Sunday 31st January 2016

Quite happy to see the back of January. It was just a bit flat, a bit pointless. Got stuff done - a couple great gigs, wrote the solo show and a book, but this year is still waiting to be kicked into life.

Today was a lazy one; met up with old friends, Gavin and Alison for a lovely Sunday lunch, and then surprised Mum with a visit as I was nearby. Was supposed to be just popping in but...well, she just seems so lonely, I ended up staying for 4 hours.

Got back, added some extra bits to the solo show (lounge shows open tomorrow night) which I think take it in a new direction. As I write this it's 9.51pm and I'm considering going to bed...yesterday drained me more than it should. Am I getting old?

Saturday 30th January 2016

Long day with Dowsing; arrived at venue for just after 11am, set up massive prog-rock kit, waited around for quite a while. Rehearsal ahead of the evening gig was tense and worrying, I was on the verge of snapping...several times. I've got friends in the choir, good friends, and they calmed me down a lot. Arrangements for quite a bit of the gig still not clear.

Dinner, and then gig...the show itself was a total triumph. How? God knows. Yeah, so there was a couple of glitches when I couldn't see our illustrious MD count in the start of the songs due to the fancy lights but...it was so good, so strong, the second half in particular was a wondrous thing. Huge venue, pretty much sold out, getting the audience to join us 'on stage' (they were actually in a circle around us) for the encore of 'Lean on Me' was an inspired move that lead to a magical moment. I still think it's a good time to go and I'm sure the feeling is mutual, but still - wow, just wow. Great gig that felt like it nearly killed me.

Friday 29th January 2016

Actually struggled to sleep because I was thinking about the story I'm writing, and how it could resolve itself.

Back downstairs to my writing room (the dining room) and was tempted to scrap it and start again - worked it all out though. Another solid day of writing...over 13,000 words in 2 days and it's pretty much there.

Evening popped out for a quick drink with a mate who's moving to America, and then back home to do a bit more work on the book. Looking forward to having this one lined up for release soon, alongside the novel (done), the film (done) and the 3 musicals (1 of them done). No point in releasing anything just yet though because January/February is a bit rubbish. March, though...I'll be all over it.

Thursday 28th January 2016

With the new solo show written, and me needing a few days off from it so I can come back to it with fresh eyes, I've got 2 days free...was supposed to be working on the musical for 4th Lab as that's become high on my priorities, but instead got distracted by the idea of working on a 'choose your own adventure' book about an awkward first date.

Enjoyed myself a lot with it, a solid day of writing, and something that feels fresh and new to me as well. And then I got in a massive tangle with the plot and indeed, lost the plot a bit.

Evening rehearsal with FH was so much fun, a real stormer. This is what I love doing - great band, great friends, no musical director telling me off.

Wednesday 27th January 2016

Script wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be, having read it back this morning. There's nothing wrong with it at all, but it's not exceptional, it's going to be the show that's going to progress me...so what's the point in doing it?

Then, at a typically inconvenient time (I was drumming) I had an idea for it and suddenly I feel confident again.

Spent too long today working out my kit configuration for Saturday's gig...Dad would have approved of this prog layout. I wish he was here to see it.

Dress rehearsal with the choir was shocking. A shambles. Musically up there with the worst four hours of my life. There were actual tears at how bad this is. I've never seen anything like it before. Nobody really knows what to do about it. We'll probably get it together by the gig, though, we have a knack of doing that. We have to - it's a huge, huge one.

Tuesday 26th January 2016

What a productive day that was! Sod the idea of taking some time out, I can do that in September...no, today I wrote, and wrote a lot. Pretty much the whole show, actually.

I'll be honest, this show hardly covers new territory; it's Paul Richards being Paul Richards, but I'm getting really good at this now. The other stage show I'll be doing (the '50 Ways...') one is gonna be all PowerPoint and different so this one was always intended to be slightly safer.

It's 2am as I write this, I've just finished the script, sat in the cold windy dining room. Right now I think it's a winner (needs to lose about 10 minutes), I'll have a sleep and read it tomorrow.

Popped out this evening to grab dinner with the band and listened to the new album. It's fucking incredible.

Monday 25th January 2016

With next week looking so crazily busy (start of the new freelance post, and also the launch of the new show with 5 different lounge shows all over the place), I decided to have a day off. I don't normally do that sort of thing, but Vix told me last night that rest helps you live longer. She probably has a point.

