Sharp Left

[smokingboot]

The Devil has all the best tunes,they say, and the Left has the best comedians. I guess it's not always true; Michael McKintyre does a sweet line in observational self deprecating comedy of the middle class and had plenty of stick for it too, by those who say that real comedy is a thing of scars and scratches. Don't know, really don't. But surely comedy is about finding or being the absurd, the wrong, whatever. And I do like me a fine fierce comedian.

Taking a mate and his son to Edinburgh just to sample the Fringe vibe, we advanced on a man in a tutu surrounded by bemused tourists when someone gave us a flyer for a stand up called Mark Thomas. The name rang some bells with me, but more with one of my guests, who knew the name very well. It was this guy; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Thomas

And still I kinda knew but didn't recall. Nothing came back to me until we were in the room watching him, a hard,sharp funny man with a very distinctive delivery and total control of his audience. I think he is better than he was, or maybe it's just that his older stuff dates badly. The man in the tutu did not shine my shoes, but if we hadn't drifted towards him, we'd never have got the flyer. Fringe serendipity; it's like cats. The moment you count on it, off it f***s.

There now, swearing. I shouldn't spend more than two hours at the Fringe or I turn into Frankie Boyle. He's there this year, and I'm trying to work out whether he's worth a look. Hmm. He can be brilliant but sometimes there's a touch too much shockjockery there for me. Frankie's best focused on a specific subject given a little room but not too much. He's been complaining about how middle class the Fringe has become. Tickets for his show are £18.50, £19.50 for the special show late on the 27th. Now, I'd call these reasonable prices, but there are plenty of folk terrified of the oncoming food/fuel crisis, who'd find nearly 20 quid a bit too much to pay, given that they'll have to eat/drink/travel in and back. It'll be the middle classes who pack the seats out every night - and as I see, yup, the only tickets left are for that last show. I'll give it a miss for now.

My friend was delighted by the festival, and we were very lucky with the weather which broke last night in the most magnificent thunderstorm right overhead. We watched Prey, played Zombicide, and some got very drunk. I stayed the useful side of the glass, i.e when people suggested building a fire in our garden brazier, I put my foot down. It was the only time I did so, which is why people listened. Now everyone is asleep, everyone is happy, and my house is not a smoking ruin. As victories go,I'll take it.