Edinburgh Fringe 2023

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…..

Newsflash: Hurricanes in Edinburgh

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I’m baaaack! Miss me? It’s lovely oot there, so a brief catchup then I’m getting me some sunshine. Yes, I could write this later but, well, that doesn’t always work out. I had peek at my last post and spotted a big error that has now been rectified, I put Duncan Duke instead of Duke Duncan & the Hurricanes . Oh, and the Amarillo was finished, in its place was Project 7 Juicy IPA and indeed it was, another hit from Stewart Brewing. Those hurricanes blowing along with the Duke, I wasn’t sure beforehand so didn’t mention it in case it had been only a one night stand (you know how musicians are), but yay, Mr Marah is now officially a force of nature (he’s gonna run out of fingers for all those pies soon!)

Duke Duncan is the drummer (and sings) with the Miracle Glass Company, here he sings centre stage, but he just can’t quite let go of those percussive instincts – he has a triangle and a tambourine close by! Some seriously psychedelic vibes going on here, music swirling from light funkiness to hard heavy blues grooves. I liked it, very much. I may well head to The Jazz Bar tonight, where DD&TH will be celebrating the release of their single High On Love. You can catch a clip of it from Binkies last week on my Instagram.

I never got to Heptonstall on my trip south but I did have a wander round Hebden Bridge, discovered a very nice new café called The Excited Goat on Crown Street. I just had to try their eponymously named The Excited Goat Hot Sandwich (their version of my favourite, bacon, brie and cranberry) with goats cheese, streaky bacon, apricot jam and spinach. By’eck, it was very tasty, I’ll have that again! I also discovered Hotcakes a fab little vintage and retro shop, which, to my shame, I’ve never noticed before – it’s only been going fourteen years apparently! On this visit roadworks made me head up a side street (Hilton Street) and there it was. Definitely worth popping in for a look!

I managed a few glances at the Fringe programme, marked up quite a number so far. The ticket prices are definitely up this year, previews are generally between £8 to £10, Mon to Thurs tickets expect to pay £10 to £15, and weekend tickets a tad more. The Pay What You Can ticket option is at some venues again, and of course, there’s plenty of Free (to enter) shows. Hey, I’ve been very busy, there’ll be much Fringeyness coming up soon, promise.

Anyhoo, I’ll be heading out now. Toodle oo!

Duke Duncan & The Hurricanes blowin’ up a storm in Whistlebinkies

Roll on Thursday….

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Oo, it’s less than 48 hours until this year’s Fringe programme is out! This time on Thursday I’ll be perusing a copy, maybe in the Jolly Judge with a nice cider, yeah, good idea that. And as if the day couldn’t get any better, The Scat Rats are playing in Stramash at 7pm! That in itself is sweet enough, but the fun continues as Nicole & the Back-up Crew are onstage next. Mmm, a twixt sets mash-up?!

I’ve had a ganders at the online programme for this year’s Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in case there’s anything I fancy. It’s on from Friday 14th to Sunday 23rd July with the Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket on the first Saturday afternoon. Most late evenings there’s a Jam Session in the Jazz Bar, I guess it would be potluck who’d be there any evening, do I feel lucky?

The Spiegeltent will be back up in George Square Gardens, with bands every evening and Blues Afternoons at the weekends (at three hours long, thank heavens there’s a bar!) It’s a tent that travels around, so it fits that Nicole Smit: The Travelling Tent Show is back – promising to be bigger and better! I’m tempted, but then again there’s Sister Cookie to consider, hmmm.

Naturally, Jed Potts & the Hillman Hunters will be out to play; they’re at St Bride’s Centre, a great venue hosting a lot of acts throughout the Jazz Festival. I’ve been to a number of events at St Bride’s over the years, I like it, it has a lovely ambience; it’s tucked away on a little street in Dalry, a short bus ride or taxi from the centre of town.

Completing the circle back to the Fringe programme; I have had a few sneek peeks at it online and noticed Aaaah Look Who It Is: Nicole Smit and Jed Potts! at the Jazz Bar. Just four dates and the first is 241 Tuesday! A chance for all those not fortunate enough to live in Edinburgh all year round, to see these two great talents together.

Toodles!