Glasgow Comedy Festival, March 2019

[Malcy]

Paul Sinha was outstanding tonight. He's a really funny guy. That's the best audience I've heard at a gig for a long time.

[Bronzy]

Paul Sinha was outstanding tonight. He's a really funny guy. That's the best audience I've heard at a gig for a long time.

He really was great, wasn't he? Not a single poor moment in it, I thought.

The show was so well tied together (his use of callbacks are fantastic), and it just flowed beautifully.

Top stuff.

[Bronzy]

Now I'm looking forward to Jerry Sadowitz, Terry Alderton and Raymond Mearns.

Potential to be the best year I've done so far, if I end up enjoying them as much as I did Moorhouse and especially Sinha.

[Malcy]

He really was great, wasn't he? Not a single poor moment in it, I thought.

The show was so well tied together (his use of callbacks are fantastic), and it just flowed beautifully.

Top stuff.

The Chekov bit had me in stitches. I knew it was coming but the specifics of mentioning the stealing the Enterprise was great. The Anne Hegarty jungle stuff at the start was brilliant too. He took the piss out of Shaun Wallace last year.The guy next to me shouted out "I'll get it" when the phone went off and thought Paul's response was great.

I'd love to see Raymond Means there as well this month but the show is on too late for me to get home. He's someone I've wanted to see live for years. Saw him at the Fringe last year and thought his audience interaction was really good. He tours all the time so I'll catch him again at some point though.

I still have Limmy, Jack Docherty, Absolutely minus Jack, Biscuity Boyle and the Scot Squad thing for BAFTA Scotland to see this month. Was so disappointed to miss out on a ticket for Reece Shearsmith by about 5 mins. Didn't even know he was going to be at the event!

[Sebastian Cobb]

I went to see the bugle tonight, it was late to start, meaning it was rushed as they had had another gig on. It was interesting to have a video-link with the excellent Alice Fraser, but also killed the magic a bit too see how both Zaltzman and Fraser were reading from scripts and frantically scrolling their ipads a lot of the time.

I've seen Zaltzman tell some of the bits he was reading before. It's like seeing Bernard Sumner use an autocue on Blue Monday.

[Malcy]

Waiting in queue to get Limmy to sign his book. Great show totally ruined by 3 young, smelly little obnoxious pricks who talked the whole way through the show. Was fucking raging. They stank of vomit and shite and were tearing into the drink.

He threw them a look a good few times as if to say 'shit the fuck up' but they didn't notice. Fucking fannies.

Jack Docherty at The Kings tomorrow so at least the audience will be better and it's a brilliant show.

[Malcy]

Fucking domestic in the queue behind me now. Fucking torture.

[Bronzy]

Waiting in queue to get Limmy to sign his book. Great show totally ruined by 3 young, smelly little obnoxious pricks who talked the whole way through the show. Was fucking raging. They stank of vomit and shite and were tearing into the drink.

He threw them a look a good few times as if to say 'shit the fuck up' but they didn't notice. Fucking fannies.

Jack Docherty at The Kings tomorrow so at least the audience will be better and it's a brilliant show.

Unfortunately Limmy does seem to have a minority of followers that are absolute cunts. Usually the West End types that think "he's so random lol" and don't bother to understand the actual point or purpose of what he's saying.

Basically just the people in his "random" sketch, come to think of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0oLNZw2weg

It's a shame, as most of his fans are a great bunch of lads.

[Malcy]

Unfortunately Limmy does seem to have a minority of followers that are absolute cunts. Usually the West End types that think "he's so random lol" and don't bother to understand the actual point or purpose of what he's saying.

Basically just the people in his "random" sketch, come to think of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0oLNZw2weg

It's a shame, as most of his fans are a great bunch of lads.

It was a shame. I was in a really bad mood after it last night. Had been a tough day as it was so had really been looking forward to being cheered up a bit.

[Malcy]

Great time at Jack Docherty's Miekelson & McGlashan tonight. A well behaved audience made all the difference! It was similar to last year's show at the Fringe but had a lot of new stuff to keep it fresh as well.

Nothing festival wise until Biscuity Boyle next Wednesday with a trip to Oran Mor on Monday for the Absolutely Radio Show recordings. I'll be glad of the break for a few days and to give my wallet a little rest. £6.50 for a bottle of Budvar in The Kings!

