2023

Don’t judge a show by the poster?

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Flyerers, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

Well, I do try not to judge a book by the cover, but with hundreds of shows to choose from, a poster is a quickfire way to yay or nay. Some make you shudder, ye gods, no, some amuse, some bemuse. That first look counts, and if it’s a massive poster, well, call me Homer Simpson, but the influence to see or avoid is greater on this moose. I have written previously about misjudgements I have made based on the look of a poster, hey ho, usually pleasant surprises in the end.

The town by this stage, the Eve of Fringemas, is postered up to the max. Here is a multi-show poster board, anything tall, thin and stationary gets these things attached in August. Shakespeare given comedic makeovers, hmmm. For one, I already have that covered with Shakespeare For Breakfast, and second, neither poster has much moose appeal. Miss Havisham pops up most years in one form or another, such a magnificent character to get creative with; a possible possible there.

Top right and bottom left, neither yays or nays, wallpaper; as the Fringe goes on, they make more of an impression. It’s the little beauty bottom right that caught my eye, loving the artwork. Oh, and if you read my last post, no, I didn’t realise the connection before now. Yes, I’m doubly persuaded that it’ll be worth seeing!

It could become a spotcheck game – asking random people for immediate honest yay/nay responses to posters. Probably get rather more truthful answers than they would say to flyerers! Oo, and on that, I got flyered twice today! The Out of the Blue crew were out in numbers on the Royal Mile, actually, I got past them all without taking a flyer but not for want of their trying. Shortly after I bumped into Paul Currie, been doing the Fringe for years, I’ve never seen any of his shows, this could be the year. Yes, I accepted his flyer!

By the way, I share all my blog posts on Facebook, Bruce T Moose is the name (and no, the T doesn’t stand for what you’re thinking). There’ll also be more daily pics and vids on my Instagram, do check them out.

Some Tuck, Rats and Hot Blondes!

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Free Fringe, Fringe Top Tip, Holyrood Park, Live bands in Edinburgh, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This time last week I was in Stramash watching The Scat Rats, another damn fine performance as we’ve come to expect from them. The early evening band was Nicole Smit and Jed Potts doing their thang (the first time I’ve seen their double act outside of Binkies) ranging from country, blues, rock’n’roll, and this week Jed went lounge (honestly, eyes shut he sounded like he should be wearing velvet and ruffles!) on a couple of numbers.

Last night I had been expecting to see The Blueswater but alas they had to cancel, well, some of them, so instead Nicole and the Back-up Crew (there are a few overlaps there) did the late night shift at The Jazz Bar. No, I didn’t go, I went to bed at a reasonable time instead! I do hope things are okay again for their Fringe shows (the first one is Wednesday 9th).

I had been wondering at a seeming lack of Tuck this year, nothing in the programme! Surely he’d be up? What anarchy would ACMS descend into without him? And This Is Your Trial without a single Tuck appearance? Surely not. Oh, and TIYT is with Laughing Horse this year, in The Counting House at half past five in the afternoon. It is very random depending many factors but hey, it’s free, definitely worth a punt!

And then, midweek he shared a pic on Instagram of his Fringe schedule so far, yay! Thom Tuck will be in the building, well, a building, a number of buildings, around Edinburgh during August. I like his use of colours, if a tad rough, but curious what Dom and Wogan mean!? 2110 Ginzel’s I think I’ve figured out, some serious acting? I’ll let you know.

This morning I headed up Moose Ridge in Holyrood Park, after a week of slow ambles with old dogs I’ll have to get back into the long climb up, ready for Arthur’s Seat Comedy Extravaganza on Saturday 19th. If you’ve never been up to the top, then that’s the day to do it! Catch a 45 minute free Fringe show with four stand-ups and the most spectacular view in town (unless there’s very low cloud!)

Hot news of the week, Logan’s Close have released another succulently scintillating single from their forthcoming album Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, for which they have also announced a Release Party date in late December, oh yay! So that’s Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight available now on Spotify and other music streams; and Liquid Room on 29th December.

