The wonderful David O Doherty

“My beefs 2010, things I’ve encountered again and again, my beefs 2010, excuse me while I release an ARGH!” – David O’Doherty 2010

This is the genius lyric of the comedian David O’Doherty. In this song he sings about ‘his beefs’, things that have annoyed him, which last year included people with Iphones, women who tell him their dreams, and people who constantly update their status on Facebook. Check it out.

 Whilst listening to this song I realised that 2011 has already brought me much annoyance and stress, and I realised I had my own ‘beefs’ to share with the world. Enjoy me having a very public breakdown.

Shops that sell Easter eggs from January because it’s the next big date on the calendar.

Please, shops stop doing this I’m begging you; it doesn’t help us poor dieters who have to resist temptation in all their glorious egg forms. From the mini eggs to the massive eggs which are as big as our heads, they surround us for three months, making me both annoyed and fat in equal measure. All I ask is that they only turn up in the shops a mere week before Easter, then we can be friends again.

People with Ipads who show off in inappropriate places

Moving on from Mr O’Doherty’s problem with Iphones, I move up one notch to Ipads. To me they are basically mini laptops that scream, ‘look how much money I have’, with thousands of useless applications that you insist on boring other people with. “Oh look I can make your face look like an alien or read a book without having to actually go to a bookshop!”. NO!!! You clearly have no friends so insist on making everyone on your train feel like a pauper when actually you are a complete burke and everyone hates you. Ok I am insanely jealous and secretly want one, but I’m a massive hypocrite, but I feel I earn the right to be, I will never earn enough money to buy one anyway. Besides, when you are being packed onto a crowded train, we need all the room we can get, and your Ipad uses up too much of it. So there.

 News channels that think snow is real news

 Every day something truly terrible happens in the world, something so horrific that news channels run over there and report it, that’s fine, we expect that. But SNOW! REALLY? White stuff falls to the ground giving the whole nation a valid excuse to skive and you REPORT it? WHAT! NO! We look out our windows and see it, we don’t need to be told it’s there, and we certainly don’t need to be told it’s a bad thing. Try telling our snowman and snow angel that the snow days were a waste of time.

Outspoken celebrities on Twitter

Twitter is so full of celebrities making every little detail of their life known that I no longer pay attention, and I’ve become so overwhelmed by meaningless celebrity twitterings that I no longer care. Surely these celebrities have a celebrity lifestyle to lead, another flop movie to act in, or an abysmal record to make? Celebrities on twitter please shut up and stop clogging up our newsfeed with your details of your Z list celebrity parties. Let us little people get a word in.

 Over obsessed Twilight fans

Don’t get me wrong, anything that gets people reading can only be a good thing, it’s not Twilight I have the issue with, it’s their hard-core fans. The fans who are old enough to know better, the fans that tattoo ‘RPATZ 4EVA’ on their arm and cry into their vampire-themed duvets at night when they realise they have no friends because they’re so obsessed that they’re beyond creepy. Let’s not forget it was because of these extreme fans that Robert Pattison nearly got run over by a taxi last year…maybe they aren’t that bad on second thoughts.

People who hate Glee.

 Its singing, dancing and a kick-as script, what more do you people want?

Thank you David O Doherty for inspiring this rant, I feel much better now.

Oh New Year’s Eve, it’s a wonderful night isn’t it? Being at an amazing house party, or a fabulous club surrounded by your best mates, having the absolute time of your life. Great music, great company and arguably the best night of your life, right? Well, it would be wonderful if that actually happened on the night, but I have yet to meet anyone that has actually ever enjoyed New Years.

It’s the event which you build up all year in your head, and then it comes crashing down around you when it finally arrives. The dream gets destroyed when the club entry is more expensive than your rent, you can never get to the bar without a punch-up, and you never have anyone to kiss when midnight strikes .If any other night out had any of these elements you would never do it again, but because it’s New Year we forget it all, and do it again every year like the prats that we are, convincing ourselves that this year will be different. Every New Year’s Eve is a disappointment to everyone across the world, and anyone that tells you different is lying.