[Quisby]

Nice but expensive beer in The Doublet then over the road to The Stand for Simon Munnery. Forgot what Malcy mentioned in previous posts and bought a horribly crap and flat metallic tasting beer. Munnery was brilliant however - endless invention. Odd to think of him working recently as a cleaner in a chicken factory but then again Bruce Morton was doing the tech and collecting glasses tonight so its obviously not a lucrative game for all comedians.

[Bronzy]

Buzzing for Jerry Sadowitz on Friday, bit of a pisstake having to pay nearly £27 to see him though.

[Malcy]

Buzzing for Jerry Sadowitz on Friday, bit of a pisstake having to pay nearly £27 to see him though.

Is that at The Kings? All the shows there I looked at were more expensive.

[Malcy]

Nice but expensive beer in The Doublet then over the road to The Stand for Simon Munnery. Forgot what Malcy mentioned in previous posts and bought a horribly crap and flat metallic tasting beer. Munnery was brilliant however - endless invention. Odd to think of him working recently as a cleaner in a chicken factory but then again Bruce Morton was doing the tech and collecting glasses tonight so its obviously not a lucrative game for all comedians.

Was it the house beer? Doublets a great bar but changed hands a couple of years ago and stopped doing regular beers in favour of pricey ones. Still half the price for the same bottle compared to what I paid earlier though!

[Bronzy]

Is that at The Kings? All the shows there I looked at were more expensive.

Aye, at least I'll have a seat that has a back support I suppose, my two previous festival shows (Sinha and Moorhouse) involved me having to make do with the stools at the back of The Stand.

The small thin wooden desk thing they have there doesn't half dig into your spine.

[Malcy]

Aye, at least I'll have a seat that has a back support I suppose, my two previous festival shows (Sinha and Moorhouse) involved me having to make do with the stools at the back of The Stand.

The small thin wooden desk thing they have there doesn't half dig into your spine.

Oran Mor gets the award for worst seats from me. And they really cram you in so that the seats become one big squashed together row. The backs on them dig in to you. Saw a couple of people get ones with cushioned backs by asking staff so might try that on Monday

[Quisby]

Was it the house beer? Doublets a great bar but changed hands a couple of years ago and stopped doing regular beers in favour of pricey ones. Still half the price for the same bottle compared to what I paid earlier though!

Yes it was the Stand beer. Horrible. Hadn't been in the Doublet for ages. Knew it had new owners and was worried it might have changed - seemed pretty much the same except for the prices and don't remember them having music in the bar before (at an unobtrusive volume at least).

[Malcy]

Yes it was the Stand beer. Horrible. Hadn't been in the Doublet for ages. Knew it had new owners and was worried it might have changed - seemed pretty much the same except for the prices and don't remember them having music in the bar before (at an unobtrusive volume at least).

A guy told me a song came on in there on Monday and a few people were saying 'no heard this in years, who sang it what was it called' etc.

Suddenly a voice piped up and said the name of the artist, the song, it's year of release and it's chart position. It was Paul Sinha!

[Sebastian Cobb]

I was in the doublet a while back and some old fart was whinging about the music in there. It wasn't loud. Anyway the boss wants it on apparently.

[Bronzy]

Sadowitz is an experience, to say the least. I'm glad I saw him as there isn't really anyone out there like him.

The thing that stood out to me was that the audience was a total contrast, there were guys that were clearly bigots and took what he said at face value alongside those that took his stuff as ironic (like me). I don't think I've ever seen such a massive contrast at a comedy gig before. Quite a few walkouts throughout the show as well, which made me chuckle. The whole point of Sadowitz's act is that it only works if you listen to all of it. This people that walked out were quite happy to sit, listen and laugh at many of the other things he had said, which included Gay bashing, Jew hating, Sexism, child rape, a huge amount of Islamophobic stuff as well as many more offensive comments about equally sensitive issues.

The fact these people had no problem laughing at all these other groups being mercilessly abused, but suddenly felt that it was more offensive when it was their turn to me shows up their own social/racial/sexual prejudices and hypocrisy.

