The Glasgow Stand

I was at The Stand in Glasgow last night to do a spot. It was nice to be able to walk to and from the venue instead of having to get on a bus straight from work, like playing Edinburgh.

Before the show started the sound and lighting guy gave everyone, including the compere, a stern lecture in not going over your allocated time. One of the visiting comics commented “If that’s what they’re like with the acts, how do they treat the audience?” He was quite complimentary of my spot later on, though maybe that was cos I got off when he flashed his light at me.

I was the opening act, which can be a mixed blessing as sometimes it’s good to open up when the crowd are fresh, but sometimes it can be helpful to follow people who have either warmed the room up or lowered people’s expectations.

Anyway it seemed to go better than last week in Edinburgh. I got nice laughs for most of my stuff and I started to enjoy it a couple of jokes in.

The rest of the evening was the usual mixed bag that these evenings are. Among the highlights were Graeme Mackie and his ventriloquist’s dummy Asbo. There was also an odd quiet spot more akin to a theatre piece. Although that makes it sound better than it was.

The compere John Gordillo I found quite funny. Mainly when he was explaining how his insecure middle class personality forces him to take on the accent of anyone he’s speaking to.

The Stand is always a pleasure to do in comparison to some of the rotten gigs out there. When you go to The Stand, whether it be Glasgow or Edinburgh you know that you’re getting a well run show and playing to an audience who have paid in expressly to see comedy.