Alas, I was away on Monday when they invited fans to go along and be in the video for Hot Blondes, hopefully it’ll be out before too long. In the meantime, I have put a clip on Instagram of The Scat Rats doing an acoustic version in Stramash.

Anyhoo, time for bed, just three sleeps to go. I’ll leave you with the Rats from last week…

A few faces to watch out for

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Free Fringe, Fringe Top Tip, Returning Fringe shows, Uncategorized, Yorkshire Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Just time to fit in another quick flit to the home country, then it’s back up to Auld Reekie and no sleep ’til September! I’ve noticed that The Blueswater are playing the Jazz Bar on Saturday night in advance of their Fringe shows, I may well make it back up in time for that. A couple of days to get my moose cave in order, it’s all coming together.

Yay, Accordion Ryan will be back with more Pop Bangers, this time he’s in 32 Below, next door to where he was last year, again part of the Free Festival eleven o’clock every night except Wednesdays, really, make time, go see!!

Alex Farrow is back, once again hosting Stand-up Philosophy and Stand-up Science besides his new solo show Wisdom of the Crowd, all at Laughing Horse venues. His solo show is PWYC, the other two are free, they’re more or less entertaining depending on the line-ups each day.

David Alnwick has a new show The Mystery of Dracula, expect good theatre and great magic (if you’re thinking, umm, a magic show, it will be way more than that!) in the Speakeasy at the Voodoo Rooms. It is part of PBH’s Free Fringe but be warned, Mr Alnwick is very popular, best be there in plenty of time!

Those two absurdly funny men, Neil Frost and Dan Lees are back with solo shows. I could be wrong but Neil Frost: The Door sounds very similar to his show last year, no matter, it was a wonderfully funny show. That other absurd clown Luke Rollason is back with Cheep Cheep, of course I have a ticket! Oh, it’s not mentioned in the printed version of the Fringe programme.

Anyhoo, must go, I’m being taken out for lunch! Apparently it’s by a place we used to go many, many years ago – I have no recollection of it. ……. and I’m back, I was whisked away! Even driving past Waters Meet (where we used to have picnics on Sunday afternoons I’m told) I only had the faintest of memories. It’s at Walshaw Dean, a bleak moorland area above Heptonstall (above Hebden Bridge), further on and bleaker still, you come to Pack Horse Inn; it’s stood there as a welcome shelter from the elements for just over 400 years (ok, no doubt with a few changes over time). They serve fine ales, a very good Ox Cheek Bourguignon and scrummy desserts.

More about tasty Fringe morsels next time. Toodle pip!

There’s nothing else here but bracken, more bracken and hills

Is it a compliment?

bruceonthefringe 2023, Logan's Close, Music Tags: , Leave a comment

I reckon so, see what you think. I was told this a few days ago by a friend, we were having a long catch-up conversation on the phone.

My friend picked up his mum so she could do a big supermarket shop (she doesn’t drive). Some way down the road he thought to turn the music down as it was quite loud, apologising to his mum for not turning it down sooner, but to his surprise she was fine with it, actually rather enjoying it. Indeed, as they drove along she began tapping her feet, her fingers caught the rhythms too. Apparently, the music fair took her back to the beat clubs she loved to go to in the early ’60s.

She couldn’t figure out who the band were, but they were awfully good! Oh, they’re not an old band, my friend explained, they’re a current band but with 60s sensibilities. A search on YouTube was called for, once back home (hmmm, I never asked if they watched Babestation), still impressed, so reminiscent of the bands back in her day.

Yes, the band was Logan’s Close, the CD playing was their LimbicTV session. My friend didn’t think that praise from an octogenarian, well, could it really count as a compliment?! Let’s see, the lady in question went to lots of clubs, saw lots of bands, the Stones, the Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis, included (sounds like she was my type of gal!) What a time that was to be young!

Yep, I’d say such praise from one who was there, is a true compliment, and it surely indicates how just good Live at LimbicTV really is!