It lasted about 2 hours, waking up at 10am to a bunch of emails, mostly band stuff, that just needed replying to...and then I found myself writing again, and then suddenly it's mid-afternoon and I was needed to be on 'good son' duty so drove back to St Ives to take mum shopping.

After that I met up with Griff and we had a label meeting with one of our potential signings, and then I dashed over to Cambridge to start rehearsals with Gulluiame ahead of our France tour in April. Good songs, nice vibe.

Tomorrow, maybe, I'll take some time out.

Sunday 24th January 2016

Woke up on Hind's lounge floor. About 6 hours sleep, and then back across London for an early lunch at the venue.

Better performance today, despite the hangover...it was longer, the audience were just a bit sharper and it worked a lot better than it has done for a long while.

Mad dash out of London to try and make it in time for the Dowsing rehearsal. The traffic wasn't kind to us, mostly because of the Arsenal v Chelsea game and we were delayed considerably. I could just feel in the "where are you?" texts that I was getting that I wasn't entirely favour...made it in time to play for the last hour and we covered a lot of ground in that time but it's clearly it's not really working with my schedule. Gig is next week.

Then another dash, this time across Cambridge to have a label meeting with Griff. Again, covered a lot of ground tonight, despite my very tired face. Progress is being made with that, it's quite exciting.

Saturday 23rd January 2016

Up early to head into London for the first of our two day residency there for the 'Make or Break...' show. Arrived in good time, went to drop off props and accidentally walked into the show that was on before us. They saw the funny side of it, even got a joke out of it.

Fuelled by good food, the performance was a typical opening show: fairly tight (musically a little loose but I don't mind that with this show - kind of adds to the charm of it), but just a bit flat. Audience of 7, who smiled throughout and appreciated that it was family friendly. Not the best this show has ever been, but certainly not the worst.

After a quick pint with my mate Gary, who kindly came to the show (he's our London promoter for the FH stuff), Andy the guitarist and I went to stay with Hind and Chris in their London flat. Haven't seen Hind for years, and I used to tour with her frequently - brilliant to catch up, great food, too many beers, great anecdotes. It was another 3am evening...I'm getting too old for this, it's like - every weekend. I'm knackered.

Friday 22nd January 2016

Having spent the morning doing show admin stuff (yet all I managed to confirm was Newcastle - I know the venue well and had a great time there last year but could do with a few more venues to be as up for it as them), I put a good few hours into the new show. Turned off all internet-based distractions and really dug in...the structure of it feels really flexible which I think is a good thing as the previous two had been a little too rigid. The intro is the best thing I've written, but it dips a little after about 20 minutes. Still, it's progress. 

Out for Vix's birthday in the evening, nice night, got recognised as a 'comedian' for the second time in 7 years. 

Thursday 21st January 2016

Having signed the freelance contract (to start on 1st Feb), I can now focus again on the creative aspect of my life (sounds dramatic)...the new solo show is coming together nicely enough, as is the soap opera stuff. Confirmed Emma for a second series of our little podcast sitcom, the first series has hardly taken off but I'm really proud of it and it's just nice to have it out there...and easy to do, too. Those who have listened have really, really enjoyed it so hopefully we can build a cult following?

Also, spoke to a few more tour venues, opened talks about performing stand-up to a bunch of pensioners in Snowdonia, and spoke to the ever adventurous Helen about ways to keep my life exciting as I'm feeling a little flat right now (she's currently in Italy for a month, but meeting her for lunch in Somerset soon before she moves to Edinburgh).

Ticket sales for the London residency this weekend are a bit alarming to say the least (8 for Saturday, 1 for Sunday) but I rehearsed the show, solo, today and I think it'll be quite good. Louise popped around and asked me loads of questions (and filmed my responses) about being a playwright for the school that she works at and then thanks to a random series of events I ended up watching an improv show tonight. I'm not proud of myself, I still prefer shows that use writers.

Wednesday 20th January 2016

The odd little flicker of tour date continues to pop into my inbox, it's gradually starting to come together and I'm filling the rest of the schedule with venues who know and like me from last year - yep, all 6 of them.

