Winter Goodwill 2014: #4: The AhhGee team

I have recently been ordering, packing, and posting Christmas pressies to a small number of friends. Due to financial reasons, I have had to cut back the number of presents I am buying this year; however, when I look back at 2014, there are more people than ever that I want to express my gratitude towards. That is why I have decided to start a series of blogs entitled Winter Goodwill. In each blog, I will write about a certain person or group, championing them and their impact on my year, as a means of thanking them for being good to me. Hopefully this will put a smile on their faces over the Christmas period, while also celebrating the goodwill that people do across the year, not just over Christmas.

The blogs will cover a variety of people; some are people I have known throughout the year, while others I have only known for a matter of months. Some are close friends, while others are acquaintances - but ones that I hope will one day become a good friend.

The AhhGee team consists of Andy Harland, Grax, and Michael Bell. First and foremost, they do a podcast, but they have also branched out into YouTube videos and live performance throughout this year. I spent a fair bit of time in their company during the Edinburgh Festival, and it was a pleasure getting to know the former two, as well as spending time with Mike, who I've known for a couple of years. Firstly, I want to say thanks to them for letting me crash in their Edinburgh flat for a couple of days so I could stay for longer - thanks guys! They also gave me a spot during one of their Edinburgh shows, so thanks again for that, too.

I am going to start with Mike, as I've known him for longest. Throughout the year, there have been times where we've exchanged late-night ramblings, countless Simpsons quotes, and drinks. One of the most awesome things about Mike; he's the only person who, when I send a text that only reads "It stinks! It stinks! It stinks!", will know that it is a Simpsons quote from the 90s. Throw in a shared love of The Muppets and comedy, and there's the foundations of a good friendship. He's also been really lovely about this blogs, so thanks so much, mate. We're going to push ourselves to blog and make videos more come 2015, but I'll reveal more details about that in the new year. I'm really looking forward to it!

Grax is a very nice man. One thing that sums up how nice he is is some of his YouTube videos, which you can see here. The most viewed one involves him having every single hair on his body waxed/shaved, in aid of Leukemia and Lymphoma research. Considering the fact my Dad has Lymphoma cancer, seeing he had done this really touched me personally, and it epitomises the fact that Grax is a decent guy who wants to do a lot of good. There are also videos of him taking part in Run Or Dye, videos of him before and after he ran the London Marathon, and one of him dressing as a giant purple cat for World Polio Day. I really admire how much he has done to raise money for charity, and I respect him hugely for it. 

Finally, Andy. Throughout the last handful of months of 2014, every time I've put a status or Twitter out about being nervous due to a big gig, I've received a post/tweet from Andy simply saying "I believe in Tom Mayhew". I can't recall how it started, or why, but it's always a really nice thing to read, something that has helped me kick the nerves and put a smile on my face. Andy, like his two co-members of AhhGee, is also a lovely guy, which is summed up by his video I featured in the blog, in which he talks about his work with London band The Autistix.

Basically, all 3 of them are proper lovely guys, who have been nothing but friendly and kind to me over this past year. If you wish to follow them on Twitter, @AhhGeeProd is their group account, on which you can fairly easily find links to their 3 personal accounts.

Thanks for reading,

Tom.

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Winter Goodwill 2014: #3: President Obonjo/Benjamin Bello

I have recently been ordering, packing, and posting Christmas pressies to a small number of friends. Due to financial reasons, I have had to cut back the number of presents I am buying this year; however, when I look back at 2014, there are more people than ever that I want to express my gratitude towards. That is why I have decided to start a series of blogs entitled Winter Goodwill. In each blog, I will write about a certain person or group, championing them and their impact on my year, as a means of thanking them for being good to me. Hopefully this will put a smile on their faces over the Christmas period, while also celebrating the goodwill that people do across the year, not just over Christmas.

The blogs will cover a variety of people; some are people I have known throughout the year, while others I have only known for a matter of months. Some are close friends, while others are acquaintances - but ones that I hope will one day become a good friend.



