Guide to Irish stand-up comedians

orestes

Thought this was pretty interesting. Kinda sterotypical in some parts but overall pretty accurate imo

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/day-and-night/columnists/dans-guide-to-standupcomedians-1408389.html#comment_form

ARTICLE

A few weeks ago, I recommended a stand-up comedy night as the ideal first date activity. Ireland's stand-up comedy scene has never been bigger or more varied than it is at present, with several of our home-grown comedians ranked among the best in the world. This is my guide to the kinds of comedian you can expect to see.

The Rookie: It is generally accepted that stand-up comedy is an incredibly difficult trade to master. When it goes wrong, the results can be painful or inadvertently hilarious to watch. On a local mid-week stand-up bill, it's not unusual to see one comedian who's taking to the stage for the very first time. The candidates can typically range from the borderline clinically insane to the genuinely talented hopefuls. Common among them is the kind of guy that can make all his mates laugh down the pub, but who'll usually struggle when it comes to entertaining a room full of strangers.

The Oirish Comic: This type of comedian derives much of his humour from an examination of "Oirishness". You'll usually find material where he re-imagines how monumental historical events might have played out differently had the key players (such as Napoleon or Jesus) been Irish, the general gist being that they probably would have spent the entire time pissed, achieving very little.

The Affable Nerd: Having spent most of his early childhood being bullied from school to school, this type of comedian has learned to turn the spotlight on himself so that he can at least be in on the jokes about how socially and sexually ill-at-ease he is. In Ireland, where putting yourself and your achievements down is considered a national pastime, the affable nerd is always extremely popular.

The Shockmaster: It is a curious aspect of humour that we tend to laugh at things which make us uncomfortable or subjects that are considered taboo. This brand of comic will capitalise on this fact by constantly pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable comedy fodder. The Shockmaster will sometimes appear on The Late Late Show and RTE's phone lines will be jammed by a dozen or so disgruntled nutters calling for the comic's permanent banishment from our airwaves. Occasionally, the tabloids will also attack the Shockmaster, claiming that a recent gig turned sour when he finally went "too far" and half the audience stormed out. The reality is usually that a joke may or may not have bombed and a couple of punters decided to head to the bar for another drink.

The Female Comic: For some unknown reason (clearly not because they just aren't as funny), women have always found it more difficult to make it big in stand-up comedy. The ones that do manage to break through are usually well worth a watch.

The TV Star: Any gob****e can get his own show on RTE these days and for those lucky comedians that manage it, the results can be extremely lucrative. Punters like going to see familiar faces, so a stint on The Panel or even a guest appearance as a memorable character in Father Ted can guarantee a comic will draw larger audiences and get bumped up the card. Unfortunately, this can leave some comedy nights skewed towards familiar faces not talent and some stars get lazy with their act when they know they're guaranteed to pull a crowd.

Of course this is just a sample of the kinds of comedian you can expect to see on the Irish stand-up circuit. Keep an eye out for other categories of comedian such as "The Comic with a Conscience", the age-old but still ever-popular "Working Class Comic", and the less prevalent "Angry Guitar-Playing Comic". n askdan@independent.ie

Earthhorse

Probably not all that different from any comic scene except you need to substitute "Oirish" with English, Mexican, Eskimo etc.

Galvasean

I think I know which one Orestes is

I'm #1

orestes

Galvasean wrote: »

I think I know which one Orestes is

I'm #1

orly?

Earthhorse

Galvasean wrote: »

I'm #1

Modest too.

pandaboy

"The Female Comic: For some unknown reason (clearly not because they just aren't as
funny), women have always found it more difficult to make it big in stand-up comedy. The ones that do manage to break through are usually well worth a watch."

That's complete bollox, it's not that hard for a female comic as they're uniques, especially if they stay away from the cliché of women's problems and sex. Plus the current female comedians as outlined in another thread are not "well worth a watch", imo.

Where's the magical story teller like Billy Connolly, Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran???? I fall into this category, I feel so neglected by this website!!!

Galvasean, you've got more potential and energy than #1

Will anyone admit to being a TV star?

Galvasean

Earthhorse wrote: »

Modest too.

By that I meant,

The Rookie: It is generally accepted that stand-up comedy is an incredibly difficult trade to master. When it goes wrong, the results can be painful or inadvertently hilarious to watch. On a local mid-week stand-up bill, it's not unusual to see one comedian who's taking to the stage for the very first time. The candidates can typically range from the borderline clinically insane to the genuinely talented hopefuls. Common among them is the kind of guy that can make all his mates laugh down the pub, but who'll usually struggle when it comes to entertaining a room full of strangers.

as opposed to meaning i'm the best comic going, which would be a lie worthy of an eternity in Hades.

pandaboy wrote: »

Galvasean, you've got more potential and energy than #1

Will anyone admit to being a TV star?

I'm guessing I know you?
While I'm not a 'star' I have been in a few dubious productions..

Galvasean

orestes wrote: »

orly?

Well a modified version of this:

The Shockmaster: It is a curious aspect of humour that we tend to laugh at things which make us uncomfortable or subjects that are considered taboo. This brand of comic will capitalise on this fact by constantly pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable comedy fodder.

Les I'm confusing you with someone else..

pandaboy

Galvasean wrote: »

By that I meant,

as opposed to meaning i'm the best comic going, which would be a lie worthy of an eternity in Hades.


I'm guessing I know you?
While I'm not a 'star' I have been in a few dubious productions..

Dubious? As in moustache wearing dubious?

Galvasean

As in dancing next to Brendan Gleeson and his son dubious..
As in being in a film with Kim Cattrel dubious...
As in playing a pedophile in Rock Rivals dubious..
As in being killed by beans in a parody of the Wicker Man dubious...

pandaboy

that's uber dubious. you had me at Kim Cattrel

Earthhorse

Galvasean wrote: »

By that I meant,

as opposed to meaning i'm the best comic going, which would be a lie worthy of an eternity in Hades.

I know that.

It was a joke, you see.

Galvasean

Tiz hard to tell when reading online. Probably should view more things here as jokes, what with being the stand up forum and what not.

Earthhorse

I would have used the winky smiley but it's beneath us both.

grames_bond

The Affable Nerd: Having spent most of his early childhood being bullied from school to school, this type of comedian has learned to turn the spotlight on himself so that he can at least be in on the jokes about how socially and sexually ill-at-ease he is. In Ireland, where putting yourself and your achievements down is considered a national pastime, the affable nerd is always extremely popular

i think this sums me up pretty well....."extremely popular" may be a bit of a push.....but i get by!

Stephen90

I tell ya what I find funny! Bill Bailey doesnt come even close to fitting into any single one of those categories! Just pure wacky bollox that you would never soberly comprehend.

Tommy Tiernan fits all of them, but in fairness he is pretty feckin funny!!

harney

orestes wrote: »

The Female Comic: For some unknown reason (clearly not because they just aren't as funny), women have always found it more difficult to make it big in stand-up comedy.

Ha, I read that as

The Female Comic: For some unknown reason (clearly because they just aren't as funny), women have always found it more difficult to make it big in stand-up comedy.



/wanders off to get coat