RichardHerring.com - Warming Up

Sunday 7th February 2010

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I woke up at 2pm today, demonstrating perhaps how exhausting this week has been. Late nights and 10 days without a day off has taken its toll. Which doesn't augur too well for the tour, where at one point I pretty much have a gig every night for a month. This is a young man's game!
But I had a pleasant afternoon walking around Holland Park and then buying some books from the excellent Daunt bookshop. The man at the till recognised me and referring to my moustache asked me if I was suffering for my art.

Saturday 6th February 2010

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

My moustache seems to be drawing more attention than ever. I am not sure why this has suddenly happened, but a few weird things have been happening.
As I walked down the road early this morning on the way to do our 6 Music show, a man was approaching me laughing slightly maniacally. Was I the cause of this crazy guffawing or was this man just mentally ill? It's hard to tell at 8am on a Saturday in the Bush.

Friday 5th February 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I may be a bit tired.
On the way to the gig tonight I was supposed to change tubes at Tottenham Court Rd and head down to Leicester Square on the Northern Line. But for some reason I not only got off one step early at Oxford Circus, I then also chose to exit the station. I was on the up escalator before I realised what I had done. I could have gone back into the station and got the train, but I figured that I just about had enough time to walk it from there. But I couldn't quite believe my senior moment. What had I been thinking?

Thursday 4th February 2010

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I think Spleen might be the greatest dramatic character ever created.
You don't know what I am talking about? How could you not.
He is a stunt motorcyclist who appears in one episode of "Diagnosis Murder". And he's crazy. And will take risks. And then pour water over his dyed hair whilst making a noise like a mentally unstable animal.

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The late start for the show is not totally helpful. There's been a smattering of slightly drunk people in both shows so far and it's hard to keep the energy going as 11 o clock approaches, both for me and the crowd. I think at the weekend the shows will be way better as less people will be worried about getting up for work the next day and both shows have been fine. But maybe next year I should insist on having the early slot if I do a run here.
It was still fine, though I felt there was a bit of a dip in the second half.

Tuesday 2nd February 2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A sense of deja vu tonight as I sat backstage waiting to go on at the Leicester Square Theatre, as Joe Mangel performed his "Defending the Caveman". It was because I had already been here, when last year's show also followed Joe Mangel performing "Defending the Caveman".
Maybe he's been performing "Defending the Caveman" every day since I was last here. Perhaps he has been imprisoned in the basement and isn't allowed to escape until he's done this show a million times.

Monday 1st February 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I felt surprisingly fresh in the morning and the drive home from York was a bit of a breeze, which was fortunate as I had an important appointment with a fucking idiot and 410 nerds this evening.
Incredibly it was 100th Collings and Herrin podcast (exactly 100th) but also two years to the day since we first sat down at my (or our) dining room table to talk shit.
Tonight at the Leicester Square Theatre we were going to have a party with a selection of our listeners. We had not only sold out, but thirty extra people had paid to stand.