The Cat Laughs

Echelle

I'll be in Kilkenny sometime over The Cat Laughs festival. Will everything be booked out if I turn up "on spec".Any good up and coming comedians there this time?

Deliverance XXV

Probably. Here is a link to all the currently available acts & shows that shows who is sold out and who still has tickets on sale- link.

ztoical

everything usually sells out before the weekend cept for the improv night in the watergate.

Firetrap

So? Is anyone here going to any of the shows?

brettmirl

I didn't book anything this year. First year that I won't be going to a show. None of them on the schedule floated my boat or I've seen them already.

I really wish Dom Irrera would shag off. I've managed to see him a few years now and it's the same jokes year-in, year-out.

In the earlier years of the Cat Laughs there tended to be more of a festival mood around the town than there is now. There was always some 'fringe' stuff going on, but that all seems to have stopped now.

Nightwish

The line up isnt as good this year. I really wanted to see Barry Murphy but he's doing a show with Maeve Higgins and I'd rather jump over Johns bridge than watch that train wreck of a comedian.

I'm going to one show on Sunday night and I'm going to Goodnight Cats in Langtons. I'll also be going to the football match on Sunday as it was the funniest thing I've ever seen last year.

highgiant1985

Nightwish wrote: »

The line up isnt as good this year. I really wanted to see Barry Murphy but he's doing a show with Maeve Higgins and I'd rather jump over Johns bridge than watch that train wreck of a comedian.

I'm going to one show on Sunday night and I'm going to Goodnight Cats in Langtons. I'll also be going to the football match on Sunday as it was the funniest thing I've ever seen last year.

sorry ive asked this before but cant remember where and ive forgot the answer where is the football match played?

Nightwish

highgiant1985 wrote: »

sorry ive asked this before but cant remember where and ive forgot the answer where is the football match played?

The fair green next to the cinema, at around 2pm.

thecutter

Il be heading on the Sunday myself, where is the best place to park the car?? Will be mostly interested in the Fringe stuff, so will be round Rafter Dempseys area il be looking.

Nightwish

Depends on how long you're leaving it there. If you're only going to the Rafter Dempseys for a few hours then the Fairgreen or the Ormonde might suit. Dunnes Stores is also handy and its free in the evenings.

Stephen

Is the Mary's Church car park still free on Sundays and Bank Holidays? If so that's where I'd go.

thecutter

il be there from about 3 in the day, until around 11.30 that night

Firetrap

I went to a show in the Ormond last night. Jaysus, the room was a fcking furnace. Not a scrap of air conditioning in the place. At least it gave Rich Hall something to work into his routine.

Stephen

I was at the same show Firetrap

global warming started in that room!

highgiant1985

so what do people think of the comedians ye've seen so far? Whos the best/worst?

best comedian so far for me is Stewart Francis, brillant stuff!
I liked Josie Long as well though thought she was kinda cool

worst guy called Glenn, cant remember his surname... found him really annoying,

zootroid

I went to see Reuben last night. First time seeing him, and I thought he was excellent. It lasted an hour, but it felt like 10 minutes

Stephen

Tom Stade was excellent. Neil Delamare was far better than I expected also.

highgiant1985

Stephen wrote: »

Tom Stade was excellent. Neil Delamare was far better than I expected also.

Of course Neil Delamare is better than you expected hes from Offaly! Nothing bad has ever come from Offaly and people from there often exceed your expectations.

I may or may not be biased given that I'm from offaly as well .

did ye head out after the comedy shows? Town was packed I thought, pump house was grand cos we were there from 10 so before the main crowd arrived but the Uncle Sams que was a killer as for the taxis thank god I live within walking distance :P

Firetrap

I didn't think much of Greg Fleet, the Australian comic. About half way through his routine, people started getting disinterested and began chatting among themselves and going in and out to the bar.