And it is for this reason that I find New Year’s Resolutions a complete waste of space. If the year can begin that badly, if the year begins in a way which is such a disappointment, why on earth do we make resolutions in the first place? Especially as you will inevitably fail a few weeks later, making your year even worse that the night it began.

New Year’s resolutions are completely pointless, no matter how good your intentions are when you make them, you will guaranteed to have broken it within a month. Giving up smoking? You’ll be buying a pack of cigarettes within a fortnight. Want to go to the gym twice a week? That’s £1,000 on a year’s membership that you will never get back  that could have been spent on the chocolate you will end up eating a month late. My personal favourite (and one I used to use),  is to promise to be more healthier, that tends to last 12 hours with me as I start New Year’s day with a McDonalds. I have naff-all determination and don’t pretend you aren’t the same.

Resolutions are effectively the most stupid thing on earth. Why do you want to change who you are, with all your wonderful kooky faults, why get rid of them? That’s what makes you who you are. Anyone who knows you puts up with your nail biting, your obsessions with Twilight or that weird clicking you make with your hands, and they accept you for it regardless. Partners agree to take us as we are, in sickness and in health and our true friends agree to be seen with us no matter how much we may embarrass them. We are forever being told to feel more confident in ourselves, and yet every year we make promises to change? Eh? What part of that makes sense?

I may sound like the world’s biggest cynic, or just a mad crazy ranter, but I speak from experience. For many years I promised to give up this and that, to try new things, to care less what people thought of me, and to tell people if I had a crush on them. Years later I haven’t given up anything, tried nothing, still constantly worry what people think of me, and remain single. Score. If making resolutions have taught me anything, it’s not to bother.

Life is for living and loving, and resolutions prevent you from enjoying life to the full in my view. So if you must make resolutions, why not make ones that have no relevance to your life, that way everybody wins.  Don’t smoke? Make it your resolution to give up cigarettes. Have an active social life? Promise to keep going out. Spend too much shopping? Promise to keep spending as long as there is money in the bank and an overdraft to spend. That way you win, and you can walk around with the smug satisfaction that you are failing at nothing. Then you won’t feel like a loser when you polish off that last bottle of wine in an attempt to cheer yourself up for breaking your resolution again.

So why not make the only New Year’s resolution worth keeping? Promise never to have a new year’s resolution ever again, believe me, it works

Photo by Jsome1

When you want a good ole fashioned night out with your friends, the most obvious place to go is the pub. Yes, the good ole fashioned drinking hole where you will down as many beers as your liver can handle, fall over on the pavement and throw up on the overly-priced taxi home. But why not give your night out a bit of edge and go to an OMN, (an Open Mic Night). Need some convincing? Just read the top five reasons why attending an open mic night is the way forward.

1 – Everyone knows musicians are fit
There’s no denying it, there’s something oddly attractive about a guy who can play the guitar, a girl who can bash the drums or loner you’d never normally touch with a bargepole belting out a tune. Open Mic Nights prove an excellent opportunity to just have good ole fashioned perv on some hot musicians, and although you might be disappointed by some of the acts, eventually you’ll end up listening to some cute singer singing about how they’re looking for “the one” but just can’t find them…swoon.

2 – You get to hear original music, and often for free.
If there’s something that puts people off going down to the clubs and pubs, it’s the entrance fee and what you get for it. Paying a tenner for expensive drinks and to hear the same R&B music pumped through alcohol covered speakers for the entire night is only something that can be enjoyed while completely wasted. Why do that when OMN are often free entrance and you’ll get to hear some original material from up and comings that often deserve more recognition than the established artists. Not only that, but often the musicians will begin with covers to get you into the set, so you get to hear pop songs like you’ve never heard them before. Want Lady Gaga done acoustically? Or an electric flute doing Beyoncé? Then you’ve come to the right place.

