Knock2Bag at the Tabernacle

Knock2Bag at the Tabernacle

08 October, 2009
by: Emma

Knock2Bag in Shepherd's Bush has been a consistently good comedy club for the last year or two now. Always packed out, it attracts a first rate line-up of comedians from big names to new talent on the rise. It's not unsurprising then that they've branched out to the much bigger venue of the Tabernacle in Notting Hill to cope with demand. And when I say big I mean big. At the entrance, there are two different McAlpines on the ticket list (definitely a first for me at a comedy gig) and we bump into two friends (not together) on the way to the bar. The Tabernacle is a stunning venue for a show (Lily Allen used it for a secret gig a few months back) and I'm told by organiser Rupert Majendie that tonight it's well over seated capacity with a 366-strong crowd!

After a rousing audience chat-up by Matt Green, he introduces the first act - Phil Kay, a highly acclaimed stand-up who improvises every set. This is the second time I've seen him first on the bill. 'Why so' I wonder? – 'He's so damn good, he should be last!' It may be that the man has too much adrenaline to stay in the wings waiting his turn; it would be like making the Road Runner wait at a level crossing. Kay explodes onto the stage with a tumbler of whiskey, kissing a man hello in the front row and telling us about how he's just chased after someone who'd left their Metro on the train – 'Excuse me, you left your Metroooo!' He throws himself around the stage, making up jokes and songs on the spot about everything from the microphone stand to a man crossing his arms. His energy and quick-wit are astonishing; at one point we literally can't stop laughing. He challenges the audience to stop, pointing accusatorily at anyone who dares snicker, mimicking them until the whole crowd is in hysterics again. During the break I spy him pottering off into the night with his guitar and imagine what hilarity might ensue were some poor, unsuspecting mugger to try and fleece him.

It's a very strong start; surely no one can top that? But the line-up suggests it could. Next up is Angelos Epithemiou of Shooting Stars fame, who already seems to have a large fanbase from his enthusiastic reception. A similar character act to Knock2Bag resident Brian Gittins (indeed the pair often perform together), his routine is a random one. After a few tried-and-tested jokes and surprisingly uncanny impressions, he strips off to reveal a silver jumpsuit ('I bought this in the year 2000, I thought everyone would have one'), dancing to some music while pretending to be a cat. It's a bizarre yet comical scene and the man on my right is howling uncontrollably with laughter.

Doc Brown has been appearing on a lot of good bills recently and rightly so from tonight's performance. The self-styled 'Fresh Prince of Bel-End' has a nice line in comedy rap. His final piece about leaving a tearful message on his ex-girlfriend' s answer machine is a bit like Eminem's 'Stan' only funny and mercifully Dido-absent. Surprise act Stephen Merchant proves that he's not just good at TV scripts but stand-up material as well. You can see where inspiration for The Office came from, a lot of his routine centres around hilarious but painfully cringe-worthy scenarios like the 'Best Man's Speech' and the sexual predicaments of being a tall person with impaired vision. Not quite as enjoyable is his final piece where he gets audience members to act out a pretentious play he wrote at school. The concept is funny, but gets a bit wearing after ten minutes of high drama with drunken performers and a terrible plot.

Headliner Richard Herring rounds the evening off nicely with some old and new material. The highlight for me is when he descends into a rant about the actor Steve Martin daring to think he could do a better job at reprising the roles of Inspector Clouseau and Sergeant Bilko. He compares his dastardly deed with the Shannon Matthews kidnapping: 'I think Karen Matthews has probably leant her lesson by now but I don't think Steve Martin has learnt his.'

So it's another cracker of an evening for Knock2Bag and standards show no signs of slipping – just check out the future line-ups. One word of advice though - book a table in advance, because these gigs sure are popular.

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Emma