Hi all, this is me.
As you may have gathered from this blog (or from the news), last week I managed to score myself an acting role in a TV show. This is obviously very exciting for me… but there is a downside.
Unfortunately, spending 3 months filming in LA during a summer in which I’d booked a lot of gigs in the UK is quite the time-space conundrum. Like so many such problems, it has been largely solved by the burning of fossil fuels: I will be flying to and from California an unhealthy number of times, often going from Heathrow straight to a gig.
It’s going to be an invigorating and mental-health-challenging summer.
However, with great regret and much gnashing of teeth, I’m afraid I’ve had to pull out of a couple of gigs. Below is the list of the gigs from which I have had to extract myself. I am genuinely sorry that I will be causing some people disappointment and/or inconvenience. Those of you who have been following my movements for a while will know that I don’t pull out of gigs lightly. So…
Scope’s Big Comedy Night, 20th May, Hammersmith Apollo.
It goes without saying, I think, that this cancellation is heartbreaking for me, and a proper pain in the arse for the wonderful organisers. However, I know that it is going to be a farkin’ fantastic night regardless. The line-up is brilliant and diverse and intelligent and hilarious. (Details here). The organisers are hot on the case of finding someone to replace me on the bill… and we’ll announce that as soon as we figure out who it’s going to be. Scope is a brilliant charity, and there are still tickets left. Please tell your friends to go.
If it so happens that you only bought your ticket so you could see stupid old me, then you are a little bit of a nutcase, but I understand. I guess. If you contact the people from whom you bought your tickets and tell them that you have been listening to your PM and have decided you don’t care about people with disabilities, you will be able to get your money back. (I’m joking, of course. (About the not caring bit, not about the money back thing. That’s real. (I love you.)))
Bury St Edmunds, 27th May.
This one is a solo show, and is therefore going to be rescheduled for 9th September. If you can’t make it on this new date, I can only grovel and submit myself to your furious anger… and obviously you’ll be able to get your money refunded here.
Cheltenham Science Festival, 13th June.
I was really looking forward to this! I was going to perform “Storm” and do a cool Q&A with Robin, I think. However, it goes without saying that the festival will have many more exciting and smart people than I, so while I feel bad, most of all, I’m jealous that you’re going and I’m not! If you had tickets to see me, go here to find out who could see instead, or call the Box Office on 0844 880 8094 for refunds.
Cambridge Summer Ball, 19th June.
Oh geez, this was going to be a hoot. I’m not too worried about you ball-goers (it’s going to be a ridiculously fun night without me, and the rest of the line up is deadly), but the band and I were pumped to be asked and really looking forward to it. Next year maybe?! Sorrrrrrrry Cambridgians. Hope you have a ball.
Not So Silent Movies, King’s Place, 29th June.
This was going to be really interesting – a chance to do a bit of improv and work with brilliant musos on a cool concept. I’m gutted not to be able to take part and very sorry to rob you of the chance to see me look like a chump up against proper players. If you had tickets, Kings Place will be in touch and you will receive a full refund. (any questions you can call the box office on 020 7520 1490)
Again, huge apologies to those I’ve let down. And thank you to the organisers of these events who have been so understanding and supportive of my decision.
Love yez.
tx
72 Comments
Jeremy on 4th of September 2012
Haha – Tried to get a ticket for Bury St Eds but it was sold out, then you cancel, and I’m offered a return for the the replacement gig. Yippeee!!!!! Here I come.
Works for me…
I hope this all works for you though, sounds harsh. Take it easy mate.
