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 30^th 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!

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.

"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!

Well Seasoned Greetings

Happy holidays everyone, I hope you've had an AMAZING Christmas! Well, as good as you can do stuck at home with the same bubble you've been enjoying all year. Still, bubbles deserve bubbly so Annie and I have been breaking open the reasonably priced M&S Champagne and microwaving the turkey crown. Birds eating a bird whilst effectively doing bird is one bird too many probably but that didn't stop us topping it off with the Birds custard on the mince pies. Trouble in the bubble, tummy rumbles from the crumble.

So, apart from making merry with the sherry, it's been another busy week. I KNOW! I don't stop. No, no no. On Christmas Day the Bonkers Christmas Cracker aired on Facebook with contributions from DJs, comedians, singers and those relentlessly upbeat Britain's Got Talent finalists, Sign Along With Us. Plus there was me introducing it all and then reading my very sophisticated poem for 2020 in the middle. Yes, I sometimes do poetry - or as I call it - songwriting for people who can't be bothered to learn an instrument. Anyway, it's whole hour and bit and you can watch it HERE.

On Boxing Day Annie and I hosted our quz night as usual at 9pm, which gave us about an hour to prepare after rolling out of bed. It went pretty well with hundreds of people watching live and many more watching afterwards and pushing us past the thousand mark. Our good friend Andy Onions joined us live and we tried out some fancy computer graphics. Which turned out to be a bad idea so we won't be doing that again. The chat stream was buzzing and Annie's Pop Up Pirate round was naughtical but nice. My glitzy dress came from Ebay for just £4.50. WHAT A BARGAIN I KNOW! Watch the show HERE.

What else? Well, All I Want For Christmas Is Spoons did nearly as well as that rude song about Bozza that charted at no.5 this week (RUDE!) Last time I checked it was at 883 views so a thousand isn't out of the question by the end of next week. If you've still not bothered you, should go and watch it now for a little sing-a-long. Remember to give it a thumbs up. WATCH HERE!

Annie asked me what new year's resolution was yesterday. I said HD thanks to the new telly I've bought. I don't think that's what she meant. I'll work on those this week. So should you and we can all share next time.

For the while remember to join all my socials. I'll do the same for you if you ask nicely.

* Instagram * Facebook * Youtube *

Christmas Specials, Webcam Warbling and 'Andy Stories

What a week guys! O M GOSH! I have be SOOOO busy that I haven't been able to tell you about it all until now. Who'd have thought that a lockdown Christmas could still have all the to-ing, fro-ing and HO HO HO-ing of any one before it. But it has. Let me explain.

So, last Wednesday I was the SPECIAL GUEST on The Big Gay Comedy Show. Performing live through the web, I opened with Nuclear Cooking Cave and closed the show with All I Want For Christmas Is Spoons (now at nearly 700 views - CLICK AND BE JOLLY!) 

I also got to be the contestant in the quiz where all the other performers sandwiched inbetween my songs told me something about themselves. It turned out though that were mainly a pack of LIARS as only one of them was telling the truth and I had to work out who. If Lucien, the host, had brought more HONEST people on in the first place I wouldn't have got it so badly wrong. Still, a good laugh. Go and watch it on the link I made in the first paragraph.

On the weekend I was back in the studio (once I'd tidied up and pushed the bed into the corner out the way) to do more recording. There were three items on the agenda that I executed with professionalism and decent nail varnish.

Firstly, I recorded the intro for the Bonkers Christmas Cracker variety show that Bonkers Bingo are putting out at 1pm on Christmas Day. It features comedy, singing, poetry (more on that in a minute), DJing and well wishing from a wide assortment of jolly good fellows and fellowesses.

Secondly, I recorded my own festive poem with a 2020 theme. If you'd like to see a true artist in action you can see a special preview of it here HERE. And yes, that really is my super Christmassy front room with copyright-free music tinkling in the background - I can't be expected to do everything, I'm VERY BUSY!

