Dispatches from the Fury Road: Bundaberg.
I’m feeling a little fatigued.
There might be a number of reasons for why this might be happening. We drove from Gladstone to Bundaberg on Sunday and then Monday was the Labor Day public holiday. The drive wasn’t too long. It was in fact pretty uneventful. It rained a little. We chatted. We checked in with ease. With two days ahead of me, I knew this was an opportunity to finally lean into some exercise.
If you’re not aware, just before the tour began I had a cold which then transformed into such bad congestion it felt like my head was full of cotton wool. That took a little while to clear up. In fact, Sunday was the first time on the trip that I felt physically normal again. That’s exhausting in itself, but the lack of exercise builds a feeling of calcification.
I like to alternate running with walking, getting the heart rate up and then walking with pace. Yesterday was definitely an 80/20 split of walking to running. I have a feeling I looked like a hobbit on the run from some orcs, but at least I was getting some exercise. It really couldn’t have come at a better time. Meals were beginning to change my body shape into a beanbag that had a split in it and was losing the beans.
Later that evening a couple of us decided to head to the movies on our night off. That turned out to be five minutes in car or a 45 minute walk. Well, 45 minutes according to Google Maps. I never believe the app and like to see if I can beat their proclamation. I am proud to say I am undefeated against Google Maps. We took the opportunity for more exercise and walked the distance in around 37 minutes.
As an aside, we saw Challengers starring Zendaya. I’ll have some thoughts about it on the Big Squid podcast next week, but as a little teaser: I thought it was great but I can also see why some people are hating it. More to come later on that one.
When I woke today I was quite sore, mainly the parts of me that are covered in skin. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised since exercise has been low on the achievement list of late. Then today was a blend of catching up on work, and watching Anthony Edwards potentially become the new face of the NBA. I’ll leave the basketball chat for my basketball pals.
By the time we arrived at the theatre for the gig, I was feeling flat. Backstage I was unfocused, too busy enjoying the banter of our crew, not really thinking about my part in the show. By the time we were ready to start, I knew I had to do something to fire me up. I decided to shake up the stories I was telling. I dropped a couple from the start, and added a new one right in the middle. It’s a routine I haven’t performed in at least a year, so that meant I had to think my way through it so I didn’t accidentally leave out anything important like a side joke or a set up that helps land the punchline.
I am happy to report this worked a treat. When I was onstage I felt that energy kick back in, giving me a nice relaxed but alert vibe. The Bundaberg audience was ready to go and I was able to enjoy specific punters in the audience, feeding off their reactions. Two young lads to my left were good for lines being delivered straight at them, as were the two ladies sitting right in front of me.
What a fun gig. It is nice to be sitting here and be able to recall certain people and their reactions in the audience. I walked offstage buzzing…and then once I was behind the curtain, the fatigue kicked right back in at the level it was at before. It is remarkable how Doctor Showbiz can just swing by and give you a shot of adrenaline that wears off the moment you leave the bright lights of the stage.
And that feels like enough for tonight. That comfy hotel bed is beckoning, and it might be nice to turn out the lights, and bask in the fading embers of a top show in Bundaberg.
Justin Hamilton
Bundaberg
7th of May, 2024