A rumour that we had some free spaces caused a flood of comics to turn up on the night. Actually we had 2 free spaces, and me and Howard wanted them. However, I backed down, Howard compered and we gave several keen comics 5 minute sets, which brightened up the night no end. But for future reference YOU NEED TO BOOK!So Howard Lee took over compere duties. Lately you're more likely to have seen Howard acting as resident photographer, but he took to it like a duck to water. Some snappy one liners to start and even a finish the lyric sing-a-long. Howard even pleased our resident grumpy old man (Barry) by clearly stating the acts names before the intro music obscured them.
Ex-actor Phil Harker gave us the gift of a hippo impression we could all take home and use to amuse our friends. Phil's acting skills were still obvious with some beautifully observed physical comedy. His girlfriend's slow blink was a highlight of the night.
Dave Spacey, a regular audience member and professional musician usually entertains apres' ski in his winter job as a ski instructor, and he got up to give us some of his funnier songs. A tune about tab smugglers and another about goths. Some great lines in there, but used to rowdy challet sing-a-longs Dave overdid the choruses a bit. - Fine in a regular song but in a comedy song that's just telling the same joke 3 times. Dave's back in January and has promised to drop the repetittion- so he'll fit in twice as many songs and be twice as funny.
GraemeParker was new kid of the week. He had some good material, a lot of puns reminding me of Steve Wright (the American one, you idiots) but not yet the confidence to get the most out of them.
Ben Lowe-Smith. What would happen if Jarvis Cocker did comedy? B.L-S. Not just the similar voice but a lyrical turn of phrase and an orginal take.
Thos Thomas comes to us from Newcastle University's Comedy Soc, so we'll hopefully see more of him in the future. Camp, dark and with a tad too much distracting microphone cable twiddling. A comedy Morrisey, then.
John Pelham is an unusual and clever comic. Who could have expected him to do a routine about Chandler Bing branded a judas for removing his third nipple? Not many. And who would have though that would be good? No one. But that's what John did and it was.