Surreal day today; a ceremony of celebration for Dad at his former workplace. Huge turnout; he was popular, so popular. Nice speech, the music made me emotional again, but generous and warm atmosphere. We used to live by his shop so it felt very strange going back there, walking around the park I spent much of my youth. Lots of really nice memories, I'm very grateful for such a placid, harm-free, simplistic childhood.

Long day, though, followed by lengthy Dowsing band rehearsal in the evening which was worrying at first...it was like nobody wanted to be there at all, but it perked up eventually. It's a strange one, the level of performance is arguably higher than it ever has been...we're so tight, but the buzz isn't there at all.

Got offered and accepted the new freelance post, which makes things easier as I've earned bugger all this month!

Tuesday 19th January 2016

Enjoyed my meeting with the new freelance place today, they seem into what I'm about - and I like just how relaxed they are. I've "90%" got it, the boss just needs to clear it with the other boss. Bloody hope so as I won't find anywhere else that offers me such flexibility.

Then met up with Phill for lunch in town to discuss his crazy projects for the year which are...well, completely mental, but for charity. I fully support such madness.

Got back and spent the rest of the day/night researching bookshops, ahead of a launch tour for my novel in July.

I reckon, you know, that's every email for every project now sent: the soap opera funding, the comedy tour with the band, the solo tour, the novel tour, the ireland tour, the various little fringes all around the UK, the movie tour, the cinemas.

Now to write the shows, and hope I get a few more replies...they're trickling in, slowly. Come on, 2016, wake up.

Monday 18th January 2016

Maybe, just maybe, this year is starting to work out okay. Let's not get too carried away - I mean, I woke up to a message from the freelance place explaining to me their financial difficulties and until new contracts come in, they really can't bring me in for any work, which is a concern. I decided to be cheeky and email a company that I turned down last year because I already had enough on, just to see if they were looking for a Richards-type character and it turns out they are. We'll see, I'm meeting them tomorrow to see what I can do for them but they know what I do, we've already agreed what I expect money-wise (I really should have asked for more, they agreed a bit too quickly) and that I'd only do 20 hours a week due to the fact that I'm such a bloody rock star.

And then something else happened which made me smile, but can't really put it on a blog. Everything is early days, worky stuff, 'other' stuff, but there's just glimmers that maybe 2016 isn't going to be a total disaster after all. We'll see, it's just one good day, calm down.

Got offered a solo show in Devon, which I've accepted, now just need the other 300 people I've emailed to reply as well then I can build a tour around this. Found some more venues so emailed them, too (found that searching for 'Village hall' seems to work).

Found a website that searches for corporate sponsorship for you, they take a cut but do all the looking around, so created an event profile with them for the soap opera. Got sent the raw files of the Inadequate Man TV version I did last year by the company so I can edit it down to 6 minutes as a promo to get more stand-up shows, which I did do tonight in between 2 HOURS on the exercise bike. Wish I could say I feel great, but I don't, I just feel like a man with really rubbish legs.

Been doing too much admin recently, need to work on the show this week and nail it as it opens quite soon.

Sunday 17th January 2016

I reckon yesterday was my first good day of 2016. Still, the morning was...uuughhh. Last night was seriously great, though. Another highlight being when Vix told the audience I was the "single one" in the band, and instantly a woman in the crowd turned to her daughter to see if she was interested. She wasn't, but I appreciate the effort.

Early start, about 3 hours sleep (because I have to share a room with Bunners, who was in a chatty mood, I seem to remember us inventing a new pastry slice called "Bunsters" at about 4am), down to the hotel for breakfast where we were treated like celebrities by everyone else as they were in the audience the night before.

5 hour trip back, made it to Dowsing rehearsal with a few minutes to spare, 4 hour rehearsal with those guys...long day, but played well with Dowsing today, I think, better than last week.

First show offer in ages - Buxton festival, will confirm that soon.

Saturday 16th January 2016

Seriously, what is up with my body needing so much sleep at the moment? Anyway, woke up late and eventually met the band 25 minutes later than planned but they were kind of expecting it - it's almost like they tell me an earlier time, expecting me to be late, or something.

