Articles by Joe Walsh

The Art of Self-Improvement

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
22nd Aug, 2013

Ragweed, a ‘scuzzy rock trio’ from Brighton, appreciate the importance of being immersed in live music.

Utter! Presents... Identity Mix-Up

I don’t think I’ve felt as privileged to be in a performer’s company at a Fringe show as I felt when watching Keith Jarrett.

Barnardo’s Big Comedy Benefit

I just want to first make sure that we’re on level ground here: I think Barnardo’s is super.

War of the Waleses

It’s the old romcom cliché: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl marries into the suffocating institution to which boy belongs, girl divorces boy.

Concrete Duvet

It’s a well-worn formula: Man-child isn’t ready to completely give himself over to his relationships, ensnared as he is in a mentality of self-interest and a fear of commitment…

Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire

Roddy Hart and his band, the Lonesome Fire, appear on the stage dressed as dapper as anything.

Rachel Sermanni

Rachel Sermanni comes onto the stage and blithely announces that she has made a new instrument – out of spoons that she bought in a charity shop.

Doogie Paul Memorial Concert

Doogie Paul may not be the most familiar name in music, but amongst those who know him, both directly and indirectly, he is spoken of with a great deal of admiration.

John McNamara Acoustic Soul and Blues

You wouldn’t guess that John McNamara had only decisively started his Blues career last year at this very festival.

Dean Friedman - Words and Music

Dean Friedman is a personable guy.

Kaffa!

A series of vignettes dedicated to ‘modern-day café culture and the problems that come with it’ doesn’t scream mirth, so I think the success of Kaffa! pays hearty testament …

Phildel

Phildel’s story is poignant and it is one to which she subtly but frankly alludes with explanations as to how each song came to be written.

Spoken Word Showcases and Competitions

The nature of the Spoken Word Showcase is such that each night is an entirely different affair, as Fay Roberts proudly announces at the beginning of the show.

Ukulele Lunch Date With Tricity Vogue - Free

Of all the ukulele workshops I’ve ever been to, this was by far the best, and let me tell you, I’ve uked a fair bit in my time.

Monkey Poet

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
5th Aug, 2013

Matt Panesh is Monkey Poet: A poet who runs out of poems after half an hour.

Evie and the Perfect Cupcake / PBH's Free Fringe

Welcome to the Calorie Galaxy, in which Tina Sederholm’s protagonist Evie struggles under a regime of browbeating and humiliation, all in the pursuit of a narrow waist.

Dick Whittington

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
3rd Aug, 2013

To give these enthusiastic students credit, it is not easy to pull off a pantomime.

Song Noir

John Wills, guitarist of Pumajaw, the musical pairing behind Song Noir, entered the room and crossed the stage, barely acknowledging the audience as he picked up his electric guita…

Times Square Tourist

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
14th Aug, 2013

In a spoken word account – I would assume non-fictional, though this is never made clear – Laurel Lockhart tells us of her time in New York as she tries to hit it big in the gr…

Adam Page

Pressing the right pedal records, pressing the left pedal replays.

Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
13th Aug, 2013

I’ve got a lot of time for people who don’t perform at the Fringe for any reason other than to exhibit a hobby.

Liam Mullone: Game Over

I’m going to start simply: Liam Mullone is funny – much more so than his association with Russell Howard’s Good News would suggest.

Drum Struck

Despite the many celebrations for Drum Struck that have been quoted on its posters, I went in ready to be critical: I’m not impressed so easily, thought I.

For the Love of Folk!

To spend one’s afternoon in the company of Raymond Considine is a relaxed and amusing affair.

Panto-monium: An Adult Pantomime for Gentlemen and Gentleladies

The onstage rapport of the three actors of Panto-Monium is nothing to be sniffed at.

Damn Danes

I forget where comic duo Damn Danes are from, but their comedy is in any case a welcome presence at this year’s Fringe.

PussyFooting

Review
★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
8th Aug, 2013

The absurdist mantle is an invaluable crutch for this play.

Thrice

Review
★★
Joe Walsh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
15th Aug, 2013

Try it at least thrice and you’re bound to get a laugh: so goes the philosophy of sketch duo Toby – consisting of siblings Sarah and Lizzy Daykin – and Nathan Dean Williams.