3 – If you’re creative, you get to test out new material.
OMNs are a great forum for artistic exchange, and whether you’re new to the whole idea of playing gigs, or a pro wanting to test out new songs, OMN are often more casual, welcoming, and laid back enough to make you feel comfortable about dying on your arse. You’re still more likely to get a round of applause for trying your best than getting a glass bottle thrown at you, don’t believe what you see in the movies, OMNs aren’t like that.

4 – It’s a great place to meet new and interesting people.

If you’ve just moved to a new area, then OMNs are a great place to meet new people, often who will be local to your area. Even if you aren’t there to sing, just hang out at the bar, show support and respect to everyone who plays, and you’ll soon find yourself talking to complete strangers, and you never know, they could be the fit musicians from my first point.

5 – When you see a talented person it reaffirms your belief in the human race.
Ok, it may sound a bit pretentious and over the top, but there is nothing quite like seeing talented people unaware of how amazing they are. While some people stay home and watch Mariah Carey wannabes belt out another repetitive (and quite frankly appalling) rendition of “I will always love you”, you can sit at an OMN and watch genuinely good singers seek nothing but your cheers rather than your money. There are amazing performers out there, and they are at OMNs.

There is another reason to go, and it undermines every other reason that has been previously mentioned. Schadenfreude. If you’re a cynical bastard, had a bad day at the office, or just fancy laughing at someone else’s expense, there often is a singer whose voice goes through you, a guitarist who can’t play, or a drummer that just bashes out their anger issues. Just don’t boo, laugh to yourself instead that you’re not that poor sod up there.

If I still haven’t convinced you, then go just to prove me wrong, I dare you.

Happy musing x

Dedicated to the people who inspired this blog post by taking me to an OMN. Aziz and Steven. Moo.

Charlie Brooker;  Guardian columnist, host and general TV know-it-all 

He’s the star of BBC Four’s Screewipe, author of three books,  and a sarcastic Guardian columnist that has reviewed TV and given his views on general life around him for a living and got away with it for several years. He hates children, the general public annoy him, and he’s friends with Aisleyene from Big Brother. He is my idol and comedy writing legend, Charlie Brooker. 

 Although not one of the most famous people I’ve ever blogged about, Brooker still has a long list of achievements to date and has recently been voted one of Shortlist’s most funniest men amongst Knocked Up creator Judd Apatow , Chris Rock, Michael McIntyre and previous blog mention  Stewart Lee. 

To anyone that is unfamiliar with Brooker’s humour, it’s sarcastic, satirical, occasionally hate-filled depending on the topic (just don’t mention kids or the X Factor and you’re generally ok though), but always bloody hilarious.

He has also written and hosted the review-like show Screenwipe (about  TV), Newswipe (about news, both here and internationally) and Gameswipe (you get the idea). Filmed in his own lounge, and often based on his Guardian columns, it was initially put into a late-night slot. However, Brooker soon moved up in the schedules to an almost prime time evening slot, where he was noticed more and started to gain cult status amongst fans. Check out this classic clip from Screenwipe and you’ll get the general idea. 

The show is split into two sections, the first analysing TV, with the second half acting as a comic insider into the work that goes into television, with other comedians often giving “expert opinions” or talking about their views on certain genres of shows. Insider topics have included reality show editing, explaining genres of game, and TV budgeting. Below is an example.

As well as being a host of BBC4 shows, he also fronts the panel show, You Have Been Watching on Channel Four which openly 

Brooker's second (and best) book

analyzes, criticises and celebrates everything that is television, (basically Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but about TV.)  I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this being filmed in front of my very eyes, and they have over three hours of material to edit into a 45 minute show, and I have no idea how they do it, as every thing I saw was worthy of inclusion. Brooker drops his grumpy act for Channel Four, and becomes a witty, more upbeat host, but always remains equally funny. Below is a clip. 

But he’s so much more than TV host, he’s also an incredible writer. As well as his BAFTA nominated zombie drama Dead Set, (based in the Big Brother house, and featuring a cameo from Davina Mccall) and he’s also co-written episodes of Brass Eye,as well as sitcom Nathan Barley. 