Shaina Marcenshleimmer S on 29th of June 2012
On the Sixth of September you will arrive in a town entitled ‘Passaic, NJ’. On that morning you will depart from JFK airport, from there you will hail a taxi telling him to drive you to the small, neighborly town in the middle of nowhere. You will come and do your thing in a park on a small podium, it will be awesome, then….you will get addicted to drugs, only bred in Passaic, and you will fall, fall I say. Or, as another option, you can play in the city, at a coffee shop, or maybe even an Italian restaurant selling overpriced wine, make it kosher. On a side note, I am Jewish, and a large portion of Passaic is made of Orthodox Jews. Your controversial art form will stir conversation, and we do need conversation, the economy being down and all. And(I can because my fifth moon says I’m a writer) Jews, we rock. Although, you probably won’t, guess you’re not awesome enough, unless…
Melissa on 24th of June 2012
Please come to Houston, Texas!
Mike Schadenfreude Farr on 16th of June 2012
Hehehehe! We seriously considered flying to London to see Tim at Cheltenham having missed him in CA, but couldn’t afford it in the end. Now we’ll get the TV show and Tim will feel so guilty that he’ll knock himself out and book more gigs!
Lorraine Frost on 16th of June 2012
Belton House Gig was great and we felt 3,000 Tim fans much more intimate than stadium gigs. “Jesus” you even stopped the rain!! – Loved the Pope song and loved the Programme.
kathleen on 16th of May 2012
come to new orleans please
Bee on 15th of May 2012
crazy man, your going to burn yourself out make sure you take care. glad to see you’re still going to be at Swansea X
Doreen Mackay on 12th of May 2012
What is it about you Tim that makes us all love you ? Your face, your voice, just the whole of you. Am 78 and just realise that I will HAVE to get a ticket to see you sometime. Keep up the good work and remain true to YOU. Lucky wife !
anthony on 11th of May 2012
of all of the gin joints in all of the world, you had to walk in and cancel mine – fraid i am that stupid old nutcase -we bought the ticket just to see you at the appollo… but understand…. will def book again when you in town….
Jackdaw on 11th of May 2012
has anyone ever seen tim and russell brand in the same room together? ya could be bros……
maureen mulholland on 11th of May 2012
Hey – what about doing a show in northern ireland? the land of religious zealots and pervy priests – obviously we need help! come on – cheer us up and organise a show here.
Kath on 11th of May 2012
Feel free to pull out of the Larmer Tree festival, it’ll make me feel way better about the fact that I’m not going this year…
Deb on 7th of May 2012
Duuuuuuuuuuuude…… nooooooooooooooooooo. Will miss you at Scope!!! Absolutely suks ass. That woulda been our first sighting this year and we were so excited. Guess the sight of you and David D half naked will have to do as solace to our devastation…..
Vee on 5th of May 2012
I’ve planted 50 trees since the start of the year – and I hardly go anywhere – so happy for you to have my carbon credits Tim. Take care in LA
Nicola on 4th of May 2012
Disappointed! Wishing you all the best anyway Tim, hope you enjoy it!!!
umm... on 3rd of May 2012
So…did he actually say what TV show he’s actually gonna be in? If he did I must’ve missed it somehow…..
Tabitha Maser-Clarke on 2nd of May 2012
I’m glad I’m not affected. Take care Tim! xx
SammySatine on 2nd of May 2012
Tim, Take care of yourself and Goodluck with Californication. Maybe when the madness is over take some time out? Love you lots. Will be sitting in your hometown worried about you. Hope to see you back in Perth soon-ish.
Amities,
SS
@msjinnifer on 1st of May 2012
Well all the gigs I have tickets for aren’t so far affected, BUT I agree with Amanda D. and others — this is no way to live. Take care, and take time to recover too, after this crazy schedule is over. I come from the world of freelance music, and yes, sometimes you have to grin, bear it and take a risk in order to grab the opportunities for something new, but — take your health and personal welfare seriously, please!
Meanwhile — melatonin. Not sure what the current evidence base is saying — there was much scientist-disagreement a while back and it’s only on sale in USA. I’ve found it useful, though of course that could be our old friend Ms Placebo…
Good luck.