Blog number 3 of this endeavor will be about another fellow stand-up comedian, known to most as President Obonjo. I first met this man at a gig back in September, and since then I've crossed paths with him at a couple other gigs since then, mainly because the man works incredibly hard at honing his craft. His comedy act consists of him coming on stage and telling the audience that he is the President of Lafta Republic, and that he is an African dictator. The concept of the character alone really makes me laugh, and his performance skills and writing match the quality of the idea. What epitomises his dedication to comedy is the fact that, on the first night of the Dar Papillon Comedy Club, he agreed to come and do the gig with less than 7 hours notice, and performed not just one 10 minute set, but two; one as President Obonjo, and one as Benjamin Bello, complaining to the audience that President Obonjo was stealing his life. It was the type of thing that made me want to run a night in the first place. I didn't want to run a night with just a load of brand new acts trying out material (though these nights definitely have their place), I wanted to put on shows that had things that were a bit weird and a bit different, and - most importantly - very funny. An act doing one set in character and then another berating his character for stealing his life is something I'd never seen before, so I was delighted that he did it. The fact it was the first time he'd done both acts on a single night, and it was at my club, made me very happy.

Speaking of the club, as of 2014, Leslie will sadly no longer be able to help out in the same capacity that he could before. However, President Obonjo has agreed to co-run the night with me, which I am very, very excited about. He's a great act, and a truly lovely guy, too. We talk quite frequently on Facebook about comedy and silly ideas, and he's one of those people who, when I look back over this year, think "how did I not know you before this year?" I'm really excited to gig with him loads more come 2015.


I had the pleasure of helping President Obonjo film his 2014 Christmas Message yesterday, in a town local to me, Aylesbury. I will post it below. You may notice that it is uploaded to my YouTube channel; this was his idea, as he said "I like to give thanks to people who help me", so he wanted me to do so as thanks for me filming and editing it. I genuinely was expecting a simple "thank you" message on Facebook, so the fact that he let me host it on my YouTube channel, as well as buying me a drink on the day, epitomised the fact he's a great man. Do give it a watch, it's good fun

Vote Obonjo

I also had the pleasure of meeting his 10 year-old son yesterday. As 10 year-old's go, I've never met a wittier one. I am quite sure that his son will be crowned King of Comedy within 10 years, just you wait.



Many thanks for reading,

Tom.

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Winter Goodwill 2014: #2: Leslie Tate & Sue Hampton

I have recently been ordering, packing, and posting Christmas pressies to a small number of friends. Due to financial reasons, I have had to cut back the number of presents I am buying this year; however, when I look back at 2014, there are more people than ever that I want to express my gratitude towards. That is why I have decided to start a series of blogs entitled Winter Goodwill. In each blog, I will write about a certain person or group, championing them and their impact on my year, as a means of thanking them for being good to me. Hopefully this will put a smile on their faces over the Christmas period, while also celebrating the goodwill that people do across the year, not just over Christmas.

The blogs will cover a variety of people; some are people I have known throughout the year, while others I have only known for a matter of months. Some are close friends, while others are acquaintances - but ones that I hope will one day become a good friend.

For blog number 2, I am going to talk about a couple of people I didn't know until August; which, considering how often I converse with them now, seems absurd. By couple, I mean this this in the sense of a married couple. No, it's not Dirty Den and Angie Watts! Though that would be totally topical. The couple I am talking about are both writers, both really interesting, and both lovely. Their names are Leslie Tate and Sue Hampton.

Leslie and Sue actually knew my Mum before they knew me, having talked to her in Boots in Berkhamsted, where she works. I am unsure how long they knew each-other, but I am presuming it was a while, as it was long enough for Mum to find out they were both published authors.

I was at a low point in August; sick of being unemployed, being rejected for Tesco jobs I was far over-qualified for, and having not gotten far with my writing or stand-up, Mum decided to ask Leslie and Sue if they'd be able to help me out, as people within the industry. I initially only had contact with Leslie; after exchanging a handful or so e-mails, we decided to meet up at Dar Papillon, and discuss the possibility of hosting a comedy night there. 2 months later, the Dar Papillon Comedy Club had its first gig. I should at this point also add in a huge thanks to Salva, who owns Dar Papillon, for her enthusiasm and support during our venture. It wouldn't have happened without you.

