A quick Google search of ‘Glasgow funny’ and just under 29 million hits flash onto the screen. So, move aside Edinburgh Fringe and let’s have a look at what talent the weegie ground is brewing.
Glasgow is known for its architecture, but as hoards of people enter the two dome-shaped buildings, the two circular buildings look peculiar so close to one another. The Rotunda Comedy Club almost looks like the shy little brother of the SSE Hydro.
As a young couple pass the Hydro for the former, they see the Australian Pink Floyd are playing tonight and for one night only. They waver, wondering if a last-minute switch around is worth it. They decide against it.
A night so cold, most people would not venture off their couch yet the club was filled to capacity.
Groups of all shapes and sizes steadily filter in to nab the best seats, but not too close to the front as that would be a death sentence to anyone’s ego.
There is a triathletes’ night out spanning five tables who are already merry and loud at 8pm… it later transpires that the compere, Alan Anderson, is friends with them all and proceeds to rip into them whenever he can.
There is a woman from London celebrating her 50th birthday, who is blissfully unaware of the fact she is shamelessly flirting with a man who is in the middle of a very vocal argument with his other half. She gives up eventually.
Finally nearing 9 o’clock, the show begins.
Credit: Liam Farrelly
Having no idea who the acts are always creates heightened anticipation, so you can imagine the surprise when a scruffy-looking boy from Govan called Liam Farrelly, pops out with an accent more Glaswegian than Kevin Bridges himself.
This made no difference to his delivery for the audience. Well, maybe to a very confused looking Geordie who spent the entire routine taking social cues from the rest of the crowd. His jokes were second to none and got more laughs than an opener usually would.
With the atmosphere well and truly set, it was time for someone to break the rules.
“I think you’re s***!”
Alan glared around the room quickly, ready for a verbal assassination, until he set eyes on who had spoken.
It was one of the triathletes.
What ensued after was a quick exchange between friends, but general enough that everyone else got a few laughs too.
The middle of the night was a bit of a flat point. Mark Nelson just missed the mark. Maybe there were too many dad jokes, or too many ‘woe is me I’m middle-aged’ jokes, but about a third of the audience looked bored through his routine.
Never to fear though, anyone who was bored took advantage of the table service offered and suddenly the middle act was over in a jiffy.
Powering onto the finale and the bar staff had eased up knowing the finishing line was in sight.
It was definitely worth the wait. Eddy Brimson’s delivery, build-up and punchlines made for a very deserving end to the night.
The atmosphere was infectious and when the show was over, nobody was desperate to get up and leave. Thankfully though, the Rotunda shuts in the early hours of the morning so there was no rush.
After several rounds of applause, many looked out the window to the rain and decided better of it. Staying in a nice warm bar full of laughs was surely better than the cold uninviting sound of Scotrail or the X19.
The Glasgow comedy circuit is thriving, and these comedians will all move onto the Fringe, but you have to start somewhere and beginning in one of the funniest cities in the UK is not a bad choice.