Chick on 1st of May 2012
Such a beautifully worded and touchingly humble apology! I bet it’s almost impossible now for anyone to feel any anger, you lovable old sausage.
outraged from leeds on 1st of May 2012
Hi Tim
That’s so sad you’ve had to pull out of those shows… especially not so silent movies, partially because it was something different (and partially because I was going to that one :L ) but I’m really looking forwards to the TV show and I bet it will be great. Thanks for taking the time to post this yourself, and good luck for the summer, it sounds like it’s going to be a tough one, make sure you take your canvas-bags to the supermarket to make up for all those fossil fuels you’ll be burning :L X
Ruth on 1st of May 2012
Don’t burn yourself out now, make sure you take care of yourself.
We love you too :)
PDXcat on 1st of May 2012
Pop up to Portland and Seattle – ez flights fron LA, great hospitality, and even greater food and beer up here.
If you like blues music, come on up for the Waterfront Blues Fest – http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com – in PDX – I’ll save a spot under my favorite spectator tree for you :)
Remember: California is the land of fruits n nuts… beware.
Ruth on 1st of May 2012
Not much likelihood that I would have seen you at any of these gigs, Living in Australia and all. But sure love to read your blog. Saw you in concert with Queensland Symphony. Absolute beaut mate!!
Tara Rodriquez on 30th of April 2012
I’m getting all squiggly knowing that he’ll be so close all summer (I live in SoCal). I might have to commandeer my best friend’s Los Angeles couch as a stalking base, so I can cash in my free pass: Tim’s the only person on my “allowed celebrity shag list”. Just kidding. About the stalking, anyway…the list part is true.
Amanda D. on 30th of April 2012
Strewth Tim! What are you doing?!! It looks like you need a new manager to take better care of you. It won’t help you, your family or your legion of fans if you burn yourself out and ruin your health by this crazy schedule. It makes my brain spin to think of all those flights and the attendant jetlag. You can’t please all the people all of the time and now I’m just going to worry about you. I hope the TV show is worth you and your talents and all the angst you are going to give yourself just trying to be everywhere for everyone. Take good care – and try to find enough time for your lovely family as well. (And find a manager who will put your best interests first and make sure you last the distance).
junbug on 30th of April 2012
idont live in aplace where iget to see you perform, but still lovely to read aletter from you, timmy all the way!
Paul C on 30th of April 2012
Gutted! I had tickets to The Scope Comedy Night… I bloody would have refunded my tickets too if Tim’s comments didn’t guilt trip me… It will be a good night anyway but we’ll miss you from the line-up…
Off to see where I can next catch Tim in the UK to get my yearly fix!
:)
Nancy on 30th of April 2012
ahhh, being selfish here, but thank goodness Rockness appears to be safe. I am so looking forward to seeing you for the first time. Thanks for the heads up. Best of luck for your new venture and commiserations to anyone who misses out on seeing you.
Annie on 30th of April 2012
I nearly had a heart attack when I started reading this, but phew, Malvern and Hay are spared. Thanks for organising your summer around me Tim. The colleague who has had to rearrange her honeymoon because I’d booked my leave before her will also be delighted that it’s all still in a good cause, I’m sure ….
James Magnano on 30th of April 2012
Well I’m sure the fans who aren’t going to see you are disappointed, but any true fan of you is thrilled that you landed an acting gig. If you do decide to perform in L.A. while you’re there, please let us know. I’d fly out from Chicago for that. Heck, I’d fly out from Chicago to take you out to dinner as a thank you for all the great laughs and the keen insights over the years. 100%serious about that offer!
Kate on 30th of April 2012
I also hope this means you can squeeze in a few LA shows while you’re here, but do be careful not to burn the candle too brightly at both ends and make sure to take good care of yourself on these many travel days!! Best of luck, Tim!!
Ellen on 30th of April 2012
Too bad. But I used to commute across the world. It literally causes brain damage from the stress of realigning circadian clock. I’m not kidding. It has been shown to cause shrinkage of the hippocampus and frontal lobes over time. This causes short term memory loss long-term. Another sign is that it takes longer to ‘put things together’ to figure stuff out. The hippocampus is involved in making decisions and correlating information.
