Waaaay, way way back in my teenage years, (also known as 'the 90's', I was a big fan of the comedy duo Lee and Herring. I found Fist of Fun on BBC2, along with their radio show, then the follow up TV show This Morning with Richard Not Judy. And this was the funniest stuff I'd ever seen. Then and for a lot of it, it's still the best stuff. There's certain comedy that has made me laugh really really hard. Some Monty Python. The first episode I watched of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Father Ted. Other stuff is funny, but those were the things that have really hit me, really made me laugh and will always have a spot in my heart.
Those and Lee and Herring. I can get a bit nerdy about it (well duh! Look at the blog name!) but I remember the Anthony Hopkins letters, with the masturbatory PS, the Girl who smelt of Spam, the curious orange, the Lord of the Dance Settee and so many more bits. This was my mid to late teens I think. So recently I was quite excited to discover that, through the magic of the internet, I was able to catch up with what Richard Herring has been up to! Hurrah! Turns out he's still a comedian, but for reasons that I cannot quite fathom, he's not got a TV show. Seriously, why not? He's been on the radio a bit, notably reviewing the weeks newspapers with Andrew Collins on 6 music for a while a few years back. But even that was taken away by the BBC, a organisation that I will normally defend vociferously, but in this instance I feel that they've dropped the ball.
Anyway, long story short, Herring and Andrew Collins continued to review the papers each week on a free podcast. http://www.comedy.org.uk/podcasts/collingsherrin/ They also both write blogs, Herrings goes out daily, at http://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/ and Collins is a frequent blogger at http://www.wherediditallgoright.com/BLOG/index.html. Marvellously, I've found a new source of comedy gold in the podcasts and the blogs. Then they came to Lincoln!! Yep, actually to my home town! To record a podcast! They very occaisionally do a live recording and the Lincoln comedy festival was privy to this wonder!! I booked tickets so hard the box office felt violated. So last friday was the eventful day. I took my sceptical fiancee along, promising her this was going to be so funny! She didn't look convinced. It began with Andrew Collins solo bit, where he taught us all 'Secret Dancing'. Which is brilliant. I have literally been doing it since, whenever I hear music. You see me and hear music, just watch me, there'll be hardly any sign of dancing!
Then Richard Herring appears for his stand up session. Though it was previously used material, (a lot of it is familier from reading through his blogs) it didn't matter. Like the best comedians, he can be telling pretty much any story and it'll be funny. That's not to say that his material isn't also brilliant! I won't go too much into detail, in case you get the chance to see him yourselves at another point when he's re-using material, but I certainly loved his very well observed points about the Pink Panther re-make.
Finally, the podcast. As funny as ever, but with more of an atomosphere than I normally get listening to it in the car on my way to/from work. And educational, I learnt things about my town. Like why lincolshire folk call themselves 'yellowbellies'. Not being entirely native, I've never bought into this oddity, but these guys, visiting for one night, had made more effort to research and understand the name than I ever did. There's actually a number of reasons, and most of them are stupid. There was also the great news he's coming back to Lincoln next year with his Hitler Moustache show!
After the brilliant podcast, I had the chance to meet the guys! I got a signed DVD and a picture below! Also a couple of weeks back, I'd e-mailed Richard Herring asking if he would like to stay at my house after the podcast. I also happened to be off to London the following day, so they could have a lift back there if they'd like. He sent me a very polit e-mail thanking me for the offer but they'd already arranged accomodation. He did add he wouldn't want to stay in the house of someone who enjoyed his sick podcast! I found it very exciting. He also responded really quickly, clearly I caught him on a dull day. I did tell him the offer was still open, he said it would probably be inappropriate. Not really sure why, I said surely it's more creepy and weird for a stranger to offer him a room. To share. With Andrew Collins. But I got another 'Pointing at a celebrity beard' picture!
