Full show - Perth 2014

AustralianAlex here, back going through my old computer in Australia and I found the original WAV recordings of the first tour I did with Doug. This one Perth show has always stood out to me as special. Not for all of the things that went right, but for all the things that could've gone wrong.

This was our second night at this Perth venue and our second-last show of the tour. The night before, as Doug explains, was a nightmare. The venue was a month away from closing, which meant they didn't care about Doug smoking upstairs, but it also meant the one and only greying German ex-pat security guard was more into his leather jacket and chatting outside than actually keeping an eye on the room. So when it came time to kick out the entire front row, it was just me, Doug and the line "Don't make me turn the whole crowd into the bouncer!".

So this second show comes around. Venue and security have been chewed out earlier, first opener is up, but Doug is furious because a local "comic" posted his entire set-list, in detail, from the night before. He's smoking in the upstairs greenroom and can't hear the show which has started below.

As the first opener is doing her set, something odd has started to happen. The comedian tells her joke, the crowd laughs, and then a second or two later another laugh/moan follows that interrupts the start of the next joke. Amongst the crowd I see a disabled gentleman sitting in a full-size recumbent-style bicycle, flag pointing up in the air and all. Most of the crowd can't see the man, so after every delayed laugh - a large proportion of the crowd is looking around to try and work out what is happening. The first comedian comes off stage and I pull her aside immediately to get her response. She tells me "oh yeah, he's a local comedy fan... you just have to ignore it". The 2nd opener is ignoring the awkwardness too.

I quickly speak with Bingo and we approach Doug upstairs. "Don't tell me, I'll deal with it on stage!" he says, thinking that maybe the front row from last night has turned up. We don't get to explain the situation.

What follows is a masterclass in standup. Not only does our man have to completely rearrange his set to bring the 'Camp 1 vs Camp 2' material up sooner, but he addresses the man in the tricycle (maybe for the first time at a show?), makes him the star and uses his laughs and noises as segues and fodder.

Lots of great bits in this. -Australian Alex

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