Back in Janaury 2014, I had no desire to run and organise a night, or to MC. Frankly, I thought I would be a poor MC, and I thought I'd be awful at the promotion side of things. The fact that our first night had 37 paying audience members, and was promoted by my debut appearance in my local newspaper, as well as my first ever appearance on the radio - a BBC station, no less - is a pretty incredible thing to look back on.

This couple did more than get me 5 minutes in the limelight, though. Leslie was the first person I didn't know who I showed a video of my stand-up with the view of him giving me his opinion. All the other opinions I'd had regarding it were from people I knew, so this was a big step that could have backfired. I can recall thinking defensively to myself as I sent him the link - at a point where I didn't really know him, so there was no reason for him to be anything but honest - my mind saying "ha, what does this person know about comedy?", anticipating the slating before my message was even in the Outbox.

However, he enjoyed my style of comedy, and found it really interesting. He completed supported me chasing my creative dreams - at a time where I couldn't get a job at Tesco to fund travel to gigs, and where Mum had asked me "Is this comedy thing just a dream? Is it realistic?"; his support, as a fellow creative, artistic type, was a beacon of light when the rest of the world was being horrible, when I started to wonder if I was wasting my time and energy.

September-December have been my most gig-heavy months to date, and have seen me advance in two competitions, MC for the first time, and start being happy calling myself a comedian, instead of thinking "I'm just a guy who does comedy every now and then". Leslie and Sue definitely deserve my sincerest thanks for their roles during this time. They also told my Mum that they think I'm talented, which finally helped sway my parents into thinking "maybe he's not wasting his time"; something that was obviously helped by the aforementioned promotional appearances. Their passion and commitment for helping and supporting creative people (including running variety nights with a huge mix of talented people), and their understanding that artistic-types put their creations ahead of money and comfort, was a much needed antidote to the job-obsessed world I had found myself trapped in.


Outside of comedy things, Leslie has also been very supportive when discussing general life events and troubles, and I truly consider both him and Sue friends of mine. It's also blooming great to know more people who support The Green Party, and have excellent ethics. I also admire both of them incredibly for their individualism. They are just awesome human-beings.


You can get an eBook of Sue's latest release here, if you are a Kindle kid. You can also find Sue on Twitter - @SueAuthor - while Leslie is LSTateAuthor.


Thanks for reading,

Tom.

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Winter Goodwill 2014: #1: Matthew Courtnell

I have recently been ordering, packing, and posting Christmas pressies to a small number of friends. Due to financial reasons, I have had to cut back the number of presents I am buying this year; however, when I look back at 2014, there are more people than ever that I want to express my gratitude towards. That is why I have decided to start a series of blogs entitled Winter Goodwill. In each blog, I will write about a certain person or group, championing them and their impact on my year, as a means of thanking them for being good to me. Hopefully this will put a smile on their faces over the Christmas period, while also celebrating the goodwill that people do across the year, not just over Christmas.

The blogs will cover a variety of people; some are people I have known throughout the year, while others I have only known for a matter of months. Some are close friends, while others are acquaintances - but ones that I hope will one day become a good friend.



For this first blog, I am going to talk about a fellow stand-up comedian on the circuit called Matthew Courtnell. I first met Matthew when we were gigging together in September 2013 at a We Are Funny Project new act/new material gig. Despite September 2013 being a number of years after my first ever gig (which was way back in 2010), the night in question was only my 15th gig; this was due to a mixture of circumstances, financial problems, and - most crucially - self-confidence issues. It is fair to say that I hadn't really got going in terms of regular gigging. However, this night helped kick the latter issue in the butt.

