Game for more laughs?
Last updated 11:22, Thursday, 03 April 2008
Did you hear the one about the city which tried to sustain two comedy nights?
In most places the punchline might be something along the lines of: “Yes, I did” or “What – only two comedy nights?”
In Carlisle, however, the answer has yet to be revealed. The Border City currently has just the one comedy night – Don’t Mention the Floods, at The Brickyard on Fisher Street – and this has not always been packed to the rafters.
But a rival is about to emerge, promoted and compered by a man who has every confidence in Carlisle’s capacity to support live comedy.
The Howling Owl kicks off at Spirit, on Crosby Street, tomorrow night and is due to run on the first Friday of every month. Compere AJ James, aka Andrew Hudspith, already organises a comedy night in Grange-over-Sands – a place even further off the beaten track than Carlisle.
“We’ve done one night at Grange,” says Andrew. “I was really nervous because of the location but we managed to sell the room out and all the acts went down well.
“The owners of Spirit were thinking about launching a comedy night and I looked at the venue and thought ‘This could really work’. It’s a classy venue which attracts a good clientele.”
Don’t Mention the Floods started at The Brickyard in February 2006 and runs every fourth Wednesday. It attracts a mixture of big names, established acts and newcomers. Sam Sherwood, the man behind Don’t Mention the Floods has sometimes found himself frustrated by the unpredictability of Carlisle comedy audiences.
“People in the business say Carlisle is quite a strange place to promote gigs. If you can get a crowd in Carlisle you can get a crowd anywhere.
“In February we had 200 people to see Stewart Lee. The next month we were rewarded with one of our lowest turnouts, about 50, for an act of the same calibre who wasn’t as well known.
“It isn’t only whether someone is well known or not. It just seems to be difficult to persuade people out of their houses. If they go out it’s on a Friday or Saturday to have a drink.”
The Brickyard’s future is uncertain, as the firm which owns the venue faces winding up proceedings after running up debts of nearly £60,000. Sam insists that Don’t Mention the Floods will continue, hopefully at The Brickyard but elsewhere if necessary. He is considering leaving Carlisle this summer but says that even if he goes, the comedy night will stay.
Don’t Mention the Floods has already outlasted several rivals. “There have been five other comedy clubs and a few shows that have been started by promoters outside the city and none of them have lasted. I think it’s impossible to make money from live comedy in Carlisle.”
These do not sound like words designed to inspire confidence in the city’s new comedy night, and in case there was any doubt Sam says of The Howling Owl: “I’m predicting within a few nights they’ll be shut down. They seem to be picking northern circuit acts and that will become predictable.”
Andrew Hudspith disagrees, both with the strength of Carlisle’s comedy market and the quality of his acts. “I think Carlisle can support two monthly comedy nights, for sure, although I think it would struggle to support two weekly nights. I want to develop The Howling Owl into a weekly. That’s what we’re planning for but we’ll see how we do. A lot of comedy is just used as a way to sell beer. We’re selling beer to buy comedy. My comedy heroes are Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Doug Stanhope, Jack Benny. The people at The Howling Owl won’t be the kind who tell mother-in-law jokes.”
Tomorrow night’s headliner is Vince Atta, who was named City Life Comedian of the Year 2006, and support comes from Barry Dodds and John Scott.
“The comedy scene has proliferated around the UK,” says Andrew. “Dozens of clubs are opening up, but not in Carlisle. Carlisle tends to be two or three years behind.”
The Border City’s comedy scene may be unpredictable but when it’s good, it’s very good. “In London they might not laugh because they don’t agree with the comedian’s politics,” says Sam Sherwood. “When people do come out in Carlisle they do seem to be quite generous and open and appreciative.”
The Howling Owl opens at Spirit tomorrow from 8.30pm. Admission £10.
The next Don’t Mention the Floods is on Wednesday. Doors 8pm. Show 9pm. Admission £7/£5 with an NUS card. Headlining is Ivan Brackenbury’s “Hospital Radio Roadshow”, which was nominated for last year’s if.comedy (former Perrier) award. Irish stand-up Michael Redmond (Father Stone in Father Ted) supports. Compering is Billy Kirkwood, with further support from Newcastle’s Chris Ramsey.