Things that made me go, hmm

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Free Fringe, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s Saturday afternoon and time for the annual defrosting of my fridge freezer, well, I’m waiting for it to defrost completely, then I’ll clean it. No meat from the Farmers Market this morning, instead I’m letting mince and chicken thaw out for cooking later; the subsequent bolognaise sauce and chicken curry will refill the freezer in mealsize portions. There’s method in the madness!

Now, while the freezer slowly warms up, on with “things I’ve spotted in the Fringe programme” with pauses to occasionally go through and mop up the gathering puddle. Oo yeah, definitely possible, the gorgeous Rose Matafeo will be at Monkey Barrel 4 for only £7 or PWYW, bargain! Unfortunately whilst in the Box Office in June I overheard the chap at the next till being told that Rose was already sold out, so that’s almost definitely impossible, then. I say almost, apparently a few seats will be available on the day, good luck getting one of them!

The show with what has to be the longest title is back again, one performance only. It’s part of PBH’s Free Fringe, I’ve never seen it but maybe this is the year for A Young Man Dressed as a Gorilla Dressed as an Old Man Sits Rocking in a Rocking Chair for 56 Minutes and Then Leaves… 14. Would you be tempted? I really don’t know, I suppose it is free, very much a see-how-I-feel-on-the-day. I wonder how many will go, and has anyone gone to it more than once?

So …Gorilla… is now pencilled with brackets in my calendar, supposing he never does it again? Someone who won’t be back at the Fringe ever again is the late great comedy legend that was Barry Cryer who sadly died last year. For the last twenty years Barry was part of the Fringe in a double act, this year instead it’s Ronnie Golden: Allo Keith! Remembering Barry Cryer, I came over quite emotional seeing that!

What do you reckon “unusual old-school Fringe activities” will entail? Apparently Mark Watson’s Churchfest will be seven hours of the stuff on Tuesday 22nd. Churchfest because the venue is St Peter’s Church up at Lutton Place on the Southside (it has a lovely garden beside it). I do like Mark Watson, he’s intelligent with a slight of whimsy, he has me intrigued with this show (and it’s free non-ticketed).

Back in my school days I studied Murder In The Cathedral by T.S.Eliot for English Lit A-level, even got to see it performed in York Minster. This year, for one night only it’s on at Old Saint Paul’s Church. I’m don’t remember ever seeing it in a Fringe programme before, an OMG moment when I spotted it; but no, well, I’ve already seen it, haven’t I?

More from me tomorrow, I have a Jazz Festival to attend just now. Toodle pip!

Only two weeks to go!

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Fringe Top Tip, Returning Fringe shows, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hurrah! At the weekend Assembly announced their Locals offer was back again. Good news for me as Laser Kiwi are back with a new show Rise of the Olive at Assembly Roxy. They were last at the Fringe in 2019, brilliantly bizarre, amazing acrobatics and soooo bendy! Also back are Mochinosha Puppet Company, last year they did an epic sci-fi adventure Space Hippo, this year it’s a fantasy adventure Shadow Kingdom. Needless to say I’ve bought tickets for both (along with three more Assembly shows).

Back for more puns and frolics are Shakespeare For Breakfast, well, of course they are! I see they’ve moved venue yet again, this year to Lauriston Halls in Lauriston Street (I’ve been to a few ceilidhs there in Fringes past). It’s back to just one performance a day (last year it was two back-to-back every morning!) at the original time, ten o’clock, the earliest show on the Fringe! Okay, there may be earlier ones, but not for me, ten is quite early enough, thank you.

Also back with a new show are the Voloz Collective. Last year’s The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much was a total joy – great physical theatre, a great story, all very stylishly delivered. I’m almost a little nervous whether The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose can match it. I’ll let you know, and I won’t have to rely on my memory to recall The Man Who… as they’ve brought that back and, well, I couldn’t resist another watch. Yes, it’s that good; I do believe they Sold Out a lot last year – you have been warned!

Two more shows that I really enjoyed last year Manbo and Yippee Ki Yay are back – if you don’t get what they’re referencing then they’re probably not for you! Both were well conceived and highly entertaining. More sombre returns are Watson:The Final Problem and …And This Is My Friend Mr Laurel, again the clues are in the titles, fans will enjoy them.

