Far Away

I am currently far away. Wait, that explains nothing as I don’t know where you are. I’m far away from where I usually am, and in all probability also from you. Where I actually am isn’t important, especially as I am contractually prohibited from telling you (really!), but I am far away. On a trip. For work.

My usual job – which Bill can’t describe any better than I can – is usually all about being close. I’m not often happier than when I’m in a small venue, where the front row is close enough to be directly affected if a trick goes wrong. But also close enough that you can have a real dialogue with them – that’s a big part of what I do and why I do it. But, as you may or may not be aware, circumstances have, in the past year or so, prevented that from being a legal or healthy thing to be doing. Hence, the internet has become the only venue still open.

But the internet, whether you’re at home or wherever the hell I am, is as far away as it is close.

Here’s what I’m trying to say.

When I work live, if I do something good, the audience will immediately let me know by making noises that have been culturally decided to signify approval. Equally, if I do something they don’t like, they will let me know that, too. I’ve been doing this long enough to have had decent amounts of both. But the internet doesn’t really have that kind of immediate, visceral, in the moment feedback.

I mean, sure, for a podcast like “Imagination & Junk” there are stats you can look at. Numbers of downloads, subscriptions, likes, shares etc – but they seem basic to me. They show you how many people came into your venue and sat down to watch, but not so much what they felt as they saw the show. The audience seem close, and far away.

The more cynical of you might surmise that this is nothing more than an overly-wordy way for me to beg you for approval, comments, reviews, and well MY GOD HOW DARE YOU

Also, you would be, to a not insignificant extent, bang on the money.

But along with that, there’s this weird “message in a bottle” kind of feeling to making things for the internet. Me and Bill have been planning, writing, editing, recording and mixing “Imagination & Junk” since January, and then this week, we rolled it up, put it in a bottle, and threw it in the ocean with our fingers crossed that people might find it.

Partly, that leaves an old stage-shmuck like me feeling incomplete, as there have been no audible laughs or applause, but also I kinda like it. It feels like a relief. Well, it’s out there now. It doesn’t belong to us any more. Go! Fly free, little thoughtful podcast!

Anyway. I’m far away, but hopefully the podcast finds you in the front row.

MR