What’s your favourite music album? It’s something that not everybody puts a lot of thought into, but for Gabriel Ebulue it’s a make-or-break situation when making a first impression. Self-confessed music snob Ebulue talks about how his taste in music made him the man we see on stage today in a free show which is easy-going and offers a few good laughs.
Some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments
Ebulue as a comedian is gentle on first impression, although his snap judgements on people’s choice of hip-hop and favourite Beatle (according to Ebulue there is a correct answer for both questions) reveal there’s a potential for more viciousness on stage than Ebulue is showcasing. His audience interaction is a little bumpy, showing he doesn’t have complete control over the crowd. That said, Ebulue is quick to right himself when his material derails a little to deal with an audience member who prefers modern hip-hop- there’s a nice sense of structure throughout which holds the show together.
In terms of punchlines, Ebulue signposts his material in such a way that it’s not too difficult to see where the joke is headed. Touching on topics of music subgenres, race and marriage there are the odd jokes which are predictable by virtue of being focussed on the topics themselves as opposed to a lack of skill in Ebulue’s delivery, though a few punchlines have me wondering why Ebulue doesn’t further his line of thought for a more satisfying conclusion. Nonetheless, it’s an engaging show for the evening on the free fringe, and one which produces some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments when Ebulue’s material really follows through.
