7581/20520
Was scheduled to do three Book Clubs today, but we lost one guest and another needed to change their slot from 5pm to 9am, so it was an early start and I had to do two interviews in quick succession (not something that has ever happened before), but it meant I was done with work by lunchtime. Though I managed to find stuff to keep me busy in the pm and tried to book more guests for the tour.
Adam Bloom will be joining Lee Mack in Aldershot on 20th October. Amazed there are still tickets for this one. This has to be the most exciting thing that's ever happened in Aldershot.
We've sold 7000 tickets for the tour so far, with 13000 to go. Is that good or bad? Pretty good for me, I think - many of these gigs are still some time away and at 35% of sales I have now hit the magic point where the tour shouldn't actually lose money! Crazy to think that I need to sell that many tickets just to break even, isn't it? But unless everyone now stops buying them I should manage to make some money - and of course the podcasts themselves also bring in revenue, so this isn't going to be another "I Killed Rasputin".
It's a slow and steady sale compared to the big name TV comics who can sell 7000 tickets for one gig in 30 seconds, but most comedians would love to be at my level (though they might love to be at the 7000 tickets in 30 seconds level more). The trick is not to look upwards or downwards, but only compete with yourself (though as this entry shows it's hard not to do it a little bit). I look on course to sell at least 200 tickets in nearly all the gigs and on my last stand up tour my goal was to sell at least 100 per gig (which I almost achieved. Damn you Scarborough
https://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/02/05/2018/index.htmlSo maybe I am on the up. I really can't tell. And Bedford might well be my Scarborough this tour! If I can hit the sweet spot of 60-70% sales then I will be very happy. The huge theatres in Tunbridge Wells and Hull make it pretty likely that at least 1500 tickets will go unsold, just from two gigs. But you never know. (I do know).
Amidst this seeming mediocrity, depending which direction you are looking at it from, I have to remind myself that I am somehow at the helm of a very successful business. Both of podcasting and of comedy in general as I approach my 35th year in this job. And to be honest being in this job for 35 years is probably the major part of my success. As I spoke to David Mitchell today about how horrible it would have been to live in almost any historical era other than this one, it struck me how additionally lucky he and I (though especially he) were to do the jobs we do within this time frame. What would we have done in any other time, past (certainly) or future (maybe)? Just got in people's way. Though I can see Mitchell being a minor Lord or something.
