Another late addition to the schedule, added after I saw a tweet listing the line-up. Now, that line-up changed (Tiff Stevenson was in the original line-up which made me part with the hard-earned) but still had some names I recognised (not least a certain Mr. Vegas).
Late at night and flagging I plopped into a seat (place was heaving already when I got there a half hour before the start but being alone I can plonk down on any spare seat going). Show was late starting but everyone around me seemed to be having fun so no big deal.
The show was compèred by Stu Murphy and featured Neel Kolhatkar, Dana Alexander, Johnny Vegas and Craig Campbell.
Our host, Mr. Murphy, is a big chap and was loud, forceful and hugely funny. He did the usual - asked who was here, any Scots in, any English, any Irish, anyone from Europe, from further afield, etc. He was slightly discombobulated to learn the most exotic nationality in that night was a young woman from Belgium - no Yanks or Aussies for example, which is very strange. Murphy was good value throughout.
First performer was Indian/Australian Neel Kohatkar. Lots of very funny racial stereotypes stuff, which being of Indian descent he could cheerfully get away with, some gay marriage stuff (very big topic this year with only one acceptable opinion allowed) and much neat observational material. All very nice and he had a good presence but quite forgettable really.
Next up (after an extended interval to allow the audience to be violated by the bar staff, though tbf The Stand wasn't as horrendously priced as other venues) was Dana Alexander, a black female comic now living in Birmingham (UK, not US). I mention "black" and "female" because that was pretty much her whole routine. Which was fine as she had a great presence and was genuinely funny. But I felt she relied a little too much on "you go girlfriend" type sterotypes. Again, which is fine. A clearly talented comedian, I just felt she was coasting a little. YMMV ...
Third up was Johnny Vegas and quite the set it was too. If you've seen any of his stand-up work over the last couple of decades then you've seen this. Quite the most wonderful (and occasionally disturbing) drunken ranting (I'm assuming this was part of the act, which was very convincing). A lot about "that fucking monkey", selling out for "the big PG Tips monkey" then the monkey abandoning him and moving on to bigger things. The whole thing climaxed with a long surreal rant about him trying to get revenge on an old woman walking her dog in the park by capturing a swan with his belt but I'm not sure I was following the anecdote properly by this point. He massively over-ran his time and practically had to be dragged off the stage before he could get to the punchline. Which he then used as a punchline while insulting us all to huge applause. I wasn't sure whether I had watched a carefully honed and brilliantly acted comedy caricature or an ongoing physical and mental breakdown. But it was quite the way to end the night (Craig Campbell was the final act but I chose this point to exit stage-left).
All in all two good acts, an excellent host and a stunning (in so many ways) performance from Vegas. So not a bad way to end a long day of ups and downs.
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