Elias Werner

An odd week

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe history, Live bands in Edinburgh, Music shows Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This has been an odd week, well, a week of oddities, flashbacks, fun and not-so-much fun. It started on Monday when I got an email that Apocalypse Clown a film I had booked to see in Glasgow the following day was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Dammit! It was my only opportunity too, it only had a very limited release (yup, not a single cinema in Edinburgh was showing it!). You may be wondering what’s so special about Apocalypse Clown that I’d be prepared to trek over to Glasgow for it?

Three of the co-writers were one of my all-time favourite Fringe acts, Dead Cat Bounce, that’s Demian Fox, Shane O’Brien and James Walmsley. Sure its quite some time since they were at the Fringe but they were supertalented, very original and achingly funny; the trailer for Apocalypse Clown looks so good, they obviously haven’t lost the spark. It’s a film with clowns (obviously), vengeful human statues and a slow-motion walrus fight (so I’ve read) – what’s not to love?! A film of semi-epic proportions, I reckon.

So, I wasn’t happy at missing that, for consolation I went to see Barbie for a second time, yay. It made a good start to my evening before Nicole and the Back-up Crew in Stramash, finishing off at Whistlebinkies with The Scat Rats and a wonderful, unexpected delight – the first acoustic rendition of Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, oh my heartses!

Wednesday I decided to check what other old Fringe favourites of mine The Les Clöchards were up to these days – they only have a new album out and it’s on Spotify! Stop, Drop & Rock is a lot of fun, those hobos from a small island near Corsica have still got it – blimey Charlie, it’s ten years since they last played the Edinburgh Fringe when I bought their CD Never Don’t Not.

Interestingly there’s new versions of two songs from that previous album, Love Baby has definitely gone up a few notches but I prefer the raunchier, heavier earlier version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (but you will love the new version if you’ve never heard the first one, truly you will). I love what they’ve done with Material Girl a great Clöchards reworking, but my current favourite is Bunch of Assholes, delightfully lackadaisical and bouncy.

Thursday night, yay, a rare visit from over West for Baby Face and the Beltin’ Boys to Stramash. Who? Baby Face aka Julen Santamaria of Awkward Family Portraits, purveyor of Western Swing with a very distinctive voice. There was actually just one Beltin’ Boy with him on this occasion, but the two of them were more than enough for a fun time (I’ll stick a reel on Instagram later). See, this is why I pay so much attention to who’s playing where and when, to catch such gems!

Friday morning and a big downer, my throat was on fire, bloody painful. It had been threatening a while, I’d hoped nightly gargling with TCP would do the trick, nope! Nothing was going to soothe it now, it was only a matter of time before my sinuses joined in the revolt. They did and how, for about forty-eight hours and two boxes of tissues; just a few foot soldiers are left behind now, the rest have moved to my chest.

Okay, so twice I’ve missed The Scat Rats this weekend, hey, I do see them plenty, but The Buccaneers were playing The Jazz Bar after midnight on Friday and I was fully intending on going, damn. Not impressed.

Other bits of news, Logan’s Close have announced 20th October as the release date for their long-awaited debut album Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, get your order in! The loveliest man on the Fringe Aidan Goatley is writing a new show, “the show I’ve wanted to do for several years but only now feel ready for”, this will definitely be one to see next year, can’t wait. Austrian stand-up Elias Werner will be in the UK on Thursday 12th October at The Pen Theatre in London as part of their Fresh off the Fringe season; well, he did tell me he’d be back!

Well, that’s all my news, now I must go gargle some more TCP and get to my bed.

Oh, my precious!

A gun, death and darkness

bruceonthefringe 2023, Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Reviews, Stand-up comedy, Theatre, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

What a day, rain, sun, rain, sun, make up your mind! Did another while of flyering; the similarities with carbooting keep popping into my head – big one, a nonchalant smile for all who gaze upon you and your wares (ie resting bitch face is not a good look). One chap made me laugh, he ran across the road when I caught his eye and waved my flyers in his direction, and no, he wasn’t running away, he came to me to take one!! Wonders will never cease. Anyways, on with three more reviews. I’ll go from light to dark I think, three very different shows, that’s the beauty of Fringe, there’s something for every taste!

So, silliness incorporated, The Last Gun starring, in many many roles, Will BF and a couple of sock puppets (what’s the Fringe without a sock puppet or two?). Right from the off when an audience member was urged to put a video in a video player (he was young, not sure he had much clue what he was doing!) the tone was set, daft, a tad retro, with audience participation.

