My stand-up comedy routine about the ZX Spectrum

[PeteProdge]

There are such ZX Spectrum folk as Charlie Brooker; Stephen Merchant and Simon Munnery who have gone on to great things in the world of comedy. And there's also me, with a comedy career peak of playing a singing bunny rabbit live on Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow.

I'm putting my head above the parapet here, showing you a couple of minutes from a recent bespoke stand-up gig I did for Wellingborough Diggers Festival. At this festival, the comedy performers listed were myself and headliner Mark Thomas (from Mary Whitehouse Experience and Channel 4's Mark Thomas Comedy Product). He liked my set!

This snippet is all about the ZX Spectrum, and there's a couple of interruptions from well-meaning folk. Here it all is in glorious 4K resolution:

[Oloturia]

LOLs

[R-Tape]

Heh. Careful though Prodge, you actually said "kids today"...

[flange]

Review from the "Daily comic" , the comedians broadsheet.

"We laughed till we stopped,please stop."

(written in the spirit of fun)

[PeteProdge]

Heh. Careful though Prodge, you actually said "kids today"...

Oh, I felt myself age immensely delivering that line! Those two words usually precede some ridiculous out-of-touch rant from a boomer who reckons everyone under 30 could easily buy a house if they just cut down on avocado toast, lattes and these new-fangled flat-screen televisions.

[flange]

In the spirit of balance only SOME Boomers think that way not all of us even if some lazy thinking millennials believe it so.
(Not that I think for one moment you were suggesting that.)
I for one am bloody grateful for all modern life gives us, big telly's included sure beats the two channel 12" B/W crap of my youth.

(For the record I'm old enough to remember gas street lighting. Bloody kids today BAH!)

[SteveSmith]

Hey, some of us like the sound of a Speccy loading! Seriously though, good stuff and well done for squeezing a Speccy into some stand up.

[5MinuteRetro]

I briefly tried my hand at comedy writing. It was an unforgiving industry. I’d imagine performing is even more challenging, so hats off for having the balls to put yourself up on that or any stage. I even liked some of the jokes.

[firelord]

I believe there are many game-specific jokes for the ZX that could be used in stand up comedy.
Eg People that are now in their 50s they growed up trying to avoid toilet related moving objects (I'm not posting a better joke because I don't want to take your job )...
This would be an interesting show for everyone in this forum...

[PeteProdge]

I briefly tried my hand at comedy writing. It was an unforgiving industry.

You don't get much for it in the UK, plus work can be very sporadic and highly insecure! I'm friends with a few people who have written for TV and radio. They have other things going on so they can gain a proper income!

I’d imagine performing is even more challenging, so hats off for having the balls to put yourself up on that or any stage. I even liked some of the jokes.

It was something on my mind during my twenties and thirties, got into it, had an amazing first gig, followed by a few deaths, then a hiatus... returned with a regular club night, got nominated for an award, then eventually found my 'voice' doing character acts. I'll never be rich or famous from it (and only the former is a sane desire), but I'm pleased to have done it.

[Sham Mountebank]

Nice one. On the few work occasions I've had to stand in front of people and talk, I've nearly been sick with fear. The idea of doing it with the specific intention of making people laugh...

[PeteProdge]

Nice one. On the few work occasions I've had to stand in front of people and talk, I've nearly been sick with fear. The idea of doing it with the specific intention of making people laugh...

The best tip for this, on any kind of public speaking, is 'fake it until you make it'.

If you pretend to be confident, you will - eventually - have that faux confidence turn real. I know none of us want to be a stammering monotone bore (which can be a stereotype of us IT enthusiasts), but go on acting like what you want to be - round your voice, project your voice, let your lips slightly 'chew' the words as they come out. And if something goes wrong, never be afraid to acknowledge it and point out your own fault.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

"A calculator with ambitions" seems a good definition for the spectrum

[equinox]

It's important to say "no politics on the forum!" unless you are kicking JKR's arse.

[R-Tape]

It's important to say "no politics on the forum!" unless you are kicking JKR's arse.

You're allowed to do a standup skit to the contrary, as long as it's primarily about the speccy

It's big off topics or bust ups in forum discussions we want to avoid.

[equinox]

You're allowed to do a standup skit to the contrary, as long as it's primarily about the speccy
It's big off topics or bust ups in forum discussions we want to avoid.

Fair, I have seen the bust-ups (and maybe caused some of them).
I would pay a tenner to see Prodge.
The cost of a pint of "craft beer". (I drank a delicious local passion-fruit one last night, yummüüüü)

[equinox]

Re stand-up: my friend won the "best new stand-up guy" award, fk if I know.
But every time I remember him performing in London, he would earn (from doing his gig) about exactly as much to buy his train ticket, between Reading and London.
...there's a joke there...

I am well aware if I told him "what about doing Speccy stuff" he would rage and kick and say POP CULTURE IS TERRIBLE.
My Marxist comedy friend. Pete hasn't been tested yet. Or has he? Kempston detection

[PeteProdge]

Re stand-up: my friend won the "best new stand-up guy" award, fk if I know.
But every time I remember him performing in London, he would earn (from doing his gig) about exactly as much to buy his train ticket, between Reading and London.
...there's a joke there...

Oh, there's very little money in live comedy, unless you're at the level where you can say you're on radio and/or telly regularly. I know some comedians who have had a bit of a telly/radio profile and they're scrimping along on a terrible income. This is why I "don't give up the day job".

I too have done the 'drive somewhere far away where your petrol will definitely cost more than your pay', but it's the sheer joy of impressing audiences all over the place. Coming back from Brighton with a £20 note (a 250-mile round trip), and doing that three more times because making 20-30 people there laugh is such a high. Even more when a couple stop you in Leicester city centre one weekend and say "hey, we saw you a year ago in Brighton".

There's a Reheated Pixels video I filmed in Berlin, part of my first ever holiday in Germany, where I spent four days on all my hobbies and interests. So along with the retrogaming museum there, I did a bit of running and also did my first ever stand-up gig outside the UK. For nowt! Played to over 100 people in a cellar bar in East Berlin, like I was Marlene Dietrich - every gag landing nicely with an international audience and I got to mock Brexit. I had so many people chatting with me after the gig I missed the last train back to my hotel and had to walk eight miles after midnight.

What else could make people put so much creative effort into making joyful things for such a tiny financial return? Ah yes, homebrew coders! (I'll join you one day. Honest.)

I am well aware if I told him "what about doing Speccy stuff" he would rage and kick and say POP CULTURE IS TERRIBLE.
My Marxist comedy friend. Pete hasn't been tested yet. Or has he? Kempston detection

Sounds like the forced affectation Ian Hislop puts on whenever someone mentions a pop singer from the past ten years.

[equinox]

Sounds like the forced affectation Ian Hislop puts on whenever someone mentions a pop singer from the past ten years.

I bet you've turned down three "talking heads" options but you will take the fourth.
(Saw your Berlin video btw some time ago, good stuff)
I remember when the USSR collapsed because suddenly the postal mail swapsies got a lot better.

What else could make people put so much creative effort into making joyful things for such a tiny financial return? Ah yes, homebrew coders! (I'll join you one day. Honest.)

Yeah I've been thinking about this (elsewhere) because a musician dude wants to "make a demo" because he knows that "making a demo" gets you scene points. He just doesn't know how to do it. I can't tell him.

Frankly reminds me of the mad score screen out of Sweevo's World. haha.