Yes, each individual thing that he says is, on its own, extremely offensive and horrific.
But in the context of the show and combined with all the other vile things that he says, it becomes meaningless.

His magic is superb, by the way.

[Quisby]

Olga Koch  - she's got an interesting story about her Russian family, her father's life and his subsequent disappearance. And there's some good, funny material. But she was having technical problems getting the visuals to appear, throwing out her timing and it was a weird audience - some afternoon drinkers, a couple who kept saying things like "wow!" and omigod!" really loudly. And the warm up stuff before the main story was weak. Also I'm not sure that she's a particularly good comedian - I know she trained at Uptight Citizens Brigade - it felt more like an actor acting out the idea of a comedian rather than someone who is genuinely funny. Maybe it was just that particular crowd but she shouldn't do crowd work if she can't make it funny or control the audience.  I also wonder if she's used up her best autobiographical material too early in her career - presumably she won't have any more stories to tell that are quite so unusual.

On the plus side - comfortable seats and a decent cheap pint in the Old Hairdressers. And a toilet that looked like it was the only place in Glasgow hit by Hurricane Katrina.

[Malcy]

Not strictly part of the comedy festival but was at the recordings of series 3 of Absolutely tonight and nothing has came close or will during the festival as to how incredible a night it was. Still buzzing and in pain from laughing all over. Outstanding.

[Malcy]

Halftime at Biscuity Boyle. Was a better crows when I saw it last time. My back is fucking killing me in these seats as well.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Halftime at Biscuity Boyle. Was a better crows when I saw it last time. My back is fucking killing me in these seats as well.

There were some right bellends in. I'm sure the woman at the front was annoying but there was 4 lads a few rows in front of me who nattered at a few points, turning it into an episode of MST3K, annoyingly just far enough away that I couldn't hiss 'shut the fuck up' at them.

Dunno why the bouncer decided the finale was the best time to eject that bint. Distracting.

[Malcy]

There were some right bellends in. I'm sure the woman at the front was annoying but there was 4 lads a few rows in front of me who nattered at a few points, turning it into an episode of MST3K, annoyingly just far enough away that I couldn't hiss 'shut the fuck up' at them.

Dunno why the bouncer decided the finale was the best time to eject that bint. Distracting.

I loved the show when I saw it last year. I was so blown away by his performance and especially the way end was played.  This was in Greenock with a superb audience who hung on his every word and laughed loads. No one spoke, heckled, or got up to go to the toilet numerous times. It was outstanding.

That woman near the front totally killed the flow of the show and really ruined the impact. I honestly believe that even Rab Florence who had done well to be nice about her interruptions had realised that. I really felt sorry for him. The last ever performance of it ruined by inconsiderate fuckwits.

He slunk off stage slowly with his head down after uttering  "I really am hurt" at the end of the song and left to silence bar a few gasps from the audience. It was incredible.

Not tonight though. The arseholes in the crowd didn't allow for that to be the end again. I did see him lying on the ground half in and half out of his dressing room at the side of the stage after he came off and his 'grand-nephew' tweeted in Biscuity's twitter that he was rushed to hospital after the show which was a nice touch. That character hadn't been in the show previously.

I bought the Whoopi Goldberg testicle art afterwards.



I'm sending an email to the Oran Mor to complain tomorrow. I've been there 3 times in the past week and left in absolute agony from this piss poor excuses for seats. The security are so uninterested in doing their job and dealing with people that should be told to behave or thrown out. Taking that person out in the middle of the finale was fucking pathetic and like you said distracting.

I'm dreading days of pain after Absolutely again next month.

[Malcy]

Just had a phone call from the Stand offering me a ticket for Al Murray. Had to turn it down due to being skint  from all the comedy :( ah well.

Might be worth contacting them incase they haven't shifted it by tonight and anyone wanted to go.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Is that for tonight? Just curious as I'm seeing David Kay at 7:30.

[Malcy]

Yeah it's on after David Kay. About 9.30 I think.

[Sebastian Cobb]

David Kay was wonderful.

[Malcy]

David Kay was wonderful.

I know next to nothing about him. I only heard of him a year or so ago when I saw him in a Moray Hunter written pilot called Freedom from a few years back and liked him. I considered getting a ticket for him and wish I had now.

Does he tour regularly?