Nick’s Gig.

At The Esplanade Hotel

As Nick and I walked into the car park at the back of the Espy, we saw a few comedians already wandering around smoking and going over their lines. I only know the tall freckly one, another ex Adelaidian, David Williams.

‘Hi David’

‘Hey Ems.’ He came over to give me an awkward hug, the awkward hug of the ex-boyfriend, friendly but not too friendly, close but not invasive.

I, on the other hand, was thrilled to see a safe, familiar face on one of my first excursions back into the world of Melbourne Comedy. I hugged him back tightly, sucking up all the warmth and security of an old familiar lover. I quickly break away in case his girlfriend is around and gets pissed off, misunderstanding my need for comfort with a come on.

We leave David to continue to go over his lines and make our way past the milk crates and broken tables that serve as the outdoor furniture and go on into the equally glamorous green room.

It is dark, and the walls are covered in the graffiti of a hundred bands and comedians. As I looked around the room, I spot the run sheet. Nick is lucky it was a pretty good line up today, mostly solid comedians and with Dave Hughes as MC things should be pretty smooth.