SUMMER LIVING:Talking dustbins, the odd peep of sunshine and lots of laughs – Dublin's Carlsberg Comedy Carnival was a feelgood, funny festival, writes BRIAN BOYD
WHAT A swell party it was: Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens were transformed into a mini Glastonbury-style comedy festival over the weekend for the now annual Carlsberg Comedy Carnival. Some 18,000 people streamed into the manicured gardens to catch a revolving cast of 65 Irish and international comics.
Tents and marquees sprang up all over the place. Some housed frenetic performers, some were food emporia, and others were kick-back, chill-out zones.
As you traipsed from one venue to another, a gaggle of street entertainers, performance artists and side-show attractions were never far from your side. Medieval knights on rubber horses jousted with each other, wild-eyed escaped convicts ran to and fro, and talking dustbins struck up surreal conversations with you. It was like an acid trip Mardi Gras with punchlines thrown in.
The fine weather added to the carnival atmosphere. The only problem seemed to be herding the punters up and prodding them to go inside to catch a show. Four venues – the big-top style Carlsberg Comedy Carousel, the velvet and glass Spiegeltent, the Magic Mirrors Palace, and the smaller Shack tent – offered an array of contemporary comedic styles.
There was an Australian goth piano player (Tim Minchin) who managed to be both very disturbing and very funny; a ditzy American blonde called Maria Bamford, who toyed with your emotions before ripping them to shreds with a dirty smirk; a hugely entertaining new Après Match show that was, in part, a parody of the “three men singing opera” musical genre; and a freshly minted YouTube superstar called Bo Burnham who can only be described as America’s answer to David O’Doherty.
The man who puts the event together, Vicar St’s Bren Berry, says his intention was to take the best bits of other comedy festivals around the world and plonk them into Dublin city centre. “From the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal I took the street-performance aspect,” says Berry. “From The Edinburgh Festival, I took the idea of having a load of venues in one small place, and from Kilkenny’s Cat Laughs I took the ‘multiple acts’ approach to the line-ups, so that there are no solo shows but three or four really strong acts on, one after each other. After that, it’s really just a case of bringing the infrastructure needed into the Iveagh Gardens and then making it as vibey as possible.”
For Berry, the Irish acts stole the show this year. “Not just people such as Des Bishop or Jason Byrne but the younger acts coming through as well,” he says. “I’ve always championed new Irish talent and there’s so much of it out there now. It was a thrill to see so many of them storm their shows.”
With so many acts on, you could have your comedy sunny side up, over easy, or, in the case of the American performer Neil Hamburger, very scrambled indeed. So scrambled, in fact, that one of his routines (about Michael Jackson’s children – you can fill in the blanks yourselves) led to security having to prevent an irate punter from storming the stage to “remonstrate” with Hamburger.
The performers from Whose Line Is It Anyway?brought along a special guest in the shape of Sean Lock; there was a near rapturous reception for Wilson Dixon, a singing Texan cowboy (who's actually from New Zealand); and the one-man rock opera that is Doktor CocacolaMcDonalds was universally adored, thanks to his Lycra swimming trunks, weird make-up and song titles such as Feed Celebrities to the Third World. A man after my own heart.
A star is born
Those fortunate enough to see the 19-year-old US comic Bo Burnham at the weekend will probably never see him again in such intimate surrounds.
Three years ago, Burnham started posting videos of his lo-fi comedy routines on YouTube - to date they have received close to 50 million hits.
Burnham does cerebral “frat boy” humour. Gender, race and sexuality are dealt with in a “politically incorrect” way.
He has a formidable linguistic talent (his word-play is astonishing) and this lifts his adolescent- style concerns into an entirely different category.
He has already signed a four-record deal with Comedy Central Records and is currently working on an “anti-High School Musical” film with the director Judd Apatow.
So who was funny? Eight men, four women and one horse give their verdicts
1 EOIN O’CONNOR (29) from Rathmines, Dublin.
Who have you seen?I saw John Bishop and I thought he was great. The compère at the show was Eric Lalor, who was very impressive.
Who are you going to see?Reginald D Hunter.
Who isn't on the bill but should be?Dylan Moran
Who is the best comic of all time?Eddie Murphy, around the time he did Raw in the 1980s.
2 KNIGHT KNIGHT (32) from the Buí Bolg theatre company.
Who have you seen?Nobody, I've been working all weekend.
Who are you going to see?This new American guy everyone is talking about, Bo Burnham.
Who else should be on the bill?Dara O Briain.
The best comic of all time?Bo Burnham, from what I've heard.
3 EAMON De BURCA (32) from Ranelagh, Dublin.
Who have you seen?John Bishop - he was excellent.
Who are you going to see?Phil Nichol and Reginald D Hunter. Reg is the man.
Who else should be on the bill?Dara O Briain.
The best comic of all time?Billy Connolly.
4 AMY (25) and LOUISE Ni LUING (22) from Dingle, Co Kerry.
Who have you seen?We saw the 10th anniversary show of the International Comedy Club, and it was amazing. There was Des Bishop, his brother Aidan Bishop, Karl Spain and Neil Delamere.
Who else should be on the bill?Dara O Briain.
The best comic of all time?
Des Bishop.
5 SEAMUS THE MINSTREL (19) from the Buí Bolg theatre company.
Who have you seen?Bo Burnham - brilliant stuff.
Who are you going to see?Ardal O'Hanlon.
Who else should be on the bill?Jimmy Carr.
The best comic of all time?Billy Connolly.
6 SELINA KEENAN (25) from Newry, Co Down and COLUM CAMPBELL (25) from Larne, Co Antrim.
Who have you seen?We saw Après Match. We had never heard of them before but we absolutely loved them.
Who are you going to see?Colin Murphy - you have to support the Nordies on the bill. We used to go and see him play at the Empire in Belfast. We're also going to Tim Minchin and Reginald D Hunter later.
Who else should be on the bill?Billy Connolly.
The best comic of all time?Selina: Colin Murphy. Colum: Peter Kay and Ricky Gervais.
7 DECLAN CODY (27, it was my birthday yesterday) from Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Who have you seen?Andrew Maxwell, which was very, very good. I really wanted to see Jason Manford, who was supposed to be on with him but he couldn't make the gig for some reason.
Who are you going to see?I'll play it by ear.
Who else should be on the bill?Dom Irrera and Dylan Moran.
The best comic of all time?Chevy Chase.
8 TONY WATERS (22) from Clonsilla, Co Dublin.
Who have you seen?Après Match - they were fantastic.
Who are you going to see?All done now.
Who else should be on the bill?Tommy Tiernan.
The best comic of all time?
Billy Connolly.
9 BRIAN HUGHES (23) from Blanchardstown, Co Dublin.
Who have you seen?Andrew Maxwell - fantastic.
Who are you going to see?No plans at the moment. I'll see what happens.
Who else should be on the bill?Lee Evans
The best comic of all time?David O'Doherty
10 MELANIE TAYLOR (22) from Blanchardstown, Co Dublin.
Who have you seen?Andrew Maxwell - very funny.
Who are you going to see?I haven't decided yet.
Who else should be on the bill?Lee Mack.
The best comic of all time?Tommy Tiernan.