But don’t take my (slightly biased) opinion as fact, Brooker has also been recognised for his work winning a BAFTA nomination for Dead Set , winning Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for work for the Guardian and Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards in 2009 

So what’s next for Brooker? Well he has recently started recording a radio show for Radio 4 called So Wrong It’s Right, where he gets comics such as Tom Basden, Josie Long and Lee Mack to celebrate the joy of failure.Not bad for a guy who has made a living out of watching TV. 

If there is a comic you want me to blog about, get in touch.

If you prefer a milder comedian, ask for one - Stewart Lee

 He’s been on the circuit for over twenty years, is married to fellow comic Bridget Chrisitine and recently had his own comedy vehicle on BBC2 where he ranted and raved about Asher D, Chris Moyles, and anything else that mildy annoyed him. He is, in short, a legend. Who is he? Stewart Lee, and he’s back on tour.

“If you’d like a milder comedian please ask for one” sees Stewart Lee back on top form, and eager to prove Frankie Boyle wrong, and that you can be funny even if you are over 40. Stewart Lee has done a string of successful shows, and his new one teaches the audience that he still likes a rant, hates Michael Mcintyre, pear cider that is grammatically incorrect, and that he has a two year- old son who he takes to Cafe Nero because they warm the milk.

Although it sounds like a bizarre mix for a stand-up routine, Stewart Lee’s new material is as witty and entertaining as his comedy vehicle that he drove towards people’s faces last year on BBC2. While it would have been easy for him to rant and rave unconstructively, you never get the impression that it’s disorganised, and merely that he has a lot of anger to release: all of it funny.

And no-one is safe in his new show. Among his victims are Michael Mcintyre , Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, Frankie Boyle, and Cafe Nero for not giving him a free coffee on his loyalty card because he had the wrong colour stamp.

 The Richard Hammond rant in particular is very clever, using the “it’s only a joke” humour of Top Gear against them, describing in detail what he’d like to happen to Richard Hammond (something I’m not writing in my blog as not only would I not do it justice, but I rather fancy ‘The Hammond’ and so don’t want to be a traitor) But the basis of the rant revolved a fictional story about being his friend at school.

Fictional stories create quite a basis for his rants, including a long segment about his family inventing the slogan “tell it to me straight like a pear cider made from 100 per cent pear” and then a cider advert nicking it to promote their drink. Random? Yes. Funny? Very. True to form, that segment ends in Lee shouting and walking amongst the audience to promote his rage. Cue very happy but nervous audience members on the end of the rows, hoping he doesn’t pick on them (myself included.)

But he doesn’t just stick to comedy in his new show, he also sings, and may I add, rather well. He covers the song Galway Girl, one of his favourite songs that remind him of a great time at a festival, and rather romantically, of his wife. But why does he sing it? In ode to his wife who he loves and adores? To try out his singing infront of a fresh audience? No. It’s because a cider advert ruined it for him and he wants the audience to take something different away. Safe to say I downloaded the track and will be reminded of one of the best stand-up shows I have ever gone to. Mind you, the lyrics are beautiful, take a listen.

But what makes Stewart Lee a complete legend after such an awesome gig? The fact he sells and signs his own merchandise and is happy to chat to the fans, (although one stupid fan insisted on correcting his grammer, despite the fact he had over-ran and was still helping out…silly cow.)

Never have I met a comic that was so willing to talk to his fans and was refreshingly honest too during each conversation. Safe to say that my signed copy of his audio cd is safe at home and will remain a prized possession. Go get yours now while you still can.

I give Stewart Lee’s gig a rather predictable 10/10 and of course, recommend it to everyone.

Happy comic musing!

Additional – This blog post is partly dedicated to Stewart Lee, but also to Mr Chris Suffield, who accompanied me to the gig and put up with my excitement the whole time. You deserve a medal.

A Guardian journalist recently wrote this piece singing the praises of cult TV show Spaced. I’ve always been a fan of it, but this article made me realise just how amazing this show was, and the impact it had upon its fans, despite only lasting two series.

