It's been a while since my last stand up comedy gig. October 2020 to be exact. It's more than enough time to become what is known in comedy circles as "rusty".
And I was "rusty" at that gig too due to the one single Covid 19 lockdown we had in Adelaide that lasted a few months.
One the people I met there was Ben O'Brian of Sybiz Software. He invited me to Wendy Torbet's open mic comedy afternoon at Legends Bar on Saturday June 5th.
I saw his first performance last year and have seen him refine his act since, dropping jokes that didn't work and incorporating new ones.
He let me in on his latest joke about not paying his electricity bill for 3 months. I didn't laugh at the time, but on stage he fleshed it out so that it made sense and it was hilarious!
He asked if I was going on stage. I said no, that I needed new material and was rusty. He said that he didn't know if he was going on or not as he was just there to take photos.
I knew better. He wouldn't resist the call of the stage.
I said I'd see him later and turned to head inside while he finished his drink and cigarette.
From the outside, Legends Bar is quiet and unassuming, with a few tables and chairs along Pultney Street and a sign mentioning the day's drink specials.
The main entrance is in the form of a massive stairwell that you'd miss if you weren't looking for it.
At the bottom of the stairwell, I was greeted "Hello!" by Wendy Torbet and a group of other comedians all working out the order of their performances.
I saw Ben O'Brian sitting with a beautiful woman that turned out to be his date, so I ordered a drink while I waited for an appropriate time to make an appearance because they were deep in conversation.
With my drink in hand and introductions settled, it was time for the show to begin.
Wendy Talbot was the show runner and she introduced Josh Granger to host the show. He was quite funny and it was his job to introduce the other comedians throughout the show.
Wendy was brilliant at call backs and adlibs. It's really a next level of comedic skill.
Many laughs were had, and it was great see my friends having improved their performances, even with the reduced stage time.
Pretty soon it was time for a short break, during which I ordered a beef burger with a side of chips.
@mattclarke happy, it stands for Proof. Of. Beetroot. Chuckle.You can't really call it hamburger without beetroot, now can you?
Also on stage were my friends Rob Newman and Matt McQuinley.
After the shiw was over, we said our goodbyes. I stuck around to chat with Ben O'Brian some more before leaving.
He wanted to win a "free" beanie hat (you had to buy 4 pints of a particular beer) so that became a story for another time.
Until that time,
Thanks for reading.
Shaidon.
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