T IN THE PARK FEATURE
COMEDY
Comedy under canvas
In the little Top, Phil Kay is the man with no plan. Jesus’s Glaswegian cousin is nominally ‘compere’ for the events on the third stage, charged with marshalling - in his habitual doolally manner — a rotating line-up that sees thrusting young musical talent alternating with top stars of showbiz and entertainment. At time of writing, the comedians’ comedian, that’s Eddie lzzard, is, we are told, a ‘ba’ hair away’ from being confirmed as appearing. Negotiations, it seems, involve the band on Eddie’s Ella record label, the rather fine Wasp Factory, landing a slot on the bill, too. Fair enough, we say. Eddie is comedic God, with a neat line in ‘bollocks on top of more bollocks’, and we bow before his greatness and taste.
Those that are 100 per cent confirmed include Charlie Chuck. Last year’s appearances by Chuck at the Edinburgh Fringe, and his starring role on ‘The Smell 0f Reeves & Mortimer’, ushered a new champion of the Comedy Of The Absurd. Chiefly, Chuck’s laughs accrue from his Ken Dodd-on-a-Van-Der-Craaf-Cenerator hair-don’t, his ‘cakey pig’ catchphrase, and his deepest
l
Corky and the Juice Pigs
Yorkshire pronunciation of the word ‘donkey’. This year Charlie Chuck’s task is to prove he’s no one-trick donkey.
Chris lynam’s main schtick, meanwhile, is his ability (and his will) to stick a firework up his bottom. He also looks like he’d as soon as slit your gizzard as tell you a joke, so there’s two reasons to stand back. As Cennan newspaper ‘Badener Tagenblatt’ put it, ‘stripe nackt auf der Buhne und steckt sich ein Feuerwerk in den Hintern’.
Last but not least funny, Corky And
2 The Juice Pigs. This Canadian power-
trio hail from the same song/skit/asylum hinterland as Australia’s Doug Anthony All-Stars. As ' someone (me) said somewhere (‘The List’) of their Fringe shows last summer, ‘Corky And The Juice Pigs have talent dribbling from their every orifice . . . You’ll laugh so much you’ll pop a vein. Pass the cheese donkey drugs.’ Next issue, full, final details of T In The Park’s comedy content, including Pulp’s stage-gear, Primal Scream’s rider requirements, and Oasis’s hotel bill. (Craig McLean)
funky bits are mostly formulaic and the lyrics are always embarrassingly trite (embarrassingly trite lyrics are only a forgiveable offence when cloaked in magnificent music). Having said all that, who can think of a better band to rally the troops at the end of a tiring. emotional weekend in a field?
I Pulp His 'N' Hers. the first Pulp album to be properly heard. may have been heralded as a crimplene classic chronicling the daily bump 'n' grind of inner city blues from a camp and candid perspective. but really, when
you examine the emperor's new clothes. it‘sjust the same velour. polyester and terylene mix — droll tale of urban decadence, deadpan delivery. occasional whoop/heavy breathing and embellishing cheesy synth. To really get to grips with the Pulp aesthetic you have to see them live and witness the stand-up, scissor-jump, suggestive gesticulating genius of Jarvis Cocker in the flesh. It‘s like the old trick of trying to eat a doughnut without licking your lips.
I Whiteout Their detractors have them pegged as a fledgling Primal Scream. revelling pointlessly in past rock ‘n‘ roll glories, musical and sartorial gravediggers of the most bare-faced order. But these people have just had a collective soul bypass; Whiteout may or may not claim to be a mess of big. big influences. but they do have a Machiavellian way with feelgood songs. To wit. the end justifies the means. And you can‘t cook an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and all that stuff. Greenock's most wanted release a new single in early August; their previous singles ‘No Time' and ‘Starrclub‘ should still be available from all good record emporiurns. Do your duty. pop—pickers.
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The List l5—28 July 199413