Following the obscure adventures of flatmates Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg) and Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes), who are later joined by the new ‘baby’…I mean dog….Colin (played by Ada) Living in a flat (not a bedsit), Daisy and Tim pretend to be a couple to get their dream flat, and the series follows them as they lie to their landlady Marsha (and daughter Amber), go to a rave with Tyres, rescue Colin from a dog kidnapper, go to obscure art shows, and find love (but not with each other). The other characters are Mike, (Tim’s best mate who stole a tank and invaded Paris) Twist, (Daisy’s best friend) and Brian, the failing artist who lives downstairs who paints fear, pain, anger, and in watercolours.

This series produced some of the best writing from the 90′s, and episodes that will forever remain in Spaced fan’s minds. Each episode contains cultural references that show that the director Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg really know their films, and probably spent most of their early childhoods in a dark room watching Star Wars (but not Episode One, that still hurts in the minds of Pegg and Wright.) But what’s even better about this show is that you don’t have to be a uber-geek that understands every reference to find the show funny. It’s funny on its own, with or without the film references. You don’t need to know that the episode where Daisy gets a new job is a mickey-take of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to find it funny.

Not wanting to sound like a Spaced fan on a massive rant, but the classic lines, characters, and episode plots remain engraved into every fan who followed it. What was great about Spaced is they stopped it at its peak, rather than writing series after series, dragging out the “will they won’t they” with Tim and Daisy and making the plots even more implausible, they stopped after two series.

But it’s not just the writing that obviously was done with great love and care, the directing by Edgar ‘let’s get it’ Wright helped make the show timeless. One of the stories that proves the team’s dedication is the rave episode. Filmed at 9am in the morning with no music, Edgar Wright made a day’s filming in silence into one of the most loved scenes of the show. It’s no great surprise to learn that Edgar Wright has been directing and making films from a young age.

This has allowed a cult following to develop over several years, with new fans discovering Spaced every minute. While many fans have begged Simon and Jessica to do another series, the hard-core devotees know that Spaced should stay as it is: classic, witty, original and stuck at series two.

Since Spaced, Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson have had great careers apart. Jessica has made a mixture of films (Confetti, Magicians) and TV (Driving Lessons, Doctor Who) Simon has appeared in several films and has taken the States by storm by appearing in the latest Star Trek film (although it is an odd numbered Star Trek, which every Spaced fan knows is meant to be shit….) But one of his unknown films is Big Nothing, where Simon Pegg adopts an american accent and an altogether more nasty and scheming character than Tim Bisley ever was.

But not wanting to be stuck with Spaced, the duo of Wright and Pegg have created the classic Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, both doing well at the box office and DVD sales (probably aided by fans like me who went to see it seven times…) The superb writing and directing has continued in these films, and the fans await with baited breath for the final film in the cornetto triology.

However, without this scene from Spaced, then Shaun of the Dead may never of existed, as Edgar and Simon decided that the scene was too much fun to shoot and were determined to make a film out of it.

Still waiting? Enjoy this clip from Shaun of the Dead instead. Nothing quite as funny as watching a zombie being hit with a poolcue with Queen in the background.

As well as updating this blog whenever I have the chance, I’ve also started a new blog especially for comedy. In my comedy blog I will review comics, interview up-and-comings and review the best and worst venues across the UK. In addition, any comedy-related posts from this blog, will also be posted for your viewing pleasure onto my comedy blog. Want a look?.

Check out my new blog, Casho Comedy

(Incase you’re wondering, Casho is a nickname that has stuck amongst friends, and sounded like a good blog name, it isn’t actually my surname…sorry about that Dad.)