5 hour trip to Torquay (Gaf drove us all), easy trip fuelled by good tunes and burgers. Best and easiest set-up for a gig ever; turn up, glorious hotel venue with huge performance space, lovely house kit being soundchecked rigorously by the team there, check in to apartment (which is attached to the same hotel), soundcheck with so much ease it was almost unreal, have lovely steak dinner on the house with our manager, watch telly for a bit, play pool for an hour, have a beer and then watch the act on before us. We were headlining this event and in industry terms apparently it's quite an important one, but we can't think about things like that - every gig has to be consistent.

Still, it really was amazing...all seated audience, sold out, played incredibly well thanks to the superb sound and the fact that we were just bouncing off the crowd. 70 minute set, standing ovation at the end, lots of CDs sold and signed. Remarkably great, that one, can every gig be like that, please?

Partied till 3am before making the short stagger back to our apartment. Perfection, in perfect company.

Friday 15th January 2016

When my dad passed on, I bought my mum a potplant - just a simple little reminder that I'm thinking of her. Over the last week or so it has grown; on Tuesday she was showing me it proudly...it became a beast, so much colour. This morning she came down to see that it was the smashed on the floor, beyond life, because her next door neighbours were doing some DIY and the vibrations shook the walls and it fell off the shelf. It upset her a lot. She deserves better luck after everything.

My day was 'fine' I guess. Productive - found a website with more hotels listed so emailed all of them trying to get more tour dates. All 78 of them. Spoke to a firm about freelance work (as the current place have gone worryingly quiet), the girl in charge was someone I was in a play with last year...small world!

Evening rehearsal for 'Make or Break...' - bit ropey, my fault for forgetting lines, but plot still works. Edd and Andy are the right backing band, I'd like to keep this line-up. Good food and beer too, a nice sociable evening in good company.

Thursday 14th January 2016

Tried to be more positive today, I was for most of it. I mean, bugger all has changed since yesterday to cheer me up (apart from winning £20 on a scratchcard), the emails - response ratio is still agonisingly low but at least there's been a couple...all rejection, but nice rejection from nice people. What an industry, eh? Where that is considered a bonus.

After spending 5 hours solid emailing various people about various projects I realised air would make me feel better so drove to St Ives to surprise Mum, and then got a haircut ahead of the potential audition next week. The mullet has gone!

Then met up with Griff and we went to see a singer-songwriter that he wants us to sign to the label. Quite good, better live than the audio I've heard, I'll leave it to him to make an offer.

Wednesday 13th January 2016

I'm sure if this all ends up in a biography, this bit of a low will be a lovely ark to my story. In the real world, though, I just feel flat and confused about where my 'career' is going.

Productive day, don't get me wrong - lots of emails about the soap opera sent (and actual replies too - all rejection but still...), did 2 hours exercise, spoke to a TV company about some work. But nothing is really happening, another day of nothing happening at all.

Flat rehearsal with Dowsing tonight, it's not the same these days with the constant line-up changes, decided that the forthcoming gig with them - the 5th anniversary show, will be my last.

I get that, given everything that has happened, it would be odd if I was enjoying life at the moment. But I'd just like a good day soon, please. Just some tour dates, anything, to suggest I actually have prospects.

Tuesday 12th January 2015

Every now and then you see a really good bit of comedy on telly and you're inspired again...that happened tonight when I caught a bit of Dave Gorman on Dave - it's completely the way it should be done, none of this Live at the Apollo nonsense.

Anyway, a bit agitated today because still nobody is replying to my emails. Well, people do - people message me all the time about other stuff (can I learn this song for a wedding gig/great act we should sign to the label/let's meet up for coffee when I'm back in the country etc etc), but the tour stuff - just one reply, and that was a polite rejection. Been using two different accounts and have emailed myself from them to make sure they work, which they do. Right, I shall stop going on about it, if nobody wants the new show then nobody wants it, it shall forever remain a lounge show.

Annoyingly, though, it's looking like quite a good show at the moment, I've added some real nice touches today.

One or two potential opportunities for freelance work popping up, which is cool because I'm still not sure about the current place. But then it's not cool, because I shouldn't be excited by this, it's just the means to an end when the shows/gigs aren't paying enough. I shouldn't be too worried about freelance stuff, if I was that into it I might as well go and get a proper job again and be even more disheartened with everything than I am now.

I am actually happy enough, by the way, just really impatient. Okay, 'happy' is a bit strong.

