute set consisted of jokes about the BBC and Jamaica and considering that the audience was predominantly white and middle upper class the material went down very well indeed!

I’m probably going to have to explore this comedy thing in some more detail…