Here Endeth the Decade

Its the last ever day of 2009, and, much like the end of every year, it feels pretty much the same as the middle of the year or the beginning or any other bit. Without meaning to sound bah humbug or whatever the NYE equivalent is, I'm never really that fussed about the promise of another year. It might be a 'new' year in so much as we haven't yet gone through the passage of time that is the next year, but as far as I'm concerned we've had loads of years before, and I pretty much understand how they work. I might just wish people 'Happy Another Year'. It sounds like I'm grumbling, but I'm not. Its just that over years I tend to find of all the days of the year, NYE tends to be the most disappointing. I've only ever had three good NYE's. One involved working backstage at the Hackney Empire and getting bought drinks by the Divine Comedy despite only being 15. So I got paid NYE rates and got drunk with a band I liked. Good times. The next one was when I was 18 and me and my friend Stefan were between parties and had a bottle of champagne and some chips in pitta. As it struck midnight we were in a phonebox calling our friends and wishing everyone a Happy New Year before rocking up at another party for several hours. That was also the night we found a street lamp that turned on and off when we walked under it. That was possibly what led to us not making the next party for midnight.


The third best NYE I've ever had was last year when me and Layla stayed in. Yep. Boring old farts, but that's what we did. We made a three course Thai meal and watched Jools Holland's pre-recorded Hootenany and then went to bed. That, for me, was better than spending shedloads of money on disappointment, and having to queue for the first month of the year for a bus or tube home. Its a nice way to end the year too. With someone I actually want to be with rather than surrounded by idiots I don't know who are so drunk they won't remember midnight anyway. We are going for Thai again tonight. We shall welcome 2010 full of massaman curry and tempurah.


Lots happened in 2009 that I was pleased with, and last night was a lovely final show of the year to go out on. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the London Comedy Improv, despite initially being worried about having Christmas brain. It was a really refreshing change from stand-up, as while weird things can happen in stand-up that cause you to improvise, its not the same as completely improvising anything. Brendan, Tara, Briony and Kirsty were a joy to work with and I'm going to make it an aim of mine in 2010 to do more of that please. The London Comedy Improv's next show is on January 18th at the Pigalle Club in Piccadilly Circus so you should make it an Another Year's Resolution to go.


I was going to do a mini 'Best of 2009' list to end it all, and then I remembered that its not just the end of 2009, but also the end of the 'noughties', which in my opinion weren't that naughty at all. Except for the illegal war that was naughty. As were all the expenses claims and the banks fucking everything up, and terrorism and actually lots of things. Ok, they were pretty bad. In fact, lets put the entire decade on a naughty step. I'm not sure how you'd do that, but its nearly the future so we'll find out soon. If however this decade was some sort of indication that decade behave as their media names dictate, then as of tomorrow, its the Teenies. So I guess it'll be full of hormonal outbursts, stabbings, teenage pregnancies, acne and sexual awkwardness. Oh joy. Anyway, as I couldn't be arsed to do a whole best of list of anything, I will just leave you with what was one of my favourite tracks of the last year and I still listen to on reply endlessly. Its just beautiful. Enjoy and wherever you spend this evening, have a very happy end of 2009 and a joyous embarkment into the wilderness of 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF3r0i6oF7Q