Enjoyed a few hours compiling a list of companies to ask about sponsorship for the soap opera, because that's definitely happening now and it's going to be ridiculous and I need ridiculous back in my life. Tomorrow I'll email them all and then press refresh a million times on my email browser whilst shouting at my laptop that nobody is responding to me. God, I even annoy myself.

Spent a lot of time back in the family home today, sorting through stuff, listening to mum being angry about very little, and then being bitten by the dog quite a bit. We're unveiling the plaque for dad next week (and a bench, I think) outside his old shop. I've got to do a 'funny speech' about all his quirks. Doesn't get any easier, does it?

Monday 11th January 2016

Things I did today:

• Confirmed another TV appearance. This time to promote the film (because it really should be released properly soon, still getting my head around the options and keep getting conflicting advice from various sources). This time I won't be so awkwardly emotional about recent death.
• Panicked a bit about lack of freelance hours, then got reassured by them again that those hours are forthcoming, then doubted it for a bit and then decided just to bloody well trust people. 
• Devised a whole new murder mystery show (with a difference!), complete with really fun detective character that I'm really looking forward to playing. He's bumbling, awkward, rattles a lot. 
• Emailed 65 hotels about the murder mystery show, because hotels like that sort of thing. No replies yet, but you know how impatient I get. It's been a matter of hours. Calm down, Richards.
• Emailed every venue that never replied to my tour requests a month ago. All but two of the many venues I emailed then. It's not hard to say 'no' is it? Just fucking reply, seriously. 
• Drank 9 pints of water because I don't feel particularly well at the moment so my plan is to simply piss out any bad things. 
• Finally picked up my sister's birthday present from the post office, 8 days after her birthday. 
• Tuned my jazz kit. 
• Re-wrote the blurb on our band PR website, ready for proper launch tomorrow. 
• Listened to the whole of the Dowsing set on repeat for 6 hours.
• Discovered the joys of microwave chicken curry. 

If this is what 2016 is gonna be like, it's gonna be a productive year, of trying lots, with occasional glimmers of joy. 

Sunday 10th January 2016

I've been a bit worried about Dowsing, and my part in it, recently, as I've missed loads of rehearsals - none of it could be helped (last minute screen test at the cinema, dad's funeral, dad's ashes ceremony) but the gig - our 5th anniversary MASSIVE show is really close. So, got up a bit earlier than planned and listened to it all again ahead of the rehearsal.

Not being blunt or anything, but it was easy - the songs are quite drum friendly. I'm active enough in them, but the most complex bits are the songs we had from the gig last year, the new stuff isn't going to trouble me too much. Nice session, I feel very disconnected with the choir these days, it's odd being the drummer sometimes because socially I don't quite fit in with those singing types (it's a joy to be in a rhythm section with Dave though - a proper superb bassist).

Got back and dwelled on sad things for a bit, must stop doing that, so made myself a to-do list of everything I need to do before May (when I turn 35) in order to be a successful human being. It can be done.

An email from the boss at the place I freelance at was a bit worrying to say the least - they can only afford for me to do 10 hours next week due to a 'cash flow' problem, but having spoken to them further I feel more confident now, and a new contract (which I'll get work from) is expected for the week later so I can get some hours back then. But it did make me realise just how much I was starting to rely on that place and my 20/25 hours a week there, and that was never the plan - I mustn't forget why I quit the 9-5 job in the first place. I'm an artist, tomorrow I shall dig my heals in and launch the big new project, the one I was going to launch later in the year.

Saturday 9th January 2016

I'm liking my new solo show so far. Well, it's still really in note form at the moment, but it's got a nice heart to it. I have to be careful though; it feels like the third in a trilogy of my solo shows (awkward, shouty man with a ringbinder and cajon) and a natural closure to that format which I've enjoyed...there's points where I'm referencing the flaws in doing 'yet another show about women and feeling old' and I'm concerned at points it might feel like a bit of an in-joke. Ultimately though it's a show about to-do lists and Burt Bacharach songs. I have a proper good (very scripted) break down at the end, none of this punchline bollocks.

