Sign of the times
FAME - I want to live forever? Givowwer!
I think I’ve just had the most bizarre non-famous showbiz experience ever.
I’m not really sure what to make of it!
On Friday night I was playing my favourite venue,which is the Stand in Newcastle.
As I approached the venue entrance I was suddenly ‘doorstepped’ by a young lad and an older bloke.
After an initial shock, I realised that they weren’t a couple of radgies about to jump me or some chuggers asking me to donate £10 a month to support retired Eldon Suare ‘three for a poond’ white sock sellers.
No. Very politely, they asked if they could have my autograph.
Whaaat! I spluttered and asked them why on earth they wanted such a thing? - hells bells , I quipped, on some stand-up bills I’m the only comic I’ve never heard of.
They smiled and thrust a booklet or programme from the film ‘I Daniel Blake’ and the penny sort of dropped.
They were after the squiggles of everyone who’d been in the cast. For those who’ve been in witness protection or in exile - I Daniel Blake was Ken Loach’s 2016 hardhitting, Newcastle-based movie about the contemporary benefits system and its effects on a decent struggling man.
It drew rave reviews from all over the world and won best film at Cannes.
The title role was played by veteran Geordie comic Dave Johns and again it was great to see a friend and colleague of over 20 years gain international recognition for his spellbinding performance.
Indeed, many North East actors, fellow comics and members of the public played their part in making it a success.
I did spend an unforgettable and enjoyable day’s filming on the movie - meeting the legendary Ken Loach and having fun with a bunch of mates - but my bit eventually came out as a three second reaction shot to one of Dave’s lines in the Jobseekers lecture scene.
I was gobsmacked these lads hadn’t blinked and missed it - wey it was almost like a one of those 1950s subliminal adverts where the image is flashed on screen so quickly that only the subconscious mind registers it.
Proud as I was of me little appearance in Geordie film history, I really didn’t think it warranted an autograph. Without warning, the lads then whipped out a photo of me to sign.
Despite being a bit more embarrassed, I was relieved to see it was a just a still from the film and not a grainy, long range tele-photo shot of me leaving the house that morning.
It still felt a bit weird though. Afterwords, I reflected a bit nervously that these two total strangers had collected all this information and photos of me and then tracked down, knowing exactly where I would be. To the minute.
All because of three seconds on screen and a 30 second appearance in the deleted scenes bit on the DVD?
Oh the pressures of being not famous at all...still, I was disappointed that there was nobody waiting for my signature the next night. Looks like the nearest I’m gonna get is the Amazon courier bloke again. Not quite the paparazzi pets...
Mike will be hosting the Red Raw night at the Stand Comedy club on High Bridge, Newcastle, tomorrow.