Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Was out all day yesterday. Swim, steam, then up to the Mecca, back to the End, over to the British Library, back home, into town to appear on Spurs podcast with Norman Jay MBE (Member of the Bill Nicholson Empire). had not seen Norman in ages. He is truly one of the best DJ's around (check out the Good Times comp he compiles with his bruv Joey) and I have spent enough hours in clubs such as High On Hope grooving to his tunes. He is off to Australia in a couple of days time to carry the word - soul and Spurs! Then onto Antony's to watch Small Island. Antony is Pearl's brother. I was married to Pearl in the 80s. Shockingly, she died about four years ago and that sad event brought Anthony and I together. From there, we got together to write a script entitled Notting Dale which is currently doing the rounds.The script is a love story set in and around the 1958 Notting Hill riots and we have had some - if I say so myself - great feedback. Now we need some money. Small Island is based on Andrea Levy's best selling book and focuses on the Windrush generation. Much to like about it, some great acting and sharp lines, but much also to annoy such as the portentious voiceover and the cloying music. It also looked too nice for a London suffering the Second World War. Got home and put on Comedy channel. Am a big fan of King Of Queens, American show based in a working class family. Ben Stiller's dad Jerry plays a wonderful cranky lunatic who lives in their basement and drives them mad. In between the show, the channel often runs ads for stand up comic shows they are to air. All they do is make me pine for the great Sam Kinison who I discovered in the mid 80s. He made two albums and was that rare thing in a comic - very funny. His obssessions were religion and women. Example - Sam talking about the Last Supper, 'So Jesus goes out on a Friday night with twelve of his best mates, gets back Monday morning.....' Sam was derided in his time for being non PC which tended to happen a lot in the 80s. Today he would have been massive. Without Sam no Bill Hicks nd that line of humour, that is for sure. He was unique at the time, a true one off. Sam got into a lot of stuff but got himself together settled down and was then - big joke this - killed in a car crash. You can see him on You Tube. Watch him and then consider that today the biggest comic in the UK is Michael McIntyre. God Bless Sam Kinison, God bless Pearl, God bless you. Paolo