The Leith Arches
October 27th, 2022
In the Game of Thrones feeble analogy of the Edinburgh Fringe there are the three players.
Underbelly- southern nonces. Assembly Rooms- tweedy establishment yawn merchants, and the Gilded Balloon proper old school Cowgate rockers keeping it real.
Street proper barry and that ken word know and so on.
The Free Fringe would be Wildings if they were hard enough.
Gilded Balloon Headyin Karen Keating (surely some mistake. Ed.) knows a thing or two about comedy. The chief dragon of the Gilded Balloon has been entertaining punters and terrorising rivals since 1986. Herself, her daughter and team being responsible for the game changing gladiatorial and unfailingly fucking hilarious ‘Late ’n Live’, the stalwart ‘so you think you’re funny’ and many many more top end productions
In the currently under siege territory of Leith, the imaginatively named Leith Arches is a prime dynastic marriage. Underground, a bit boho but the bar and the toilets still work.
Here the Gilded Ballon return with the Leith Social.
Cabaret Comedy and Music it says here.
Paisleyite MC Jay Lafferty (no relation) stirs the crowd with some affable quick witted back and forth crowd interaction. Rousing the punters from the torpor resulting from having had (past continuous plu perfect.. nice. Ed.) solved the tetris puzzle that is getting to Leith at the moment.
First up Aussie Rae Rogan with some Gervais style bio based acerbically witty tales about the travails of being a lezzer. ‘If you are going to piss into a crisp bag. Take the crisps out first’
Next Mark Black regales us with properly funny anecdotes about his pals. Mixed with surreal meanderings and some Connelly style clowning. Topped with a great skit on drunk Glaswegians speaking algebra.
All the best comedy acts I saw during this years fringe were involved or wanted to be involved with Ru Pauls Blah Blah Blah. To the the extent that Outrageously this Glasgow born lad couldn’t get a football based joke in. Can I say that? (hell yeah. Ed.)
Topical toxic masculinity aside…
Thence commences the battle of the ‘taches.
Chris (Cliff) Thorburn goes for it with a prolonged Halloween based monologue upstaging his hirsutically infurrier in the moustache stakes but no less witty compatriot final act Cornwall’s Sam Lake, who follows with yet more Drag Race styled archly sharp comedy and an explanation of why he likes sex under exam conditions.
All wrapped up with the music of Zoe Graham on the guitar gong and electro vibes. Winner of the Best Acoustic Music gong at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards Proclaimers pal Ms. Graham is touring this winter. EP ‘Gradual Moves’ (Noise Artist) is out now hepcats, and she will be at Sneaky Pete’s this December 7th
Great venue Great acts Great night.
It’s the Gilded Balloon. They don’t fuck about
5 Stars or The Ballon D’or.
Adam McCully
Mumble Comedy 