Also, if you go to Andrew Collins blog, in the first audience picture he shows in his blog about the show in Lincoln, you can just make me and my fiancee out! I note that two busy showbiz types were both able to get their blog out regarding that night, long before I could! I ask you, who is the real sick man? Is it me, trying to coax male celebrities into my house, to share a bed, hoping it will turn homo-erotic? Or is it the comedians, who had time to blog on saturday?
Those and Lee and Herring. I can get a bit nerdy about it (well duh! Look at the blog name!) but I remember the Anthony Hopkins letters, with the masturbatory PS, the Girl who smelt of Spam, the curious orange, the Lord of the Dance Settee and so many more bits. This was my mid to late teens I think. So recently I was quite excited to discover that, through the magic of the internet, I was able to catch up with what Richard Herring has been up to! Hurrah! Turns out he's still a comedian, but for reasons that I cannot quite fathom, he's not got a TV show. Seriously, why not? He's been on the radio a bit, notably reviewing the weeks newspapers with Andrew Collins on 6 music for a while a few years back. But even that was taken away by the BBC, a organisation that I will normally defend vociferously, but in this instance I feel that they've dropped the ball.
Anyway, long story short, Herring and Andrew Collins continued to review the papers each week on a free podcast. http://www.comedy.org.uk/podcasts/collingsherrin/ They also both write blogs, Herrings goes out daily, at http://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/ and Collins is a frequent blogger at http://www.wherediditallgoright.com/BLOG/index.html. Marvellously, I've found a new source of comedy gold in the podcasts and the blogs. Then they came to Lincoln!! Yep, actually to my home town! To record a podcast! They very occaisionally do a live recording and the Lincoln comedy festival was privy to this wonder!! I booked tickets so hard the box office felt violated. So last friday was the eventful day. I took my sceptical fiancee along, promising her this was going to be so funny! She didn't look convinced. It began with Andrew Collins solo bit, where he taught us all 'Secret Dancing'. Which is brilliant. I have literally been doing it since, whenever I hear music. You see me and hear music, just watch me, there'll be hardly any sign of dancing!
Then Richard Herring appears for his stand up session. Though it was previously used material, (a lot of it is familier from reading through his blogs) it didn't matter. Like the best comedians, he can be telling pretty much any story and it'll be funny. That's not to say that his material isn't also brilliant! I won't go too much into detail, in case you get the chance to see him yourselves at another point when he's re-using material, but I certainly loved his very well observed points about the Pink Panther re-make.
Finally, the podcast. As funny as ever, but with more of an atomosphere than I normally get listening to it in the car on my way to/from work. And educational, I learnt things about my town. Like why lincolshire folk call themselves 'yellowbellies'. Not being entirely native, I've never bought into this oddity, but these guys, visiting for one night, had made more effort to research and understand the name than I ever did. There's actually a number of reasons, and most of them are stupid. There was also the great news he's coming back to Lincoln next year with his Hitler Moustache show!
After the brilliant podcast, I had the chance to meet the guys! I got a signed DVD and a picture below! Also a couple of weeks back, I'd e-mailed Richard Herring asking if he would like to stay at my house after the podcast. I also happened to be off to London the following day, so they could have a lift back there if they'd like. He sent me a very polit e-mail thanking me for the offer but they'd already arranged accomodation. He did add he wouldn't want to stay in the house of someone who enjoyed his sick podcast! I found it very exciting. He also responded really quickly, clearly I caught him on a dull day. I did tell him the offer was still open, he said it would probably be inappropriate. Not really sure why, I said surely it's more creepy and weird for a stranger to offer him a room. To share. With Andrew Collins. But I got another 'Pointing at a celebrity beard' picture!
Also, if you go to Andrew Collins blog, in the first audience picture he shows in his blog about the show in Lincoln, you can just make me and my fiancee out! I note that two busy showbiz types were both able to get their blog out regarding that night, long before I could! I ask you, who is the real sick man? Is it me, trying to coax male celebrities into my house, to share a bed, hoping it will turn homo-erotic? Or is it the comedians, who had time to blog on saturday?
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