Matt Welcome
12 October 2008
A good-natured Sunday evening crowd has gathered in the cellar tonight, buoyed by the Indian summer weather and the promise of a packed bill and a top-notch headliner. We're ably warmed up by regular compere Geoff Whiting, with the help of some topical economic banter and a few unintentionally amusing press clippings (a local drugs rehab programme needs a £30,000 cash ‘injection', reportedly. Mike Manera's laid-back charm slips down nicely, even after he commits the potentially dangerous faux pas of thinking he's in Bristol. The young Joshua Whittaker has some nicely cerebel material on the unexpected connections between world-changing news and events and chart pop music, but Demtris Deech is less impressive, failing to settle into the room and delivering a set with no real pith.
The audience's goodwill is hardly dented, though, and headliner Matt Welcome richly rewards our high expectations, giving it both barrels in a quick fire, high-octane set with enough puns and Groucho Mark-esque one liners to keep even the most jaded comedy fan recounting his material to their friends for weeks to come. He warms us up with a bit of insight into his dyslenskia ( that's dyslexia to the non-sufferers) and details on his elaborate revenge fantasies for people who commit minor annoyances such as parking in the bus lane or putting to much head on your beer. Then he launches into a beautifully constructed monologue about his ill-fated relationship with a girl named Crimpelene, positively bursting with gags that range from the clever, to the silly, to the downright groanworthy. Marvellous Stuff. (Tom Hacket)
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Tom Hackett (venue magazine )