Lastly, I answered a call to arms by my good friend Andy Storey (do you like what I did with the blog title? Yes, very clever I know) who was asking people to make a little video for his Christmas show based on his very successful Anxiety Vlogs on Youtube. I created my own parodic take on the advert he appeared in for Nationwide earlier this year - channelling Iggy and The Stooges for a song about yoga. You'll have to make do with a piccy for the while. I'll let you know when he puts it out.

Whilst I've pre-recorded my pieces for the Christmas Day show (in tribute to everyone's favourite celebrity old person, The Queen) - on Boxing Day at 9pm Annie Sup and I are back in the question-mistress chair for the very LIVE Angela Bra's Bonkers Quiz Night. You'll need a pen, paper and your wits about you to compete with the rest of your bubble, our guests and THE WORLD!

Love to you all. Have a cracking Christmas at a responsible distance.

Oh and SUBSCRIBE TO MY INSTAGRAM!

Let's Get Quizzical!

Hi Guys, lovely to see you again! Well what can I say except WHAT A WEEK! Yes, it's been all go for me in the run up to Chrimbo (and I have been running, got to keep FIT Angela!)

Earlier this week I was in the studio (Bedroom 2) with my green screen and iPhone shooting classy cuts advertising Bonkers Bingo's Christmas special and my own VERY SUCCESSFUL quiz night! I raided my wardrobe for the appropriate looks but in the end just found everything looked better wrapped up in christmas lights or with my own designer alice band with a polystyrene robin sellotaped to it. BE CREATIVE PEOPLE! It's all about the sticky backed plastic, the only blue I do is Blue Peter.

Speaking of all things homemade, Annie and I were back on the world why web with Angela Bra's Bonkers Quiz Night on Saturday. We had some lovely guests on the stream who brought their wit, wisdom and - in one case - a unicorn head on a stick. He didn't say much, apparently he was A LITTLE HORSE! Oh yes, Christmas cracker jokes are on me.

So we had a right good time with our guests and all the viewers at home. There was a rousing tribute to Babs Windsor, including the little known fact that she predicted Lockdown 2020 four years ago when she was on East Enders shouting GET OUT OF MY PUB! Link HERE.

Oh I miss the pub. All I Want For Christmas Is 'Spoons - which, as it happens, is my little Christmas number on Youtube with now over 500 views. If you've given it a like and a share THANKYOU! Sharing is caring, unless the caring is in a care home where sharing is to be very much discouraged.

So what's happening this week? Well I'm on The Big Gay Comedy Show on Wednesday, check my FB wall for details of that on the day if you want to hear me LIVE in CONCERT! Otherwise, it's a little rest for me before the Christmas specials kick in.

Join my Instagram. It's lonely.

All I Want For Christmas

Oh ho ho, WHAT A WEEK! Yes it's been all go for me this last seven days. What with my SMASH HIT Youtube single going online and being picked up to feature on three different online variety shows you'd think that's enough. But no! There's even more when you add the last quiz show going on the 'tube too and getting NEARLY ONE HUNDRED views! Plus there's my MC turn on Anything Goes Online feeling the love too. Where to start, oh where do I begin?

Well, we all love a bit of Mariah don't we? And by that I mean just 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' OBVIOUSLY. When those jingle bell till-rings are coming at you then you know it's time to get it on, get the tinsel up and boil that bottle of rubbish red wine someone brought to your last pre-lockdown dinner party.

Well now you can have Mariah with a twist of ME! Yes, it's a Carey Christmas with a nod to lockdown life and sleightime drinking. Go and have yourself a singalong HERE - last time I looked over 500 people had already.

What's next? Oh yes, the variety shows. So my song's already on the latest Anything Goes Online and will also be on A Bonkers Christmas Cracker on Christmas Day. It's also going to be on the Reyt Proper Xmas Show on Twitch, OOOOH FANCY!

Is there anything else to add? Oh of course, how could could I forget? THE QUIZ! So, the second Bonkers Quiz Night was last weekend but you can now see it on Youtube HERE. The tubey version doesn't have the 15 minute countdown, which is handy for people too lazy to move the little circle along the timeline at the bottom. Gather your bubble and have a pop.

'Til next week goodbye - but don't forget to join me and Annie live for our third quiz night next Saturday HERE!