Despite appearances to the contrary, this is Sean Hughes
I usually buy tickets for Parr Hall comedy gigs pretty early, but, for one reason or another, this was quite a late purchase. Which was a bonus as I was able to take advantage of a 2-for-1 offer on the tickets. This did, however, suggest that they hadn’t been selling too well.
The venue certainly wasn’t sold out but there were 2-300 people in the audience and there was a nice, laid-back feeling to the gig. Hughes warmed the audience up with the tried and tested ‘local newspapers’ trick, which maybe went on a bit too long. He never really got in to the flow of his material during the first half – there were a quite a few ‘lively’ audience members – but he was able to go with it and this led to an entertaining, funny hour.
The second half saw fewer interruptions and more material. If I was being hyper-critical, you could argue that there wasn’t a lot of structure and that some of the material could have been thought through a little more. There were plenty of gems in there though and, utilising his great rapport with the audience, he was very funny throughout.
The two hours that he was on stage flew by, so I guess that’s the ultimate seal of approval. The Parr Hall definitely need some new seats though – I lost all feeling in my buttocks.
Posted by Doctor Angel on November 19, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I saw Sean Hughes back in his heyday around 1992. At this time he had his own show, ‘Sean’s Show’ which I remember being very good. Sadly, the gig that I saw was a little bit disappointing, it was all old material which I’d heard before. I desperately wanted it to be funnier. A relative unknown at the time, Mark Lemarr, stole the show with a lot of “STOP. Hammertime!”.
Posted by sherby57 on November 19, 2009 at 8:20 pm
You must have been a young pup when you went to watch him in 1992! I also have fond memories of Sean’s Show, but I don’t know if it would stand the test of time if I was to watch it again. It’s always a big disappointment when you hear comics doing lots of old material, so I understand your pain.
Sean Hughes was actually one of the first stand ups that I ever saw live, back in 1998. I seem to remember being in a box in the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool and that it was funny. Luckily, I don’t remember him being a disappointment.
Posted by The Gravy Comedy Awards 2009 « Pour Some Gravy On Me on December 29, 2009 at 2:04 pm
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