Alun Cochrane is about halfway through his set when he spots my notepad poking out from under the pedestal table in front of me. Apparently this faux pas warranted a tirade in which he declared that my review and I 'can f**k off' and that he couldn't care less about something he's 'not going to read anyway'. Because I probably work for some 'low level' publication, and anyway, his 'friend is dying'. How this last sobering declaration relates to my review in any way is baffling, especially when you consider several former jokes of his have centred around his dislike for all his mates. This makes me the latest in a long list of things Cochrane believes ‘can f**k off'. Previous offenders include the Pleasance (too many skinny jeans), skiing (glorified slipping), and local radio stations (for 'stupid' hypothetical questions directed at him during interviews). The man is a self-identified misanthrope, and whilst his brand of stand-up can be slick, witty and insightful, his misery guts act grows old quickly. Cochrane's social nihilism is nothing more than an exaggerated performance, which is quickly abandoned whenever he addresses his wife or young son. Cochrane has previously made an appearance on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and, like McIntyre, he relies primarily on observational comedy for laughs. He does however, have varying success pointing out the ridiculous in society; the horrifically overdone 'aren't we all mad for having an iPhone/ Blackberry' shtick with which he opens his routine had me cringing, as did his boring narrative about loud passengers on the quiet carriage. I found other more ambitious comedic strategies, such as the self-deprecating referencing of his own previous jokes, to be more humorous. He was also able to subvert expectations of popular mainstream comedy by satirizing stadium stand-up and the commercial success of 'men versus women' gags. In short, Cochrane's world-weary fun-poking occasionally hits the right spot. Ultimately however, he is a bit too pleased with his own jokes and relies on nastiness for cheap laughs. His smugness makes him difficult to like, although I wouldn't be surprised to see this McIntyre disciple sitting on a judges' panel for some form of reality talent show in the near future - no doubt inventively suggesting to auditioning hopefuls that they 'can f**k off'.