After failing to get my light fixed (garage was shut) I spent a long day in Luton. Luckily, didn't get a chance to see much of Luton as we were in a hotel the whole day. Wedding gig, best friends of Vix, I've met the happy couple a few times (got particularly drunk with Tom, the groom, on New Years' Eve a few years back in Rugby...can't remember too much about the evening but I was deemed enough of a friend to be invited to his stag do). Typical wedding in the sense that the speeches went on for far too long in my opinion - so long in fact that the first dance didn't happen until nearly 11pm! We were on just after, full from the lovely food (who would have thought I'd enjoy lentil soup so much?), drunken party so we did our standard function set and they loved it. Performance a bit bashy I think, but still pretty tight. No idea why Vix's mum kept calling me Alan.

Back by 3am.

Friday 8th January 2016

Dad's ashes ceremony today. My dad, just...dust. That's him - that's all that he ended up, a small pot of white dust, poured onto the ground. Bit weird, really.

Long drive home. Need to make something of myself. I'll crack on with that tomorrow.

Thursday 7th January 2016

Long drive to Devon. Headlight went so had to go quickly to avoid driving in the dark.

Went slightly mad in my little hotel room and started making episode plans for 50 episodes for a soap opera...the characters are all there, could this be done? Once I've nailed all the other stuff I'm supposed to have written? Yep. Let's do this.

Wednesday 6th January 2016

Concerned at how much sleep my body seems to want at the moment...saying that I still haven't been to bed before midnight for years. Or maybe I'm just getting old? Also, last year got really, really busy (over 200 shows and all that plus stuff in the day) and I did promise myself some of January off but that just can't happen, can it? Because there's always stuff to do. It's a concern, though, because Feb-May looks crazy, the summer is looking quiet at the moment but festival season will kick in, and then the fringe, and then the mass of shows I'll have to do with the band to prove my commitment because I was at the fringe, and then it'll be Christmas. I can't see myself having 2 consecutive days off this year, and I'm saying that already and it's only 6th January. Still, I'd be moaning if I was bored.

Went into the office and stretched it out a bit - not a lot to do today so just updated all their social media pages. Several times.

Popped in and looked at the venue for the charity show, liked it, agreed to it, need to put together a line-up now. Small venue, so tickets need to be expensive - so line-up has to be great.

Got back, cleaned car ahead of tomorrow's Devon trip, checked it over - I think it's leaking water again, which is a real concern considering that particular problem was fixed (expensively) two months ago. I don't like cars.

Dropped off my drums around G+V's so they can get them to Saturday's venue and set them up before I get there and then carried on working on the new show. It's all gone a bit...angry. Need to go back to being nice Paul, that's what the audiences prefer, I think.

Tuesday 5th January 2015

Back in the office for a couple hours today, should have been more but the roads were buggered so I just sat all frustrated for 2 hours in traffic. Did okay though when I did get in, I do a good enough job for them. The other guy clearly wasn't in a good mood, though.

This beer left over from New Years Eve is going down a bit too quickly.

Still bugger all from the hundreds of emails I sent out the other day, apart from one polite rejection. Sent out another 20 or so last night...trying to book tours is a bit of an addiction.

Other opportunities seem to be happening though - great band PR meeting with G +V tonight, really productive. The chap I'm doing some adverts with has more ideas he wants to chat about with me (and help build my own brand in the process too), a comedian who was in the film wants to meet up to discuss projects and I've also been asked to do a talk on playwriting in a school.

Set up the sitcom I did with Emma as a podcast now the audio is all good, will launch properly tomorrow.

Started writing a comedy play that has Edinburgh Fringe written all over it. It's for a cast of 2, in my head at the moment it would be Adz and Izzy, at some point I'll actually ask them if they're interested.

Monday 4th January 2016

This 'On This Day' thing on Facebook really annoys me, it's constantly reminding me that I was probably slightly happier a few years ago. For example, on this day 2 years ago we filmed the very first episode of 'Emily & Michael' - that was the start of a cracking run of events and year, that one, I was getting it all right. I get that I've achieved so much since then (the band stuff, the film, the shows are generally just a bit better, the novel/musical about to come out, and yeah - I do this for a living now) but still, I am slightly envious of my younger face, and the fact that I was just a little more positive with the world. And that was only two fucking years ago.

I'm probably niggled because I spent the whole day doing my tax return. The whole day! I can see why people moan so much about it now, but contrary to what you might hear, HMRC are really lovely to chat to - very helpful and helped this dumbarse a great deal as I asked them daft questions and they replied with "of course" lots of times. Full credit to Izzy, too, for confirming everything, and then to Edd later on as well. Christ, it shouldn't be this hard to fill out a form, should it? All done now, just need to press submit by the end of the month.

