The 1am Apeshit Show is a chance for multiple comedians to perform ten minute sets, yet as a result there was little in the way of hilarity. This was without a doubt the most hostile crowd I've witnessed, and it appeared it was similarly surprising for the comedians too who unfortunately did not deal with it particularly well. Yet, it was an experience that will rarely be duplicated again, partly due to the location in Top Deck (the top deck of a bus) in the Free Sisters.
The venue is awesome, the acts are average, the atmosphere is like no other. Get drunk, go along, see if you can stay until the end.
The compere, Sam Golin, was perhaps the best act of all, a refreshing change in between each act and never lacking in energy. His self-deprecation was fitting and his joke about feeling like we were in a real bus by the number of people getting on and off at five minute intervals was probably the highlight of an otherwise hostile evening of comedy.
All too often the comedians did not have the energy, power or outright hilarity to keep us engaged for the duration of a ten minute set. I was left feeling that if I wasn't enjoying their ten minutes, how difficult would a full set of their material be to sit through? Especially as their audience interaction was not effective either. Too often their delivery lacked any edge, their material was tired and their credibility was undermined by descending to the hecklers' level.
The majority of the audience were fairly inebriated and thus there were constant interruptions or attempted heckles (as some can hardly be given the title of a heckle). Very occasionally these were simply abusive, but then the comedians had the audience on their side and could ride the wave of support. None of the acts were particularly hilarious, not that they were ever given much of a chance. Yet this evening was all about the atmosphere and not about the comedy in any way. It is called The 1am Apeshit Show because, surprisingly, it is a show at 1am in which the method to welcome each new act is to go 'apeshit' by banging the roof, floor and sides of the bus. This in itself was fun enough to warrant a two star rating.
The venue is awesome, the acts are average, the atmosphere is like no other. Get drunk, go along, see if you can stay until the end.
