Jamie, Nicola, Kim and I were supposed to go and watch a recording of a new BBC radio show called; "Teenage Kicks" yesterday. Unfortunately, we kind of underestimated the price of the train tickets and realised there was no way we'd be able to afford the train to London and tube tickets.
Nix and Kim had pre-booked theirs, so we sent them to London instead. Then Jamie had a brain wave and we walked up to the bus station to catch the bus! That was a really shitty way to start an entry, I know, but I just sat here for about five minutes trying to work out how to begin. Oh well, whatever, nevermind.
The bus journey was awful. It was three hours long, stuck in a smelly bus with two drivers that cracked jokes constantly whilst cheesy Christmas songs blasted out over the radio. During the journey, we passed a couple of signs that said; "Keep Two Chevrons Apart" and I said; "Chevrons?" Jamie laughed at me because I didn't soften the "Ch" part, and I explained that I wasn't French and I didn't soften my "Ch's" for no shit. (Which incidently led onto a conversation about softening "Ch's" in words like 'Cheese' and 'Chilly', eventually the word 'Chunky' became 'Shunky' and Jamie and I were reduced to hysterical fits of laughter at the thought of a SHUNKY KIT KAT.)
When we reached London, we made our way up to the Victoria tube station, got our tickets and headed up to Camden. There had been some sort of security scare earlier in the day, so loads of the tracks were closed, but luckily none of them were the ones we had to get. We headed up to Camden to meet Nix and Kim (who had been shopping happily and staring around amazed as Kim had never been to Camden before.) They'd already been there for about three hours, so Jamie and I grabbed something to eat. Then Nix and I went into KFC to use the toilets, pointedly ignoring the signs that said 'Customer Use Only'. We're right anarchists, we are.
Eventually we decided to go up to Drill Hall, which was were the radio show was going to be recorded. Since the BBC sent out more tickets than there were seats we actually had a valid reason for going early. The shows main star was Adrian Edmondson, and it was the last recording of the series, so we were excited about whether there was going to be anybody else cool there. (Eh? Eh? Rik Mayall was in London that day for The New Statesman!) After a while of sitting outside some Drama college, next to Drill Hall, we were allowed into the bar with a bunch of other peoplew waiting around.
The bar filled up really quickly and we noticed, with some dismay, that we'd chosen a seat right next to the door into the bar, not the door into the auditorium, which was on the other side of the room. Luckily, a BBC representative came in and put some stickers on our tickets to show that we definately had the right to get a seat! La woot! It was still going to be a while before we were allowed into the theatre, so we sat around chatting and wondering what the recording was going to be like. It was at this point that Kim mentioned Ben Elton, and I was like; "Eh? What about Ben Elton?" And she explained that he was one of the characters in Teenage Kicks and that he was going to be there that night and that she'd already told me this and OH MY GOD I think I would've remembered something like that if i'd been told because Ben Elton is amazing but I don't really mind that much because BEN ELTON!
After a while, we were all sitting around and a woman walked into the bar. I was looking at her for a while, trying to think who the hell she was because I knew i'd seen her before. Then it clicked and I leaned forwards whispering; "Oh my God! Oh my God!" Nicola looked at me strangely as I tilted my head in the womans direction trying to get her to look. Well, Nix did look around, to see who I was looking at, but she looked AROUND the woman! So I leant even further forward and whispered; "No! THE WOMAN!" And Nix looked and then her mouth dropped open. By this time, Jamie and Kim had noticed us talking and were all like; Eh? What? Nix nudged towards the womans direction and hissed; "It's Jennifer Saunders!"
She stood near us for a while, looking around for something/someone, obviously with her daughters. (For all of you who don't know, she's married to Ade, lol) Then she left the bar and went off somewhere, whilst we were all; "Wow! What if Rik is here too!" Then we chuckled and decided that it'd be nice if Phill Jupitus was there because he's ever so sweet.
After a bit more waiting, a bloke walked into the bar and we all noticed him immediately, glancing at each other like; "Wtf? Is that Phill Jupitus?" He came and stood next to our table, looking over the crowds and we still weren't sure whether it was him or not, so I leant forwards and said; "Phill?"
