Sunday 31 January 2021

Doube Trouble and a Youtube Bubble

Oh WOW guys, thanks for checking in with me again. This week has been completely INSANE in the MAINFRAME! First I’ve got to tell you all about my back-to-back gigs this weekend and then how my Youtube content has found it’s algo-rhythm.

So, first this week let me tell you about my live online adventures. After indulging in a little more home hairdressing my properly blonde bonce was back in time for Wyatt Shark’s Comedy Livestream at 7.30 on Saturday night. Poor Wyatt was having tech-mares and we started fifteen minutes late. Or by London open mic conventions, on time. I followed some solidly lovely stand-ups (and some lengthy tech-related pauses between each set just to, y’know, build the TENSION) to headline the show. I got the stream bubbling, involving the other acts in plenty of squirting, waving and rocking out. If you want to see it you can. It’s here!

Straight after that I crossed the streams and finished off the night for Pick N Mix Cabaret. It was a live Zoom audience who were well up for it and we PARTIED HARD! In-between all the partying a nice little bunch of viewers left me some lovely comments, which I’ll display here. The other acts I saw were great too. No link as it was a LIVE EXCLUSIVE. Next time, click that link and register for your tickets just like my dad did. LEGENNNNNND!

Away from live gigs Youtube got all excitable for my latest videos. My home yoga tribute has passed 1,000 views and the latest quiz night, which I host with my mate Annie Sup, added an extra 245 views to the thousand odd on Facebook. Takes the string out of having 23 followers on TikTok. Come on, sign up and start following me. COME ON!

I'm also hosting the February edition of Anything Goes Online. Watch the whole show here.

This week I’m writing questions ready for the quiz next Saturday and I’ll also be writing some more jokes for the TikTokkers to ignore. WHOOP!

Sunday 24 January 2021

Styling It Out

Hey everyone, thank you for once again dropping in on my blog to find out about all the AMAZING things I’ve been up to. BUSY AS EVER!
 
I’ve been refreshing my wardrobe with some proper dresses this week. Vintage style, very classy, fifties housewife chic because there’s nothing quite like reliving domestic oppression from seventy years ago. I bought four because I like them. It has nothing to do with the circular from my Head Teacher reminding everyone that the school dress code still stands whilst we’re Zooming from home and “dressing like you’re a teenager going clubbing for the first time” is still very much against policy. As I say. Nothing to do with that.
 
So what have I been up to online this week? Well, Annie Sup and I hosted another great quiz last night with Ali Woods and Andy Onions as special guests. They did well and the chat board was full of people hitting on each, shouting football chants and telling Annie how amazing she was. Nothing new there. Watch it here.
 
Elsewhere, I’ve been TikTokking every few days with a little joke or tune. Some of them have over 10 likes. Which I’m told is total rubbish but I’m still very proud of myself. See for your self here.
 
This week coming I’ve got two gigs next Saturday. You can watch the first from 7.30 – 8.30 here and the second one from 8.00 – 9.00 by signing up for the Zoom link here. Choose one, choose both. I’m headlining / on last at both of them so you could even hop between them if you like. Busy busy!
 
This week coming I’m putting the finishing touches to another little music video and I’m also recording my intro for February’s Anything Goes Online comedy compilation on Youtube. It features loads of new acts plus me – if you fancy some “Comedy PUNishment” early then just click here and give it a thumbs up!
 
‘til next week…

Sunday 17 January 2021

Cry Me A Livestream

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE, lovely to see you again! How have you been? With the vaccine numbers, and vaccinators, shooting up all over the country maybe we will get a sociable summer after all! I’ve got all my fingers and toes crossed for that – which pretty easy for me as my heels keep my toes more or less permanently in that position.

For the while though it’s an online life for me. I’ve been eeking out my little joke videos on TikTok regularly and have even found some of my favourite comedians on there now. Gatis Kandis is still alive and taking his printer for a walk, Andy Storey is playing with filters and Tom Little is having it large. AMAZING! Between the people wiggling around, attempts at singing and toddlers running into things there’s actually some top quality stuff to watch. Subscribe to my profile with this link https://www.tiktok.com/@missangelabra - and if you haven’t got one then make one!

Next Saturday (Jan 23rd) is quiz night for me and Annie once again. We’ve got some super celeb guests on as usual to keep you amused - and in good company if you’re only playing with yourself. First up we’ve got the meme king that is ALI WOODS and alongside him Manchester’s finest TOM SHORT with his partner RHIANNON. ANDY ONIONS will be there as well of course. A man of many layers who’ll have you crying with laughter in no time. As usual, you can join in live at 9pm on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BonkersBingoMcrOfficial

I’ve also got some online gigs coming up. Well two. Both on Saturday 30th January - and I’m HEADLINING (or, as it’s also known in the biz, on last) at both.

