Carlsberg Comedy Carnival 2009

tipptop2008

Went to see David O Doherty on Thursday. He was very good. Also on same bill was Damien Clark (good) and Maria Bamford (very weird and not so good). Was my first time at any of the festivals. Didn't really like the format. WOuld have preferred to just go see David O'Doherty for an hour rather than 3 comedians in 3 half hour slots, esp when one I though was poor.

YumCha

Went to see Whose Line it is Anyway yesterday night...the tagline being come early stay late we went in around 5:30pm for our 7:30pm show only to be told our pre-paid tickets weren't printed yet and we'd have to come back at 6. My friend who was with us and going to the 9:30pm show was told to come back at 7!

Seems a little weird to have all 4 venues going at the same times - it's ridiculously quiet once the shows are on but once everything finishes it's mad queues for portaloos etc.

However the show itself was pretty good - start of the second half was a bit slow because they played the same game for ages, going back again for Tim Minchin now...trying to get there as close to 3pm to avoid any repeat ticket pickup fiascos

cailinoBAC

My cousin was at the Andrew Maxwell show on Friday. She's looking for her money back. I wanted to go to that dutch guys show (Hans?), but luckily didn't get tickets as apparently he caught swine flu. Got free tickets to Ardal O Hanlon, he was entertaining but the other guy, Todd Barry, was crap.
Last year there seemed to be more entertainers around between shows. There was nothing this year. So I don't get the 'carnival' in the title. They should have some system, where, if you have bought a ticket to a show,once you are inside you can get into any non sold out show for a lower price. Was disappointed, but can't really complaing as the tickets were free!

the corpo

enjoyed neil hamburger and ardal o'hanlon tonight, but after the two very brief sets and being back in our car before 10, i feel distinctly ripped off.
it would actually be a great wee festival, if they sold day tickets for 60 quid or something, and you were free to wander between tents.
definitely wouldn't be arsed going again

creativedrinker

just back from ardal o'hanlon who was just brillant:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D!!!!!! but his support, neil hamburger??? how is he a comedian???? in under 10 mins he was gettin boo'ed off n abuse n kept wit his crap jokes, even ardal slagged him:p... how did he get on the line up, looking at paint would be more entertaining!!!!!!
Ardal was great tho!!!

grames_bond

the corpo wrote: »

if they sold day tickets for 60 quid or something, and you were free to wander between tents.

that wouldnt work at all, comedian trying to do his/her set with people constantly in and out making noise and generally disrupting everything and the lesser known acts would be doing gigs to nobody at certain stages!

creativedrinker wrote: »

neil hamburger??? how is he a comedian???? in under 10 mins he was gettin boo'ed off n abuse n kept wit his crap jokes, even ardal slagged him:p... how did he get on the line up, looking at paint would be more entertaining!!!!!!!!

that the exact point of hamburgers set, he is so bad you love to boo him! he is the comedian you hurl abuse at and boo till the cowa come home and he just keeps going!

FrankGrimes

Went to Eugene Mirman and Neil Hamburger on Saturday night. Turned out David McSavage was only MCing - the way it was listed on the site it looked like McSavage was actually on the bill. McSavage was good, Mirman was grand but Hamburger was pure and utter tripe. Like many people, we walked out after it became clear that he had nothing else up his sleeve - the crowd weren't really actively booing him, they were mostly just in quiet shock at how bad he was, so he had very little to bounce off and so his extremely lame act crashed and burned quite specaturlarly and he had not wit or cunning to think on his feet and come up with a Plan B. How that guy gets paid to be a so called comedian is beyond me.

So it basically amounted to 2 x 35/40 minute slots with a total of about 15 minutes of McSavage in a very basic venue for the princely sum of €33.20. Total rip-off and mismarketed. An opportunity has been missed to make this into an actual festival. Won't be going near the place again.

P247

I can't believe you're having a go at Hamburger, the man has cancer?!

I thought he was amazing, left before Ardal, no way he could've match Neil

jaykayphd

alastair wrote: »

Went on Friday to see Andew Maxwell. Unfortunately he got tanked up and was in no shape to perform, and only lasted 10 minutes or so. Not a highlight.