My calendar is nicely busy from 2nd ’til 8th, after that, well, the Fringe is my oyster. Stramash have been busy posting on Facebook who’s playing when in August – I’ve added particular ones to my Fringe calendar in green. You know the ones, Nicole, the Rats, the Buccaneers, and, oh joys, Ol’Times will be back in town! Oh, and for folk who’d like to give ceilidh dancing a whirl during the Fringe, Stramash has the Daily Ceilidh every afternoon.

Next time, interesting things noticed in the Fringe programme and more happy returns. Toodle pip!

It’s a tad windy today

bruceonthefringe 2023, Books, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Weather Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

No rain today (so far), just 40mph winds instead. Yesterday was mainly fine but for a couple of downpours, one even had some hail mixed in! I’d just wandered into the Assembly George Square Gardens when the heavens opened, so quickly headed to the covered bar area. At least it didn’t last too long and the rain gods had been good enough to wait until after the Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket was over, not by much though.

Twas a lovely evening after that, so lovely I headed out for a stroll and some bat-spotting in Holyrood Park. Yay, plenty of bats skitting around and lovely lazy buzzing could be heard in the long grass. So peaceful, I didn’t see another soul all the way round, mind it was pretty dark!

Talking of dark, I’m finally going to John Robertson’s The Dark Room this year, yay. He’s only be doing it for the last ten years or so! Might as well go see what it’s all about, I’ve seen the queues afterwards in the refectory to buy merchandise and have a photo taken with him in his Dark Room regalia; the fans love him. Sadly Puffin books are not quite so in love with him, as yesterday John announced on social media that they’re not going forward with a sequel to his book The Little Town of Marrowville.

I’m actually in two minds about this news, as while we all love a sequel sometimes….. aargh. Marrowville is a cracking read, (yes, it’s a children book but some of the best are) and whilst the ending has the reader eager for more, it is a complete story. Sure, if someone had placed a second book in front of me straight after I finished the first, I know I would have had to read it despite any trepidation. I’m quite sure he could pull off a sequel to equal, but still, somehow I like the bittersweet of not knowing. Maybe in a few more years? I can wait, there’s plenty more reads left in this one.

Like stair rods, I tell you

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Films, Weather Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Outside my window the sky is a soft blue with wispy clouds hanging around, butter wouldn’t melt in it’s mouth if it had one. It’s monsoon time again, lovely summer weather to draw everyone out, then down it pours; we’re talking cats, dogs, frogs, fish, there’ll be kitchen sinks hurtling down next. So far I’ve been pretty lucky but for how much longer?

It’s partly due to the deluges that I read a whole book yesterday, from late afternoon, a quick break to make tea, then through until late evening. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, and it wasn’t a short book, but it was very gripping! A Death at Fountains Abbey is the third novel set in the early eighteenth century following the escapades of one Thomas Hawkins by Antonia Hodgson. By’eck, the lady knows how to write a good thriller, all three books have been great but this one, wow (no, I’m not biased just because it’s set in Yorkshire).

The evening before was a movie marathon of Asteroid City followed by Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse about five hours at the cinema with just time in-between to grab coffee and cake. Yeah, I needed reviving after Asteroid City oh, it was okay, a very very Wes Anderson film, you know it’s his immediately, arty and clever, and so like so much else he’s done; I guess I’ve gotten bored with him. The new Spider-Man film bounced along nicely and held my attention through all the multidimensional wibbly-wobbliness. But aargh, I didn’t know it was gonna end on a cliffhanger!

On films, there is an Edinburgh International Film Festival this year, running from 18th to 23rd August. I did have a quick glance through the programme online (I don’t know if there is a printed version this year) but nothing grabbed my attention, I’ll maybe have another ganders at what’s on offer.

Fringe-side, the new Fringe App is now available, time will tell just how good it is. Hopefully it won’t be as draining on my battery as the previous incarnation, that was very greedy! Bad news about the Half Price Hut is it’s back in the Fringe Box Office again, so shuts at 6pm, sooo stupid!! Once again folk coming into town for an evening (well, any time after 5.45) won’t be able to take advantage of HPH offers.

