John Bishop @ The Parr Hall, Warrington – 8th December 2009

The show, unexpectedly, started with a video clip featuring Alan Hansen, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Kenny Dalglish, so I was never going to actively dislike fellow Red, John Bishop.

The first half of the gig featured some off the cuff stand up, which he later said tended to change every night.  As he was brought up in Runcorn, he was able to use his local knowledge to get some good laughs.  The first thing that he did was to confront, head on, his making fun of Warrington on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.  You have to admire anyone who uses their big national TV break to slag off a town that most people in the country won’t have heard of.  It paid off though, Bishop revealed that this gig had been his fastest selling on the tour.   I guess that it’s nice to be recognised, even if you are being teased.

Because of its fairly ad hoc nature, the first hour was amusing rather than hilarious, but he really moved up a gear in the second half, as he performed his Edinburgh show, Elvis Has Left The Building.  The material was much tighter, and, as a result, was much funnier.  This bore out in the audience’s reaction; it was titters before the interval and guffaws afterwards.  The show was themed around Elvis and living your dream, but these were illustrated through his family life, appearing on Skins, and playing in the Hillsborough Memorial match.  The climax of the show might be ruined a bit if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Evertonian or Manc, but I loved it.

John Bishop will be returning to the Parr Hall in March – I guess the Warringtonians must love to be slagged off.  He was honest enough to say that we shouldn’t come back, as the second half would be the same, but if you didn’t go to see him last night, then I recommend that do.