If you are flying to a gig and flying right back, your best bet is to stay on the schedule of your originating time zone. Make sure you get plenty of rest and exercise. Heavy exercise is protective. And it’s good to get out in bright sun in the morning when you get back. Piracetam can help with jetlag too if you have access to it.
Matt on 30th of April 2012
I hope you’ll be able to fit in a few more California shows while you’re out here. I caught the Santa Barbara gig a few weeks back and it was fantastic!
Deb Culbertson on 30th of April 2012
We look forward to you gracing L.A. If you need a place to stay or some home cooking, or want to get a “feel” for the area, we live in the Studio City area and can show you around L.A. and the surrounding areas. Wishing you great success!
Julie on 30th of April 2012
Just do what is best for you, true fans will understand and wish you the best of luck – GOOD LUCK!
Cathy Penrose (traineeflorist) on 30th of April 2012
You are wonderful and talented in so many ways and I want to wish you all the luck in the world with your new acting role. I am pretty relieved in a way to see you are taking the sensible approach and not trying to exceed the limits of human capabilities by attempting to be in two places at the same time. At the end of the day, your career decisions should be based on what is right for you (and your family), not us. But it’s nice to know that we come a pretty close second!
Rebecca on 30th of April 2012
Aww, but you appearing at the science festival was the highlight of my holidays.
Couldn’t you rearrange that for next year… maybe? Good luck in the tv show.
David on 30th of April 2012
Still going to be at Belton I hope Tim :)
Hayley Parrish on 30th of April 2012
Are you still doing your session at the Eden Project on the 23rd June, would be great if someone could let me know
Jeanne on 30th of April 2012
Best of luck & hopefully an American tour is in the near future. Specifically Seattle!
Celia on 30th of April 2012
I have tickets for Scope and will miss you but as you say a great line up anyway – good luck with the filming. x
Hal on 30th of April 2012
Hey, maybe you can come to TAM in Vegas between July 12 to 15th!!!!!!
Sanna on 30th of April 2012
Oh No!! You probably didn’t even know that you have fans in Finland, but you do.. At least two…. And we are going to fly to London to see Scope’s Big Comedy Night, all because of you, Tim!!
Well, we better start saving some money for the next time, and try to enjoy London (as much as we can without you).
Anyway, good luck with the acting!
Hopefully the show will air here in Finland, too!
Carlos Costa Cox on 30th of April 2012
Hey Tim, When are you coming to Brazil?
David Salter on 30th of April 2012
Have fun in LA, but be wary of the food. There is a reason why HFCS is banned almost everywhere else in the world, but Americans put it in everything – go figure – somebody’s lying eh? And not enough people are asking questions.
sandy on 30th of April 2012
seeing you on the tube is great for the rest of us!! Yay!
David Salter on 30th of April 2012
Have fun in LA, but be careful of the food. There is a reason why HFCS is banned almost everywhere else in the world, but Americans put it in everything – go figure – somebody’s lying eh? And not enough people are asking questions.
Anne on 30th of April 2012
I have no tickets for these shows. However, it made me smile to see your heartfelt apologies. I know your fans (myself included) have nothing but love and support for you.
Hope you find a minute or two for the wife and kids this crazy summer.
Clo on 30th of April 2012
I’m sure your canvas bag song has put you in carbon credit, but as you requested on twitter…. heres a carbon reduction idea…. nicked from Apparatjik…. so you may have to tweek it or acknowledge thievery./inspiration….. Apparatjik encouraging fans to plant trees. This is Apparatjiks Greener Youniverse http://apparatjik.com/agreeneryouniverse/ which i think is a marvellous idea.
you could do something similar….. maybe then offer a reward for the first *insert number here* to post pictures of said tree.
like i said… its Apparatjiks idea… not mine, but i’m sure it could be a start for developing ideas to get Tim back into carbon credit. :)
Ether on 30th of April 2012
When you don’t protect yourself, pulling out becomes the only option.