Yeah I also went to see Andrew Maxwell. What a shambles. Once the crowd realised he was polluted they started calling for the MC to come back on!! Maxwell seemed to lose all train of thought (if he had any) at that stage and stared blanky at the stage door looking for help.
The MC came back on and tried to retrieve things but he wasnt really prepared for an extended show. Not a good way to spend €33.
The rep from the company promoting the carnival informed us that we could get a refund on writing to them. That remains to be seen.

mcloughj

jaykayphd wrote: »

Not a good way to spend €33.
The rep from the company promoting the carnival informed us that we could get a refund on writing to them. That remains to be seen.

I'm 50:50 myself about trying to get a refund. PJ did a good job filling in for the sick guy and the MC (Brendan?) did an admirable job considering the mess he was dumped in. So overall I wasn't completely ripped off but still it could have been better.

QueensGael

Neil (Mc)Hamburger was so completely useless - I was waiting for something great to happen, thinking the lame schtik would morph into something wonderful. Sadly not so. I stayed to the very end, and it never improved. I thought the audience showed great restraint, seeing as they had shelled out 30 bills each to see the show.
Sounds like the Andrew Maxwell show was a disaster too. No way I'll be going back to this festival next year!

robo

They are discussing Andrew Maxwell now on Liveline

mcloughj

robo wrote: »

They are discussing Andrew Maxwell now on Liveline

Nowhere near a radio or a computer with speakers. but i can probably guess what's being said!

Tazzer

Ok - i went on saturday.
Had booked the Andrew Maxwell, Jason Manford, MC Eric Lalor @ 3pm.
and then @ 10pm Paddy Courtney,Leo Allen,MC P McDonn

I had heard what happened the previous night, but went in anyways. Andrew was on top form - although seemed a little nervous at the beginning. At the end, he did apologise for his behaviour and said he was morto!

Now, the MC said that Jason Manford could not make it as his wife was ill..Fair enough I said to myself. These things happen. His replacement was Leo Allen. Which would have been fine if he did a different set piece to what we saw again @ 10pm!

Very annoyed about this - if they are going to have replacements, they should have the hindsight to have a 2nd set ready for these unforseen circumstances.

We forked out €132.80 (inc booking fee) for 2 tickets to each event, with the intention of seeing 4 comedians and 2 mc's. We saw 3 comedians and 2mcs

Very bad organisation from the company organising this event.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Tazzer

Scien wrote: »

What exactly happened with Maxwell?
Did he just walk off or did he apologise and admit he was too pissed?

Thats unlike him to get tanked before a big gig like that especially with Edinburgh coming up...
Terrible PR for him.

Wasnt there myself, but my brothers friend was, and she said that he came on stage pi**ed, tried to say a few paedo jokes etc and got booed off the stage.

jaykayphd

Scien wrote: »

What exactly happened with Maxwell?
Did he just walk off or did he apologise and admit he was too pissed?

Thats unlike him to get tanked before a big gig like that especially with Edinburgh coming up...
Terrible PR for him.

Came on stage....asked the crowd who had come the furthest to see him, seemed to start his routine, got distracted by some people talking off to his right, told us he was defo the drunkest present, asked the same question about distance travelled again and then just lost the crowd completely. Utter mess!! Then as I said previosly he seemed to look over to the stage door towards the MC, who came on and Maxwell disappearred to a chorus of boos.

gazzer

jaykayphd wrote: »

Came on stage....asked the crowd who had come the furthest to see him, seemed to start his routine, got distracted by some people talking off to his right, told us he was defo the drunkest present, asked the same question about distance travelled again and then just lost the crowd completely. Utter mess!! Then as I said previosly he seemed to look over to the stage door towards the MC, who came on and Maxwell disappearred to a chorus of boos.

I went to Electric Picnic last year and Andrew Maxwell was playing the Comedy Tent. I really wanted to see him (had never seen him live before) but he came on and said he was stoned and proceeded to shout out random words for about 10 minutes. He was CRAP.

ams

He was in the bleedin horse all evening as my friends were in there drinking - they said he was flaming!

neonman

Went on the Friday night to see Jason Manford - but he was a no show as well :mad: he was the main comedian i wanted to see in the line up as well. MC Willa White was very good as was Jason Byrne.