As Edinburgh comes to a close and the comedians, actors and dancers pack their bags and bid a fond farewell to rainy Scotland, it’s time to reflect on those acts that really stood out during the Fringe to me. While Tim Key deserved to receive his award as king of comedy, it’s time to look at the acts I managed to catch during my time at the Fringe and who I think should be looked out for in the future. So here they are in the order that I saw them…

1 – Ginger and Black

The musical story tellers, Ginger and Black

These were the first acts I saw at Edinburgh and they have left a lasting impression on me. They are quirky and unique and I have always been impressed with them whenever I have had the pleasure to see them. Opening with the line..”Hi, we’re ginger and black because….”, they are tradationally known for their songs, which mix clever writing and a sarcastic and unenthuastic tone to deliver some of the funniest songs you will ever hear. Check out the video below for some classic Ginger and Black

But their Edinburgh show didn’t rely on their music, but told a story based during the World War. Not excatly a typical topic for comedy, the story mixes between a young boy experiencing wartime Britain, a falkner with a dodgy past and a man with a fork stuck on his head. Sounds bizzare, but was one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Even better was their clever involvement of the audience. Choosing one audience member to be “rubble” and another to be a mute uncle, the audience interact with the show without saying a word. Infact the mute uncle had his photo taken, was then killed during the story, and then the poor sod’s photo ended the entire show. Other audience moments that stick to mind is the Q and A section, where an audience member is picked, only to have Ginger dubb them instead. Instantly likeable and always providing laughs, Ginger and Black are definetly worth a visit in the future.

2 – Rob Rouse – My family and the dog that scared Jesus

Next on my Edinburgh list was Rob Rouse’s show, “My family and the dog that scared Jesus.” You may remember Rouse from the original Friday Night Project before guest presenters and Alan Carr took over. Well after having a baby boy and gaining a dog, Rouse is back with new material and a kick-ass stand-up show. Not for the light-hearted or witnessed with elderly relatives, this show focused on his new baby boy Lenny and the awkward moments caused by his overly horny dog who has a passion for a red cushion in particular. Although the ending of his show was incredibly sweet as the audience sees some cute photos of Rouse and his new family,  it is soon destroyed by footage of his dog doing what it does best and a cute moment is quickly ruined. 

Rouse’s show was recently shortlisted for best gag at the Fringe (eventuall won by Dan Antopolski) and was charming and funny throughout. Despite the fact his girlfriend was present in the audience on this particular night, Rouse never faltered and his show was spectacular.I was just glad I didn’t watch it with my parents though…go and watch it and you’ll see why.

3 – Tom Basden – Now That’s What I Call Music-Based Comedy

I’m a big fan of comedians that use music in their acts, Tim Minchin,

Funny and good looking, what more could you want in a comedy show?

Stephen Lynch and Bill Bailey are people that rarely leave my Ipod. So BBC4′s Coward Tom Basden was an easy choice to go and watch. After noticing him at the bar the day before, I knew he was a handsome guy, but nothing could prepare me for just how good his stand-up show was.

Using a mix of slideshow artwork, general jokes and short quirky songs, Tom Basden made the stand-up of a musical comic something completly different.

His songs range from seeing Richard Madley in a lift, thinking Libby and Susan from Neighbours are lesbians, stalking random celebrities, and visiting a stripclub. Below is one of my favs from Mr Basden

Although his songs were hilarous and had me laughing till I got funny looks from other audience members, my favourite part was a photo of the Obama family in drawn-on nightwear with the caption, “Obamas in Pjymas” while he played the Bananas in Pjymas theme tune….that I am still laughing at today almost a fortnight later.

 But it’s really no wonder that his Edinburgh show was so good, he’s already been noticed by other professionals and he won a if.comedy award in 2007. Go see him live, he’s fantastic.

4 – Superclump

Recomended by the Guardian, given critical acclaim by Chortle, and basically loved by every person that saw them, Superclump are made of talented comedians, each and everyone of them with a bright future (well bright present really).

Made up of Tom Craine, Ben Partridge, Henry Paker, Elis James, Josh Widdicombe, Mike Wozniak, Sian Harries and Nat Luurtsema, this is one the best sketch groups out there.

Their sketches were all so different, and that’s what made it so good. It ranged from a deluded potato, a drunken Aesop trying to think of his next tale, kabuki theatre trying to survive the recession, a small child that no-one wants to play with, and my all-time fav sketch, a grown-up famous five. Although it has to be said, one of their cleverest sketches involve a mix-up with party bags…I won’t ruin it for you but my friends tell me it was their favourite. 