I wish the Ormond would get air conditioning into that basement room. The cheapskates. I was at a show there a couple of years ago and the heat was unmerciful as well :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Nightwish

I was down at the football match. Very entertaining! Ireland won 4-2 I think. Karl Spain was making lots of funny comments about the supposed furoré over Tommy Tiernan's jokes about Madeliene McCann.

highgiant1985

Nightwish wrote: »

I was down at the football match. Very entertaining! Ireland won 4-2 I think. Karl Spain was making lots of funny comments about the supposed furoré over Tommy Tiernan's jokes about Madeliene McCann.

what did Tommy Tiernan say?

Stephen

Don't know what he said but apparently a load of people walked out of his show when he made the McCann jokes.

Deliverance XXV

Stephen wrote: »

Don't know what he said but apparently a load of people walked out of his show when he made the McCann jokes.

It made one of the national paper's today, but didn't get a chance to read the article.

Nightwish

I thought it was hilarous! Although nothing offends me.

Firetrap

Tommy Tiernan is about as funny as root canal. Doesn't surprise me that he'd try offending folk again. It's easier to do that than to try and come up with amusing material.

tonton zola

Dave Fulton also made jokes about Maddy McCann (which I must say I laughed at), haven't heard anything about that.

Can anyone say what T.T. said? I think he is getting over-scrutinised for the last few years. That said, he has lost a bit of his touch and at times resorts to shouting loudly to get a laugh.

It's a pity because he is one of the great Irish comedians.

CtrlSource

Third Cat Laughs i've attended and enjoyed it this year, but felt the buzz wasn't quite as good as previous years and the crowds on Friday & Saturday seemed a bit less.

On Friday, went to see the following @ the Ormonde:

Reginald D Hunter who was good but not as funny as the first time i saw him.
Lee Mack who appeals more to his UK base and has a slightly hackneyed feel. Still laughed though.
Jarlath Regan was very good - hadn't seen him live before and really enjoyed his act.
Barry Murphy was very amusing as the compere.

Then we got a flier from some guy in the street for a fringe show in Bollards, so we we saw some local 'upcoming' young comic who frankly has a long way to go to become watchable.
Then an American woman came on, who's name i can't recall - pretty funny, if off-beat.
Abie Philbin Bowman did a snappy routine with excerpts from his Jesus: The Guantanamo Years show, which i'd like to have seen more of.
He was followed by a guy who i'd never heard of but i believe is quite well known - Derek Ryan - was really excellent and should definitely be big in a year or two.
Paul Malone finished off the line-up with an old-school routine filled with cheesy quips and blue jokes, but it was bloody funny!

Saturday night and back to the Ormonde to see:

Glenn Wool was the compere and was funny, but would see myself getting quickly annoyed with his style.
Lucy Porter did an understated set and was very good. Far from roll-in-the-aisles fare but liked it nonetheless.
John Colleary - liked him but nothing sticks out in my memory as to why he was good.
Jason Byrne - brilliant.

Sunday night to the Hotel Kilkenny and saw:

Andrew Lawrence - sounded a lot like Michael Crawford doing Frank Spencer, but the material was a lot darker Good.
Dom Irrera. Was the second time i'd seen him. Really loved him before and he didn't disappoint this time around either. Not a comedian that you'd see too often though as i think he's pretty prepared and doesn't do much improv. Was looking at youtubes of him recently though and found that his stuff 20 years ago was quite different.
David O'Doherty - heard from others that he was meant to be very funny, but i didn't think so. Laughed a few times but was a disappointing end to the show for me.
Barry Murphy again compered this one.

Overall, really enjoyed the weekend and will book earlier next year (i say this every year :rolleyes:)

Radio Maniac

King Nothing wrote: »

It made one of the national paper's today, but didn't get a chance to read the article.

Ian Dempsey spoke to someone who was actually talking to the journalist who wrote the article at the Cat Laughs and it basically suggests that the journalist saw the opportunity and blew it out of proportion! You can hear the guy talking about it here Just press the play button and fast forward to about 2.30mins into the stream! Poor auld Tommy did nothing wrong I tells ya!