The Last Gun was a film made in 1975, it sunk with barely a trace, never finding it’s audience, this show is a documentary looking back at “the garlic of films – very stinky”. The laughs come fast and frequently in all forms, impressive wordplay and sharp, funny dialogue, the characters in the talking heads documentary sections, visual gags (an easter egg, loved it!). The audience participation bits are excellent, there’s playdough and video-gaming (Will has written operating instructions on the back of his shirt to help the other player along), Will is equally quick and hilarious on and off script. The film is well realised, in fact I’d swear I got it out of Blockbusters in the late 80’s for one of my infamous movie marathons! ☆☆☆☆½

Next, with light and dark, Death Suits You is a musical black comedy where Death takes time out from his busy schedule to explain to us just how much time and effort he puts into each and every death (he’s been feeling very unappreciated). Death is wry and witty, he also has a damn fine set of vocals and great stage presence; live musical accompaniment adds to the drama of unfolding death scenes. Sam Hooper is excellent as Death, he really, err, brings him to life!? ☆☆☆☆

And now, the darkness, no, not the band, a stand-up from Vienna called Elias Werner. Ah, Vienna (come on, I’m not the only one!) I visited it twice briefly on my interrailling adventure, such a shame the film cartridge of my first visit was lost before I got home (so much retro going on in this post!), I even went on the Giant Ferris Wheel seen in that noir classic The Third Man. Is it a Viennese thing, noir?

Werner’s show is called Live, Deaf and Dark and yes, it is very dark, dark and intelligent; his delivery is dry with the occasional hint of a mischievous smile hiding below. This is his first time doing stand-up in the UK and at the Edinburgh Fringe (having come over in his van, Werner played a few shows on the way up to Edinburgh), so plenty of dark gems to mine there! Other topics he touches upon include family, dating online and his deafness, moving deftly between them with some neat callbacks (a loud guffaw escaped me at the schoolbag bit).

Many of his observations of life had heads nodding and some invoked a few sharp intakes of breath (from oo, that’s close to the bone, or, I can’t laugh at that, can I? It’s hard to tell). I know I generally go for the light quirky side of comedy but a little dark humour is a great palate cleanser, and it reminds us of our own dark sides, let’s them run free a while. There’s plenty to enjoy here before you step out again into the light, as he tells us, these are real stories – just not true ☆☆☆½

Time for my bed. G’night all!

Twenty four hours in….

bruceonthefringe 2023, Badges, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Previews Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Just a quick rundown of the twenty-four hours, before I get some sleep. It’s been quite a start to this year’s Fringeyness, a very wet one too. So, twenty-four hours ago I’d just got into Whistlebinkies to see that edgy and dynamic duo The Scat Rats. It’s becoming quite a regular slot for them, Tuesday midnight, it always surprises me how many folk are up until after two so early in the week.

The lads were on great form, as were some members of their audience, especially one particular lady to Babestation! I won’t tell you the details, suffice to say, Carl later said, it’s one of those things that could only happen in Binkies. So true, certainly Scotty won’t forget it for quite some time.

I happened to meet a stand-up from Austria, over for his first Fringe, a personable young chap so I’ll go see his show. He’s Elias Werner, his show is called Live & Deaf at Hootenannies. Oh, the show isn’t listed in the printed programme, neither is the venue! It’s taken over an older number 108, Hootenannies is at the Apex Hotel in the Grassmarket, it has plenty of shows on offer.

Didn’t make it home until around half two, had to be up in the morning at eight to be sure of making my first show on time. It was chucking it down outside, bugger, but I made it with time to spare for Shakespeare For Breakfast so second breakfast was coffee and croissant. A good show, I kinda felt it took a wee while to really find it’s stride but hey, first preview, oh, and Puck kept forgetting to light up, I’m sure that’ll get sorted. Overall, great.

A Voloz Collective double next. First The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much then just over an hour later The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose, like OMG, they were both so brilliant; a very talented bunch! More on them later. Hard acts to follow for Crizards: This Means War in the early evening; there seemed to be a number of preview problems, or it could have just been their style of comedy (it was amusing, some parts very funny but I found it a tad lame at times).

I was hungry after that, didn’t want to wait to eat, so Mosque Kitchen time. Yum, chicken curry and rice, washed down with a mango lassi (I rarely go there outside of Fringe time these days, so it felt quite a treat). Home to chill, but not shut my eyes for fear they wouldn’t open in time for my last show.

Finally I’ve seen John Robertson’s The Dark Room and it’s bloody brilliant!! Again, more later, the clock’s ticking, luckily my first show tomorrow isn’t until early afternoon. Oh, and joys, Crizards had badges to give out after the show (well, they had 300 made, after that, tough).

So a fine start to Edinburgh Fringe 2023! Goodnight guys, sweet dreams!

The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much

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