Hello friends. Today I flew over to Denmark for a mini-tour with the smashing poet Harry Baker. We’re hitting up Copenhagen today, Aarhus tomorrow, and Aalborg on Sunday. It’s going to be straight pimping. I hope it goes without saying that, if you’re around in one of those cities, please come and say hi!

Last time I had a gig in Denmark was over four years ago. I was three-quarters of the way through my two-month tour of open mics, a tour which changed my life. It was the first time I’d ever taken myself seriously as a performer, the first time I’d committed to a proper schedule of gigs. I had some horrible shows, which I bombed at. But I also had some good ones. I met some genuinely amazing, inspirational people. I had some major stresses in my personal life but they didn’t fucking matter because I had the gigs, and gigs will always get you through. They’re great like that.

Best of all was what it led to. It got me match fit, ready to take my first solo show, Death Drive, to Edinburgh. (I ended up taking Death Drive all over the UK, to Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai and Beijing) If I hadn’t done the tour, then I wouldn’t have agreed to do the stand-up gig a month or so afterwards, which was the day I met my wife.

I’m so lucky to get to perform live. If you approach it with the right attitude, and love it in your heart, and welcome the tough gigs and the pain along with the amazing ones, it really is the best life. If you’ve ever come to see me live, thank you. You’ve helped me live out an incredibly privileged, dream life.

In any case, I thought for today I’d repost my blog from Aarhus, over four years ago. There are lots of photographs and it gives you a bit of an insight into what was on my mind back then. I can’t wait to return!