Toby stands erected...
What a great atmosphere in the club on Tuesday. Everyone seemed really up for it. Loads of new members joined which is great to see, along with the ever-faithful tribe Malarkey.
We were back to the old comedy mic stand as the brand spanking new shiny one was, erm,
somewhere else. It really is bolloxed but at least Toby got to wheel out the old Krankies gag!
First onto the Malarkey milk crate was Andy Feeley. Charlie Sheen stunt double Andy comes from Harpurhey, where it is customary to take a firearm to a party instead a nice bottle of red! He helped his girlfriend lose weight by getting her to have both legs amputated after a drink driving accident. Lovely. She lost three stone apparently.
Andy is a confident and competent comic, but he is let down a little by his material. There is some good stuff in there, just not enough. Get writing Andy!
Next up was probably the best looking comic we’ve ever had at the Malarkey (apart from Toby of
course). Caroline Jones.
Caroline, being a mother, has discovered that Weetabix is the most adhesive substance
known to man. What she hasn’t discovered yet, is who the father is. She’s managed to narrow it
down to one in three though!
Caroline had a quiet start to her set and I thought she was a bit nervous. As the set progressed, it became apparent it was part of her style. She was very likable and you were instantly with her [I bet you were, you dirty old man! - Spider].
As the set progressed Caroline got more and more confidant and her delivery got better and better. Her material was great and her confidence will grow as she does more gigs. I reckon we are going to be seeing a lot more of her on the comedy circuit, and quite right too. Nice one, Caroline!
After the break we had an impromptu performance from a German comic by the name of
Gonzo. Gonzo is a friend of
Brendan's and fancied a go.
And I'm glad he did!
Gonzo is sorry for his countrymen bombing Coventry. Apparently it should have been Birmingham. Gonzo wants to know why Manchester is called 'Greater' Manchester. Because it's better than fucking Liverpool! He also observed that the shitty mic stand was not vorsprung deutch technic.
Gonzo gave a good spur-of-the-moment performance that was wholly based around his nationality. And there's nothing us Brits like more than someone taking the piss out of Germans. Even if he is a German himself. Needless to say, Gonzo went down a storm.
Next on the Malarkey shoebox was Brummie, Karen Bayley.
West Brom fan Karen compares her team's performances to her sexual techniques.
[Surely not defensive and tedious to watch? Ha ha ha! - Spider].
For the first five minutes, she is fantastic, and then she loses interest. Although she does get
a second wind when the ends are switched! Lovely.
Karen was very popular with tribe Malarkey. Loads of quality material with a lively delivery.
After the chips and hot dog sausages we were entertained by the mighty Brendan Riley.
Smiling scouser and all round nice bloke Brendan was pleased to be at the Malarkey and instantly gained a rapport with the crowd by giving a quick critique of the fashion sense of the audience.
Brendan had loads of top-notch material about the war in Afghanistan. And pointed out that we are
more scared of President Bush than Bin Laden. Brendan made the connection between President Bush
and Dustin Hoffman in Rainman! Pure class! "They've given Rainman nuclear weapons," he exclaimed.
Brendan went down brilliantly with Tribe Malarkey because he is a brilliant comic. His brash style and flawless delivery provided the perfect climax to a quality night.
But like other perfect climaxes, there is still the embarrassing "clean-up" in the form of the Joke competition. Nuff said.
I thought the vibe in the club on Tuesday was as good as it gets. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying it. And that’s what it is all about! The acts were of a high quality from start to finish, and Toby was especially entertaining as he had a long day auditioning. You just don't mess, right?
Cheers!
Lee.