An hour wasn’t long enough for this sketch group, every minute was good, and unlike other sketch shows before them, I found every sketch to be funny and worthy of applaud. If you didn’t catch them at Edinburgh, you’re an idiot, each one of these comedians are fantastic, both solo and in the ensemble.

5 – Elis James – The Most Cautious Little Boy In Wales

Like several members of Superclump, Elis had his own solo show during the Fringe.  You wouldn’t  know that the poor sod was doing a knackering minimum of two shows a day, his show was full of enthusisam and energy that kept the whole room happy and laughing.

I’ve written previously about Elis in my blog, and he’s going from strength to strength. His show was based around his cautious attitude to life, from going to Oakwood, a paintballing disaster and an awkward trip to the swimming pool, his tales are full of embarassment, and proving once and for all that the welsh really are the most cautious people around (some of his tales sounded oddly familar to my welsh peers).

Despite joking that he is no good at banter, he never alienates the audience and engages people in a way that was fun and polite without being threatening, (something I’ve never previously experienced at a comedy gig, as I’m normally the first to be picked on, and find myself moving very quickly after.)

If Elis’s show is anything to go by, it won’t be long until he becomes a bigger name, so see him while you can, you won’t regret it.

In conclusion…

So who were my favs?, it really is hard to judge. Basden was fantastic for music, Superclump were amazing for sketches, Elis was great in his solo show of cringing tales, Ginger and Black were unique and Rouse was equally a super-star.

My advice? go see ALL of them next year if they go to Edinburgh again, and if you get a chance to see them live, for goodness sake go, they are ALL worth the money.

But if I HAD to pick (like if a gun was raised to my head and my life depended on it..) my top tips for the best shows in Edinburgh are a draw between Superclump and Elis James…..don’t make me choose you bastards….

Bang….

Yes, I finally ended up going to Edinburgh Fringe; the dream became a reality and I got to spend three wonderful (but brief) days at the cultural event of the year. For those unaccustomed with the Fringe, Edinburgh gets invaded by comedy, theatre, dance and musical events for an entire month (along with streets of promoters handing out flyers dressed in stupid outfits.) I managed to see some great shows during my brief time there but it was a confusing experience at times, so here are my top tips for Edinburgh beginners.

Step 1 – Prepare. 

You won’t be the only person with the idea of going to the Edinburgh

photo by edinburghblog.co.uk

Festival, thousands have been thinking about nothing else for months (including myself) so plan ahead. Book the hotel, call your scottish friends to ask for a free sofa for a few nights, and most importantly, pick up a Fringe Guide; this becomes the most vital piece of equipment you will need as not only does it contain every show, but also an all-important map, and believe me, you will get lost on your first visit. If you are only going for a few days, plan what shows you are going to see in advance so you don’t waste any time, but also be open-minded about looking at leaflets, you might come across something that you’d never noticed in the book (don’t be embarrased, the guide is massive and it’s only natural to skim through looking for the celebrities you’ve seen off the television.)

As well as being organised, you need to be prepared for the sheer volume of leaflets you will pick up from people; every show has leafleters in the street promoting their show, and most don’t take no for an answer.

Step 2 – Be open minded, it’ll save you money

Be open minded about seeing the Free Fringe shows, this year people like

Slow Genius: Just one of the many amazing FREE shows at Edinburgh this year.

Robin Ince took part and more and more acts are opening their show to the public for free . A lot of shows can cost up to a tenner, so save some money and check out the five pound shows too, they often have more intimate venues and yet the talent is still amazing. Check out cheap cafes and cheap shows whenever you can; especially if you are staying for over a week.

Step 3 – Be different

Edinburgh is a city of culture, so join in with it. Don’t like sitting in the front row of a comedy show?, do it. (I got forced by my peers to sit at the front of shows, and actually getting picked on isn’t that bad…well not that I’d know, I was lucky.) Or how about going to see a show that thrives on audience participation?. This year’s Fringe has several sketch groups including Slow Genius who rely on audience suggestion to create their all-improv show, and a musical that changes every night depending on audience ideas. Edinburgh does like to get the audience involved, so throw caution to the wind and just go with it.