Pissed off about Manford ! Ardal O'hanlon stepped in for Manford but he wasn't great seemed like he just wanted to fill the void and get out.

QueensGael

Is there any response from the organizers? I missed the Liveline show, so I don't know if they responded there. Seems like the whole event was a shambles. I'll stick to the International comedy nights from now on, you won't see me at this Carlsbery Comedy lark again!

Tazzer

heres the podcast for the Liveline Podcast - Andrew Maxwell Comedy show


http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2009/pc/pod-v-270709-17m44s-livelinecomedy.mp3

waves

tipptop2008 wrote: »

Went to see David O Doherty on Thursday. He was very good. Also on same bill was Damien Clark (good) and Maria Bamford (very weird and not so good). Was my first time at any of the festivals. Didn't really like the format. WOuld have preferred to just go see David O'Doherty for an hour rather than 3 comedians in 3 half hour slots, esp when one I though was poor.

I thought Maria was great. Her stuff on main stream American comedians and the stuff about her family were great. I thoroughly enjoyed her set. That's comedy for you.

Jay D

God didn't hear of this, was at it on Thurs myself.

Fair play to the MC, although I have to say the MCs are usually very good at gigs like these.

momc

Maria Bamford was useless, can't believe she gets hired to do gigs! Reg D Hunter was great but only performed for 20mins...very bad value for money...won't be rushing back to Carlsberg Comedy Carnival!

inisboffin

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Last year there seemed to be more entertainers around between shows. There was nothing this year. So I don't get the 'carnival' in the title.

You're wrong there..there was about 20 performers (some were doing characters, some just jumping around doing the usual stilt stuff) and a band of about 30! Carnival Collective, I actually thought they were deadly..kinda live drum and base salsa band. They are a huge hit at Glasto..
Then again it was about the comedy

smilers

i was at andrew maxwell on friday nite and was sittin right at the front row, when andrew walked on he started grand but start bull****tin bout how drunk he was after walkin in with a pint of water, i knew from one of his last shows that he works from the crowd so said wat ya talkin bout ur only drinkin water, he wasn to happy and it wen on 4 bout 10 seconds of us back chattin.....

then a guy came over 2 me lik security or wat ever and told me to pipe it down and i said sure he will play off it, its grand i didn mean any thing by it, he turned 2 me and said i no yeh but jst not 2nite(obviously compleatly known wat was goin on with him b4 hand)

after this within 3 or 4 mins he was off the stage and been booed off!!

after my boyfriend, 4 friends(hu came with us cause we had talked bout how funny he was in vicar st.) and myself asked the same security guy who told me 2 pipe down what it was all bout and what happened. he said he is pissed and we could either come in again on the saturday or get our money back. we wer so annoyed at the fact we recommended to friends 2 c him and when they do this is what happens... never again will i go and see him after that.

althought pj was before hand and was great!! if he wasnt there and that happened i would have compleatly lost it!!!! andrew maxwell was terrible he should hav known how much he could drink or what ever b4 comin on 2 a stage to do a gig!!!!:mad:

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Number one

This is an email i recevied from MCD after complaining about maxwell's performance or lack there of;

Subject: RE: Aiken Promotions: Andrew Maxwell

Dear Customer,

Andrew Maxwell would like to say the following:

"Personally I am so sorry for letting anyone down who was good enough to
come and see me perform on Friday 24th July @ The Carlsberg Comedy
Carnival. By way of apology, I would like to offer ticket buyers
complimentary tickets to come and see me do my job properly on Oct 24th
@ Vicar St."
Aiken Promotions would like to thank you for attending the festival. If
you do not wish to attend Andrew's show in Oct, we would like to offer
you tickets for any forthcoming comedy show @ Vicar St. (subject to
availability - Dylan Moran is sold out),

At least they're prepared to give some form of refund / exchange

jph100

Scien wrote: »

What exactly happened with Maxwell?
Did he just walk off or did he apologise and admit he was too pissed?

Thats unlike him to get tanked before a big gig like that especially with Edinburgh coming up...
Terrible PR for him.

i saw him last year in vicar street and he was tipsy to say the least. wasn't a great gig.

he seemed ok the time i saw him at the panel