Comedy: Lazy Bastard

For today, I got a free ticket for David McSavage's new show, Lazy Bastard, at the Top Secret Comedy Club. Mid-afternoon, so I had plenty of time for brunch, plenty of time to walk down there. No really, I was actually in plenty of time for once! Had my ticket checked at the door - and wouldn't you know it, they've opened a new, ground-level performance space - straight in, rather than going downstairs. As I made my way in, David McSavage - who has a habit of hanging around his audience - was busily insulting the guy behind the desk (as he does), whom he accused of wearing an upside-down cross. (It wasn't, it was the Mjölnir.) He was giving as good as he got - I left before it got.. interesting. Got a drink at the bar - I keep forgetting how deliciously cheap it is here. And took one of the few remaining seats - the free tickets did draw a crowd!

In due course, he showed up, with a guitar and a notebook. As he was at pains to explain to us, this was a "new material" show. As became obvious, he hadn't really done his homework. Well, that or he wasn't terribly interested. But you know the title of the show, so..

For an hour, he kind of meandered through some material, checking whether it landed. I suspect there was a process behind it, but he certainly didn't give that impression. Thing about it is, he's a funny guy to be around - just don't go in with any prejudices, like an objection to swearing.. or talking about sex.. or wokeness.. or, um, anything.. politicians also got a drubbing (he comes from a political family, you know; I can just imagine what his family gatherings are like). And yes, he can play the guitar - he just didn't do much of it. Yeah, as I say, just don't expect anything from him and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as he repeatedly pointed out, we were getting this for free.. But don't get me wrong, he is a naturally entertaining bloke, and we did enjoy ourselves. In a very unstructured way. Certainly, I'll come to his show again..

For dinner, I decided to try The Plough, where I've drunk before, but not eaten, and which is a Greene King pub. I got the last, unreserved table - and they'd sold out of Sunday roasts, so I opted for my usual steak and ale pie. Which went down even better than usual - once I navigated the roasting hot metal sauce pan, which had obviously been heated along with everything else.. Good atmosphere, even with everyone watching the football, which was turned up for the benefit of punters. And their tips jar encouraged those who were feeling "tipsy"..!

Man, what a lovely, relaxing day - I needed that.

Tomorrow - well, there's a ton of stuff on Meetup! I finally decided that the most attractive thing was the Vintage Soho guided walk with Barrie, again with the 45+s (it's a bank holiday, you see). As with so many of his walks, however, tickets are also available with TAC - and even though I still have to pay him £5 cash on the day, it represents a saving!

On Tuesday, I was thinking film again - but another late listing has the World Music Meetup (WMM) advertising Sounds of Sudan, at St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. At a time when Sudan is in the news for all the wrong reasons, this sounds a lovely concert by Sudanese artist Mo Sarrar. So now I'm going to that.

On Wednesday, again, loads of stuff on Meetup - but two of my groups are running events that would interest me, but are sold out. The Horror Book Club, meantime, is reading The Yellow Wallpaper - a novella that I found on Kindle, and downloaded a free sample for. Mind you, it came as part of a collection.. and is so short that its entirety was included in the free sample! so I read the whole thing in half an hour. How different from our last assignment.. I wasn't that keen on it - although the ending is good. So I'll probably head to yet another film that night. That blasted film listings site still has, as of now, partial listings up for it. So - subject to change, as so many films are listed with the caveat "no information available at the moment" - Wednesday's film is looking like How to Blow Up a Pipeline, the fictional account of climate activists attacking a pipeline in Texas. Showing in my local cinema - not that the listings site let me in on that secret, but from experience, I tried the cinema website myself directly..

On Thursday, I booked a livestream from the Crick Crack Club, from the Story Museum Oxford. This is King Lear Retold. However, these tend to be available for a week after - so I've taken the opportunity, also, to book another concert with the WMM! This is La Chinganera, in the Finnish Church - and the concerts organised by Eleanor Salter Thorn of TunedIn London are always good!

Then back to Ireland for the coronation weekend..