He looked over, then smiled all; "Hello!" He remembered us from last month, when we'd met him at the Bonzo Dog show! We reminded him that we'd given him a picture of Mr. Radish and he started laughing saying; "I've still got that, you know! I found it the other day and got really confused before I realised what it was!" Aww! Then he was asking us all how we were, and what we were doing at Drill Hall. (Erm.. Teenage Kicks, Phill.) We asked him the same and to; "What are you doing here?" He said; "Teenage Kicks apparently, I don't really know!" Then I laughed and said that we'd already seen Jennifer Saunders and he looked around expectantly all; "Oh! Jennifer's already here?" So we pointed him in the direction she had gone and he went to find her. =].
By this time we were all; HOLY SHIT WE'RE LIKE WELL IN WITH PHILL JUPITUS! (Well, we're not, but he's very very cool!)
Then the doors to the auditorium opened and in we went. Jennifer Saunders, her daughters and Phill Jupitus were all already sitting at the back, so we went up and sat a couple of seats across from them. Then a bloke came onto the small stage and introduced himself as the producer of Teenage Kicks. He was really funny, explaining that if there was a fire in the building then the employee's (dressed in their striking black suits) would direct you to the nearest fire escape, which were the green lights and if there actually was a fire it's best not to go towards the orange flickering lights. Then he introduced Ade, and out he came!
A woman from the BBC was there with a video camera, as next year on Comic Relief there was going to be something about Ade (or something like that) and she wanted to film the audience for it. COOL. We might be on Comic Relief next year!
We realised by this time that there were a bunch of people from Holby City in the audience as well, but I don't watch Holby City so I wouldn't know who they were! Ade introduced the rest of the cast (BEN ELTON!) And they began the recording.
The show is about an ex-punk called Vernon (Ade) who goes through a divorce and ends up moving in with his kids into their uni flat. It's very, very funny. I won't explain about what happened in the episodes we watched being recorded, but I do strongly urge you to listen to it when it begins on BBC Radio 2 on the 6th of January!
After the first little bit had been recorded, the soundman at the back came over the PA, asking for them to do it again because they'd forgotten to press Play and Record at the same time. (A lie, they were actually having some trouble with the sound system.) So whilst there was an awkward pause as they tried to sort it out, Ben Elton stood up and started adlibbing with Ade, bitching about technology. It was SO funny, a random bit of stand-up whilst the problem was fixed.
Eventually it was though, and the show started! When you listen to the last two episode (they recorded two) the person laughing really loudly is Phill Jupitus, hehe. In between scenes, there were clips of different songs being played and one of them was The Buzzcocks. Nix, Kim, Jamie and I were all singing along, and I looked over at Phill - he was singing along too but looking over at us nodding approvingly! Hurrah! We made him proud!
There was an interval in between episodes and most people went out to the bar to get drinks. They played Sex Pistols "Pretty Vacant" whilst everyone was leaving and we were all, once again, singing along loudly. Then Phill walked past us to get to the bar and when he saw us singing, he started singing along too! You rock Phill Jupitus!
We stayed in the auditorium for the interval, as we already had drinks with us. Most people had come back in when Ade and everyone came back on. But Jennifer Saunders, her daughters and Phill hadn't come back, so we assumed they'd gone backstage or something. Ade had a guitar that he got out of his case and he told us that; "It was a new guitar that his good friend Phill had given him" Then he peered into the audience all; "Is he there?" So we shouted; "He's gone!" And Ade was all; "HE'S GONE!? Well, that's friends for you!" But then they all snuck in from the bar and Ade started laughing like; "Is that my mrs? You're fired!" And Jennifer Saunders was all; "It's not my fault! I couldn't get Phill away from the bar!"
They went back to their seats near us and as Phill walked past, Jamie started tutting loudly, to which Phill held up two fingers and we all laughed.
The rest of the show was hilarious, the cast were all brilliant and I can't stress how much you should listen to the show. (You know, if it's popular enough I bet it'll get made into a television series. It's happened before! The Mighty Boosh was a radio series before it hit telly and the stage!)
When it finished, we had no time to say bye to Phill as we had to run like fuck to the train station to catch the last train. Jamie and I cheated and technically got a free journey home, but then technically not as we still had to pay for the return... It's a long story =]. WOW.