Michelle on 30th of April 2012
Congratulations on landing the role. However, sometimes it’s just best to pull out…I’m just saying ;-).
Sean Bostrom on 30th of April 2012
I was coming to see you in the “Not so Silent Movies Show”.
But am very pleased for you and wish you well:)
Regards Sean (Tranny Shirt) Bostrom
Kings Place on 30th of April 2012
A huge congratulations on the US show. It sounds like you are in for a crazy summer. We will be in touch with folks for full refunds for the Not So Silent Movies show at Kings Place.
Jeff D on 30th of April 2012
Um…Yeah…I’m gonna need you to come to McMinnville Oregon then. When things settle of course.
Herr Ratzinger on 30th of April 2012
May your sojourn in FreedomLand be filled with joy and frequent cavity searches.
Tess on 30th of April 2012
I feel bad now. You’re (still) doing Secret Garden Party which I am unable to attend due to being on honeymoon. Here you are being all organised and letting us know the gigs YOU can’t do and here’s me completely forgetting to let you know the one I can’t do. I hope my absence won’t affect your performance too much.
jono on 30th of April 2012
Malvern was spared…Phew! I appreciate its a heartache for you Tim but I’m sure your fans understand and wish you well with whatever you do. Just look after yourself because that seems like a very punishing schedule.
Arguyle on 30th of April 2012
What is the tv show??? Hope you like Mexican food, 3 months in LA! That’ll clean out the old pipes…
Mark on 30th of April 2012
Phew – just so long as you’re still going to be at the Hay festival – didn’t fancy the prospect of having to just sit and read dusty old second hand books whilst drinking real ale down the pub ALL weekend! :)
Nichole on 30th of April 2012
I’m glad you’re here in the states for a summer. c: It’s not fair for the UK to hog you.
Linda Jolley on 30th of April 2012
Your personal apologies are one of the many reasons people love and respect you. You are a true gentleman and I’m sure your fans and followers understand and wish you all the best with your exciting new challenge, as I do. Take care. X
Keely on 30th of April 2012
I don’t think people are going to mind.
I have been following you since you did the Comedy Festival Roadshow at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong, Australia many years ago. Since then I have seen you on several tours (latest one was at the State Theatre in Sydney with the Orchastra, also saw you at the Opera House with the Orchastra first time around, front row :P) and I know that you would never do this unless you really had to.
Keep being Awesome and come back home to Australia soon… I need my fix of Tim.
Claire Bailey on 30th of April 2012
How about you still appearing but as a hologram instead??? Or better still, as a delectable inflatable you??
Anthony (Beer Antlers) on 30th of April 2012
CHEERS to the new venture Tim. Your talent is more than deserving, and I truly hope the rest of the folks in the states with me feel the same. Can’t wait to see what’s to come :]
Sarah on 30th of April 2012
Thank goodness I get to see you at Eden in Cornwall and Somerset house…. We knew Hollywood land would come a-calling for you
Tonia on 30th of April 2012
I don’t have any tickets to any of your shows, but I did see you in Brisbane in January vs the amazing Queensland Symphony Orchestra! Having relocated to Italy, I’m now thinking, ‘when can I get myself to the UK?’… have a great time filming!
Ali on 30th of April 2012
Oh, Tim! Your fans adore you and support amazing opportunities you may come across, like having the chance to be on a TV show. Very happy for you! And even more awesome that you personally broke the news to everyone.
Bertie Clemence on 30th of April 2012
I was reading this, heart pounding, hoping I didn’t read the words ‘Somerset House’.
Louisa on 30th of April 2012
Thanks for reaching out to us personally. I am jammy- see you at Kew!
BA on 30th of April 2012
Tim, you’re such a talent, you’ll be around a long time and we can all catch you later. Good luck with all the travel this year and keep well
Graham on 30th of April 2012
Bugger
was looking forward to seeing you at Cheltenham. Good luck with the film though