Step 4 -  Look out for the stars (but don’t get starstruck, you’ll look like a twat.)

With Edinburgh lasting a month, it’s amazing the talented acts you will recognise just walking round the streets. In particular, the Pleasance Courtyard seemed to attract successful comedians to the bar (mainly because most of them played nearby.) For my first trip I managed to see Alistair McGowan, Simon Amstell, Stephen.K Amos, Jack Whitehall, Rob Rouse (twice), Rich Hall and Tom Basden from BBC 4′s Cowards.

Note: I ran away from people I admire...don't do the same, they are regular people like us

Now depending on your personality you might sit silently and gasp, have no clue who they are, or shout at them (in the case of Stephen Amos, he got alot of that from a nearby table.) Whatever you do, don’t be a prat like me. I am a MASSIVE fan of the show Cowards and saw one of comedians from it, Tom Basden, at the bar. Did I go up to him and tell him I enjoyed Cowards and couldn’t wait to see his stand-up show the next day?, did I ask for a photo and an autograph?…no….I stared…got noticed…and ran away… not the coolest thing to do in the world and something that has haunted me since. So if you do see a comedian you admire, talk to them…don’t stare at them like a mental and run away… it’s not cool. (incidentally I saw Tom again a few hours later, didn’t learn from my mistake and just kept my eyes down.)

But what if you are in Edinburgh?, you’ve probably realised all this already and shouting, “Well that’s great, but what shows do I see?”  Read my next blog to see my recomendations of the Edinburgh Fringe 2009.

Trash tv... geddit? (photo by zappowbang)

Why does the nation have an obssession with trash TV?. From the chat-shows to the “reality” shows, we are all guilty of consuming some of the worst shows on tv; and enjoying every minute that you watch. Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy the lie detector episodes or watching people argue in a confined house, its pure entertainment for the bored, unemployed or just plain fed-up of their dull life.

You may be asking, “who is she to judge, what on earth makes her so qualified to make this decision?” Well I’m unemployed with too much time on my hands. My schedule revolves around Jeremy Kyle  double bills,  Judge Judy, and Big Brother in the evenings, (with the occasional Airline episode and abit of Trisha.) I am admitting my problem, I too enjoy trash TV. And especially, Jeremy Kyle.

Not the coolest thing to admit, and boy does it make me a stereotype of the unemployed graduate, but every time he does a lie detector test my jobhunt goes on hold, every time a mother is screaming at the father of her children that he’s a, “waste of space and a liar” I stop eating breakfast, and every time I watch the opening credits my life goes on hold for an hour. But I’m not the only one, thousands are on his Facebook group, and every morning he gets millions of viewers; probably even more during the recession.

But what about reality tv?. Chat shows are understandably addictive, they make us feel good about ourselves as we breathe a sigh of relief that our lives may be bad, but they aren’t THAT bad. There is a smugness with the great British public that we are better than the people on the shows, and it becomes a human freak show.

Even self-confessed hater Chris Moyles must secretly like it. After caling Jeremy Kyle the, “king of the chavs,” he then had a whole discussion on it, and why?, because it’s a topic of interest.

But why on earth do millions and millions of us (including me) watch shows like Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity, and X Factor? Well in the early episodes of X Factor it’s the same reason as the chat shows; because it’s so damn funny. But as reality shows increase and get more ridiculous in theme, the more viewers get pulled in. But at least Britain is imaginative, America has had several thousand serieses of American Idol. However they do have gems like Rock Of Love where an ex-member of the band Poison searches for his true love from amongst 12 girls, (interestingly enough he’s on his third series…oh well third time lucky Brett), and Sunset Tan, a reality show set in an american self-tanning salon, (funnier than it sounds, honest).

So why does trash tv reign over everything else? Not a bloody clue. Maybe it’s because during the recession we could all do with some thoughtless entertainment, maybe because it makes us feel better, or maybe we are all just plain nuts. Either way I’m staying tuned regardless.

Happy musing x