4706/17365
What a stupid prick the me of yesterday was. What was he thinking to get so drunk when he had to work today? I woke up at 5am, fully clothed on the sofa, where I had passed out last night. I did manage to get into bed and sleep for a bit longer and I didn't feel completely wrecked. But I was not looking forward to having to go through the potential embarrassment of interviewing myself as it was, but having a cloggy, tired brain was going to make things much worse. And I also hadn't really done my research for the interview with John Finnemore either, so it was looking like a tricky few hours. I decided that I wouldn't think too hard about what I was going to talk to myself about, so that I had a chance to spring surprises on myself, but also to avoid starting to write a script in my mind. After all my work with Me1 and Me2 I am actually OK at improvising chat with myself without thinking about what's coming next and so can genuinely come up with some surprises and my hope was that a fuddled brain might also help me improvise in ways that would be unpredictable to me, so I'd have to respond to myself in the moment. I am not mentally ill.
And it was a real joy to listen to lots of Finnemore stuff on youtube. I've heard bits and pieces of his radio sketch shows and sitcoms whilst driving around to gigs so I knew he was funny, but he's a super impressive one-man machine of writing, especially impressive when you consider that he's doing all this for radio where the wages and audiences are comparatively small. There's a nice feel of traditional Radio 4 with his stuff, but it's inventive and funny and the episode of Cabin Pressure that I heard really made me want to track down the whole series, but also made me remember how much work you have to put in to scripted comedy. It was both inspiring and made me wonder if I have what it takes to do that still. But it's also a reminder of how many talented people are working away without getting the credit that they deserve. If you don't know his stuff then check him out. And in spite of admitting in the interview that he's not a spontaneous comedian, needing to work up ideas over time, he was very witty and affable in the podcast, which also had some interesting stuff about the writing process. The hangover wasn't too much of an issue.
And the interview with myself was somewhat more surreal. We filmed it in a way that means that (hopefully) we can use the magic of technology to make it appear that I am in both chairs, so I had to turn one way and then the other as I asked myself questions and answered. It passed by ridiculously quickly and though I think I might have been a bit funnier had my brain been sharper, I probably did end up saying more interesting and surprising stuff as a result of being punched in the head by booze. And occasionally I did manage to spark off myself and have an improvised chat. I think most of the audience enjoyed the experience on some level and I did manage to tease some new anecdotes and thoughts out of a guest who had had the temerity to show up clearly worse for wear and stinking of stale alcohol, though the interviewer could hardly complain about that.
I talked to myself for over an hour whilst 175 people watched and no one tried to intervene. Which tells you a lot about the British public these days. Though it might have been 174 as @MereTwith tweeted to say that they heard one woman saying, "...I'm obviously leaving, I'm not going to watch that man interview himselfâ€. Well, she missed out. On something.
This particular podcast will not go out online, but is being sent out as a kickstarter reward on DVD. I know there are others of you who will want to see it so we might also sell it online or at RHLSTP recordings. All profits will go towards the next series of RHLSTP (it will also include an hour's worth of the secret backstage interviews with previous guests). I think we're planning to set up a little store of RHLSTP stuff including new mugs, badges and maybe T-shirts which you can purchase to help support our endeavours. So will keep you informed about that.
There's a new badge which is available at RHLSTP and Happy Now? gigs, saying RHLSTP Patron. It's only a pound (but you can pay more) and all that money goes towards the production of more stupid podcasts. So jump on board and be a mini-Medici.
Then back to parental reality, rushing home to get my teething daughter to sleep. Her tired crying was a reminder of why it's a bad idea for a parent to get so drunk they pass out. But still through a mixture of patience, lullabies and a big syringe of calpol, I did it. My career may be in danger of disappearing up its own arsehole, but I am rocking it as a dad (if you ignore the bits when I am drunk).