It was the first time I left the stage thinking "fuck me, I just had a great gig". While for most comedians their 15th gig would be within less than 2 months of their first gig, the fact that this gig came so long after I first stepped on stage as a shy, terrified 18 year-old back in 2010 made it mean so much more to me. It was an incredible feeling, having acts come up to me during the interval saying "really great set, man"; a feeling that was only bettered when I was named as the best new act of the night after a crowd vote, winning that night's "I Am Funny Award". I can still remember the fact that I couldn't stop smiling for minutes afterwards, and that my face was all tingly because I was so utterly delighted. As someone who has always been quiet, shy, with low self-esteem, to receive the first bit of validation of my potential in the stand-up comedy world really flipped my perspective of what I could achieve.

It wasn't just about being crowned the best act of the night, though. What made me just as happy was talking to Matthew after the gig, and him saying to me "I was cheering so loud for you". The fact that someone enjoyed my weird, awkward style of comedy so much was completely new to me, but it felt bloody lovely. What made it even more lovely was the fact that I respected Matthew as a performer and writer after seeing him gig for the first time that evening. Of the many reasons that I really like Matthew is that we have a fair few similarities; we're both quite socially awkward, we both have some pro-feminist material, we're both naturally quite low-key, low-status acts. He has better hair, though.


But enough about when I met Matthew in 2013; why am I choosing him as my first choice to be featured in my Christmas Goodwill 2014 list? Well, in May 2014, he got in touch with me, and asked if I'd like a spot at his new comedy night he was running. This was the first ever time that someone had ever invited me to be on a bill at a gig. For those who don't know, getting gigs while starting up as a stand-up comedian involves sending out a ton of e-mails to promoters, basically begging for stage-time with no evidence that shows them whether you're funny or not. To have someone say to me "hey, I want you on my gig" was another massive confidence boost, which helped me reach a level of confidence that enabled me to do more gigs in 2014 than I'd done in the previous 3 years combined by far.


More than being someone who helped me believe in myself as a comedian, Matthew Courtnell is a really nice guy. However, I don't want people to think that impacts my view of him as a stand-up; there can be really nice people who are poor stand-ups, or horrible people that are great stand-ups. With that in mind, I'd like to clarify that I think he is a great stand-up. He has some lovely pieces of writing, as well as being an interesting, compelling performer. What sums up my belief in him as a writer and performer is that he was the very first act I approached when I was looking for a 10 minute spot for my comedy night I was organising in October.

Talking to him in late-November, I think he's at a similar stage to me, in that we both are experimenting with different personas/voices on stage as it stands; what I do believe, though, is that once he's nailed down what he wants to do, he'll be a fantastic act.

Here is a video of a set by him below. If you fancy following him on Twitter, his handle is CourtComedy - though his last tweet was way back during the Edinburgh Festival. I like to imagine his timeline was frozen by the weather...

So there we have it. I thought this blog series would be a nice way of me saying "thanks" to some awesome people who have played a part in my 2014, though only now have I realised it might make some people feel a bit uncomfortable...I am hoping it will make those featured feel "aww, I'm a good person who had a positive impact this year" more than anything, though. It's nice to celebrate people for just being nice people, I think.



Thanks for reading. I am going to try and do another of these tomorrow.

Tom.


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Winter Goodwill 2014: Introduction

I have recently been ordering, packing, and posting Christmas pressies to a small number of friends. Due to financial reasons, I have had to cut back the number of presents I am buying this year; however, when I look back at 2014, there are more people than ever that I want to express my gratitude towards. That is why I have decided to start a series of blogs entitled Winter Goodwill. In each blog, I will write about a certain person or group, championing them and their impact on my year, as a means of thanking them for being good to me. Hopefully this will put a smile on their faces over Christmastime, while also celebrating the goodwill that people do across the year, not just over Christmas.

The blogs will cover a variety of people; some are people I have known throughout the year, while others I have only known for a matter of months. Some are close friends, while others are acquaintances - but ones that I hope will one day become a good friend.

The first entry will be up later today, with hopefully at least a handful more entries being posted through December. Keep your peepers peeled!

Thanks for reading,

Tom.


Winter Goodwill 2014 #1: Matthew Courtnell

Winter Goodwill 2014 #2: Leslie Tate and Sue Hampton

Winter Goodwill 2014 #3: President Obonjo/Benjamin Bello

Winter 2014 #4: The AhhGee team