At 7.30pm there’s Comedy Livestream with Wyatt Shark and a whole host of funny people. It’ll be streamed to Youtube here https://youtu.be/zcmOsCUqoeM and you can also join the FB event here to put it in your diary, https://www.facebook.com/events/1724428031072283/ .

If you prefer cabaret to comedy then you might want to see me on Pick N’ Mix instead from 8.30pm. This one’s streamed exclusively through Zoom so pop over to https://www.annabelszki.com and fill in the form to request the link the week before. I watched this yesterday and it looks great. And I can see who’s watching and doing all the actions I expect of you in the songs!

Both shows are donations based so if you’re really poor then you don’t have to pay anything and if you’re rich you should shower me in cash. Preferably notes because people have thrown coins at me before and IT ISN'T QUITE THE SAME!

Monday 11 January 2021

TikTok TikTok It Don’t Stop

Hey everyone, WHAT A WEEK! Yes, once again it’s been frothy latte full steam ahead for me with another smash hit quiz night and my debut on the only other social media platform I haven’t micro-waved on yet, TikTok.

Let’s start with TikTok, the video equivalent of Twitter before they let you write more than half a sentence on it. I thought I’d start easy by grabbing a couple of choruses from some of my songs and dicing them up like a chef to fit the time limit and jump around in the kind of visual assault the kids love. Extreme close-ups, subtitles all over the shop and more hashtags than a graffiti artist advertising their mean green. It kind of worked!

With 500-800 views a clip and anything up to 41 likes in the space of three days I got the fear. How could I keep this going? How can my fans see EVEN MORE of me? Then I hit on a plan. It’s a well known fact Instagram is for people who can’t read. What if TikTok is the place for people who can’t concentrate for longer than a fish doing two laps of their bowl? “Keep it simple,” I thought, “Do not overestimate your audience!”

So now I’m doing jokes on the TT. One liner puns with lots of colours and movement to keep flick-happy fingers from moving on. Some of them might end up in my set. Maybe one day I’ll do 50 minutes in 15 second chunks. 4 chunks a minute for 50 minutes is…plenty. Anyway, if you tick your tocks you can follow my account here: https://www.tiktok.com/@missangelabra

As for last weekend’s quiz… AMAZING! Annie and I hosted Nationwide TV advert famous funny man Andy Storey, leading lady in comedy exercise videos Stella Graham and good pal (and hilarious man in his own right) Andy Onions. If you didn’t play along then click the link at the end of this to make that happen – the final round, “The Hills Have Eyes,” is worthy of a BAFTA. A LAFTA BAFTA in fact! Annie and I are looking for live guests in Feb so if you’d like to join us just send me an email. Quiz Video.

Sunday 3 January 2021

"Tell us a joke!"

If there's one thing WORSE than slow wi-fi it has to be the phrase in this entry's title. "Oh so you're a comedian?" they say, "go on then, tell us a joke." Well, I've solved the TOTAL DRAMA of being put on the spot ever again this week. You want to know how? Well I guess I'll tell you then...

So last week, inspired by Tony Mortimer from 90's boy band East 17 (who I am WAY TOO YOUNG to remember, but y'know, I know my rock hall of fame) I also read a book. My book was about joke writing though. 

"HOLD YOUR PONIES" I hear you shout, "YOU ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT JOKES!" Well thank you very much, I'm flattered. But actually I don't. Remember, I'm a very serious singer / songwriter who some peope happen to think is funny - and who am I to turn down a fan of any sort.  So yes, being the enterprising sort I am I thought I better start writing jokes to put in my set.

Long story slightly shorter than otherwise, I've been crafting jokes and putting them on my socials. This means I'm ready for when some random asks for a cheap laugh (they won't pay for the joke they demand, trust me I've asked before) I'll just give them my FB and Insta addresses and tell them to write "haha" under the ones they like the most. I am such a maverick, just like that fighter pilot in the eighties (A DECADE I'VE LEARNED ABOUT FROM MY OLDER FRIENDS!)

Here's a few so far, they're topical like the cream:

Speaking of the socials, THANK YOU to all of you who have joined my new Facebook Page. It now has TWELVE followers now! The old one has hundreds but FB lost their minds and stopped me sharing my posts from it. No idea why. And after messaging them for months with no reply I don't think they know either. The Instagram is doing even better (mainly because I didn't have to reset it!) and is now in triple figures so do join now whilst it's still exclusive!

The week ahead is a little more chilled than usual. Got to get some rest sometime people. Though next Saturday my quiz night returns at 9pm on Bonkers Bingo's Facebook Page - put it in your diary by joining the event invite here. We've got Nationwide advert star Andy Storey guesting along with other top comedian Stella Graham + our mate Andy Onions. You can watch the last show on Youtube if you can't wait until then.

Ciao for now!

Easter's Busy