Must dash, the Cumbiatones are doing their thing at Stramash, in fact they’ll have already started. Toodle pip!

You may want to, but can you?

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Fringe tickets, Half Price Hut Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Uufh, time is marching quickly on! Less than four weeks to go now. Still no mention about this year’s Half Price Hut setup nor a peep from Assembly about ticket offers for locals. I have a pile of possibles if they are HPH-ed and a pile of Assembly offer possibles, and another pile to be moved over if Assembly don’t come through. Oh, I have lots of piles, hahaha. There’ll be some whittling down, obviously; without further cheaper options it’ll be an axing not a little whittle.

On closer inspection of all my possibilities I’ve spotted there is a distinction between Pay What You Want and Pay What You Can. Call me unobservant, well, I was kind of aware, just not paying much attention.

Pay What You Want has been going a few years now, most noticeably at Monkey Barrel Comedy and Just the Tonic. Oo, I’ve spotted that a couple of my fancies are PWYW at Paradise in The Vault, which I believe is new for that venue (it happens to be one of my favourites). Hmm, I wonder how it works, does a venue have to okay having PWYW tickets or is it just up to the shows themselves?

I notice Ahir Shah is doing a show at Monkey Barrel, he’s very popular (well, he is a very intelligent, funny guy), always does very well; tickets are £12 to guarantee entry or PWYW – you’d have to be there pretty early to be in with a chance of seeing the show without a ticket, there’ll be some seats still available but not many!

Pay What You Can is the new kid on the block from the Free Festival folk (possibly brought in as a response to controls during covid?), alongside their free non-ticketed shows. Rather than one ticket price there’s usually three or four options ranging from £5 to £12.50 to guarantee entry, or donate at the end. There is occasionally a £2.50 option – c’mon, that’s just a deposit, I would definitely give more at the end, unless it was a really duff show.

Whilst these newer payment options are great and no doubt help to put bums on seats, they are a cause of consternation for some Fringe-goers. They shuffle out past the bucketholder quietly mortified or feebly mumbling, “I bought a ticket, honest”, poor things (I am a bit like that at times, it depends on the demeanour of the bucket-person!) Of course, there’ll be others who feel great that they can breeze out of a show without anyone knowing they haven’t parted with any money (w*****s).

So there you go, the difference between Want and Can. You may Want to see a show but can’t because you didn’t buy a ticket, but you Can see a show when you’ve already paid what you could. Got that?

Toodle pip!

Make me an offer, please

bruceonthefringe 2023, Comedy duos, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Previews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

I have Fringe tickets, woohoo. I mentioned as much at the end of my last blog post, I have even more now, thanks to an email update from Underbelly. I just wish I’d opened and read it sooner – I’d have saved a few quid! Only a few but it all adds up. Underbelly had announced a special offer of £6 tickets for shows up until 10th August, one just had to be organised enough to buy them by midnight tonight, oops. I only read the email after I had booked a wodge of preview shows; I did feel a tad disgruntled, my own fault, I know, I really should check my emails more regularly.

At least I’ve managed to save on booking fees, that old bugbear! The Fringe and Underbelly box offices have once again capped the booking fees at £5 per transaction (£1.25 a ticket). Organisation is key, fifteen tickets in and a tenner spent on fees, not that I see that as a saving, just less irksome.

Assembly have for a number of years now done an offer for locals at the start of the Fringe, they just like to announce it quite late on. To make us sweat or just so’s we might have already paid full whack? There’s a number of Assembly shows I quite fancy, that I may fancy even more with a cheap offer, only one has made my must-see pile.

My favourite comedy duo from last year are back, and with a new show, Grubby Little Mitts: Hello, Hi. Well, I had to get a ticket, this is one second outing I’m confident will be as funny, clever and dark as the first (not always the case).

It’s a tad late, I shall away to bed. I leave you with a peek at my possibilities…..