My car did a weird thing with double-speed indicators, as everyone told me on Facebook it was just a bulb issue, and the local garage only charged me £2 to fix it - I'll go to them more often.

Pretty much confirmed a comedy night for Macmillan in Cambridge, and pretty much confirmed a run at the Greater Manchester Fringe. Got rejected by a big agent. Still very little else coming back from the hundreds of emails I sent over Christmas. Got a meeting next week with a really, really big venue, where I'll be putting on the musical which I haven't written a word of yet in June.

Have written lots of notes for the new solo show, getting quietly excited by the concept of it.

Sunday 3rd January 2016

Treated myself to a lie-in, knowing that I'll be back freelancing tomorrow and then it's gig/show crazy for...well, the year, so sleep isn't gonna happen for a while. Then got a message saying I'm not needed tomorrow in the office as the work hasn't come in yet (it's expected for Tuesday) and I felt guilty about lying in.

Also felt guilty about the fact that my sister's birthday present didn't arrive in time, but I showed her a picture of it at least so she knows what she's getting. Spent a majority of the day at the family home for my sister's 39th, we all seem okay today, the mood isn't as dark as it has been.

Got back and listened to 4 tracks from the new FH album and was blown away by it...this HAS to be OUR year. Beautiful, epic stuff.

Worked on the lyrics for the electronica collaboration album I was supposed to have written with Nathan last year. Changed the title from 'Anxious' to 'One Night' to fit in with what I've written. It's getting there.

Saturday 2nd January 2016

Nothing back from the many emails I sent yesterday but I guess the year hasn't really kicked in yet. I need to stop being so impatient.

Lovely lunch with good friends I haven't seen for a while, nice Italian food and good conversation but it's clear they've really, really grown up (kids and all that) and I haven't. We've drifted a bit, naturally, but it was still nice.

Then met up with Guilliuame and we booked the France/Belgium tour for April, which is exciting.

I've been a bit down today - tomorrow is exactly a month since Dad passed on, and this afternoon I was stuck in traffic just outside Cambridge United's ground for about 40 minutes...I watched all the fathers and sons come out after the game, and couldn't help but remember all the times we used to do that. My evening plans were cancelled and I was in danger of being a miserable git, sat in my little room, but luckily I have the best housemate in the world - Edd (and Emily) worked really hard tonight to cheer me up, I appreciate it.

After that, got productive again - spending my Saturday night emailing comedy agents, more venues, a small Cambridge venue for a charity comedy show, TV companies about the film, some venues abroad and a huge theatre for the musical I'm writing.

2016 - this has to work out.

Friday 1st January 2016

Plans to achieve enormously wonderful things in 2016 starting straight away were scuppered by the fact that I had this huge, ridiculous hangover. Probably because of the party last night...in the end it was just Vix and I still awake chatting/boozing till 6am. Rock and roll? Possibly, but the hangover suggests otherwise.

Still, after dragging my feet down to the local shop for snacks, the day was a bit more productive by the end - sent out another bunch of emails about tour stuff; some more dates for the new show, some more tour dates for the '50 Ways...' live one, some more dates for the 'Make or Break...' tour. I really want to tour all three shows a lot this year - this is the year for touring. Just need venues, lots and lots of venues.

Also tidied up the novel a bit, formatting and stuff, and then saved it in a million places for later.

Ended up writing the new show till 1am...

Thursday 31st December 2015

The final day of 2015! A year of dramatic highs (the band stuff, the film) and lows (dad passing). Performed a total of 239 shows - 136 as a drummer, 103 as a comedy performer...not bad, will do more in 2016.

Spent the day with Mum, I don't think she's coping too well with everything at the moment but in a way that's a relief because she needed to stop putting a brave face on and actually be down for a bit, it's only natural.

Evening gig in Stretham with the band, first two sets of original material was largely ignored, the third set though of covers stuff went down a storm...what a cheap world we live in. We started the countdown to 2016 on stage a minute early but we were close enough.

Got back to the house and had a party with the band (plus Emily, Ruth) and drank till 6am with Vix. Got a feeling it's going to be a slow start to the year...