Hello to the subscribers of CMB x As You Were,
The general catch-all term for people who watched my Twitch streams was the CMB-Hive, which I thought was a good bit of fun. However, I’ve decided that subscribers to the newsletter (a separate breed) are from now on going to be known as the As You Werewolves. Missives will be sent out exclusively on a full moon, and by reading this you have developed a vulnerability to silver bullets. Apologies for that.
Just giving a heads up to the As You Werewolves that we’re putting on an EXTRA SHOW on in a bigger room at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the SCARY TIMES ‘24 tour. It’s on AUGUST 7th at 8:30. The last three shows sold out weeks in advance so if you missed out, make sure you get a ticket for this one. And if you seen SCARY TIMES last year, and you know somebody who hasn’t seen it, send them to this show! This extra show is in the same room (MB3) that I filmed my “OH NO!” special with 800 Pound Gorilla Media in, which is one of my favourite places to do stand-up in the world. It’ll be good!
I also thought, maybe you would like some recommendations of other shows to see at the Edinburgh Fringe. This list is by no means exhaustive, and I know for a fact somebody is going to pull me up for not putting their show on it, but come on. Get over it. In fact, I’m now restricting myself (mostly) to just recommending shows at Monkey Barrel, with like three exceptions, so that I have an excuse not to have mentioned most shows.
A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF SHOWS TO SEE AT MONKEY BARREL (MOSTLY) AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE 2024
LIAM WITHNAIL - “CHRONIC BOOM” - MONKEY BARREL
Enjoy An Album is currently on an indefinite hiatus, but I highly recommend this very funny piece of fringe comedy about the onset of colitis, because a) I’ve ripped off his idea of doing a fringe recommendations list to punt tickets for my own show, and b) I make a cameo in this show, and is therefor a must for any CMB completionists. Don’t believe people when they say he has hair like Jynx. Also, follow Liam’s substack, too.
SOME LAUGH LIVE - MONKEY BARREL
Stu, Marc and Stephen are all doing their own shows that are worth seeing, but I would be remiss as the so-called Fourth Laugher not to plug their live podcast. Stephen Buchanan is doing what I’m doing (a reprisal of last year’s show, a.k.a. The Coward’s August) but Marc Jennings is doing a new show called MARCSISM and Stuart McPherson is doing a show called HORSE, which I saw a preview of at Van Winkle in Sandyford the other week that I really enjoyed. Go see those two shows, too. (Please watch the online stuff that Stephen has made for Channel 4 and BBC Scotland, by the way. He’s going to be a one-man Chewing The Fat, this guy.)
SUSIE MCCABE - “MERCHANT OF MENACE” - ASSEMBLY
If you’re not only a buzzing bee in the CMB-Hive and a fully fledged As You Werewolf, but also a fan of the Here Comes The Guillotine podcast, please go and see the Merchant of Menace at Assembly. Susie is my Scottish comedy sensei, and has tapped me so many cigarettes over the years that it is impossible that I’ll ever pay her back. Snarf snarf!
ROSCO MCCLELLAND - “SUDDEN DEATH” - MONKEY BARREL
I honestly hate this guy so much. He’s opening for me on the SCARY TIMES ‘24 tour, and, it’s a real source of agony for me. I was reading an article by a country band about do’s and don’t’s for life on the road, and tip one was “Don’t go on tour with somebody you hate”. I thought, my god, doomed from day one. This show is sort of about a congenital heart condition that he has, and if it’s as good as the show from last year, you’d be in for a treat to see it. Bleh!
MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON - “O” - MONKEY BARREL
There’s been reports of people fainting at Marjolein’s previews for this, which is absolutely dope. It’s like going to see the Exorcist, but instead of about catholic guilt and the limits of faith, it’s about nearly dying of blood loss as a teenager. Super Marjo is going to have a big fringe, I think.
ED NIGHT - “THE PLUNGE” - MONKEY BARREL
Me, Ed and Rosco used to live together during the Fringe, and we’d stay out til five, get mad with it, and then when we got home, I’d strip to my underwear and pull my pants up really tight and run around in them with a brush, sweeping them into their rooms under the guise of the Bedtime Police. Last time I seen Ed, I snuck him into the leisure facilities of a members only club and we enjoyed a fine steam together. The first time I seen him do an hour, I felt like giving up stand-up. Truly, one of the best. Upsettingly good. Go see his wee friend and co-conspirator Paddy Young as well, who’s doing his sophomore effort. I think i’m doing a spot at their Rodeo gig that they run with Dan Tiernan and Parkas, too!
GRACE JARVIS - “OH! THE HORRORS” - UNDERBELLY
If you like sad dark clever stand-up then go and see my pal Grace who has recently moved to the U.K. from Australia. Her show last year “This Is The Last Goldfish I Am Going To Eat For You” was dynamite.
VITTORIO ANGELONE - “OFF THE CUFF” - MONKEY BARREL
Big Vito is doing a crowd work show, and he’s asked me to jump on once or twice! He’s also bringing his show back from last year, so go see that.
JOSH JONES - “PUT A SOCK IN IT” - MONKEY BARREL
I went to see Josh’s show last year and it was brilliant. Very funny, very gay, very Northern - in that order. We’ve wrote a half dozen sitcom pilots together, and every time we do, he tells me a story from his life that sticks to the inside of my skull like chewing gum. Go see him at The Tron, where I was last year, if you seen Scary Times in 2023.
JOSIE LONG - “A WORK IN PROGRESS ABOUT GIANT EXTINCT ANIMALS” - MONKEY BARREL
I’m breaking my self-imposed “No work in progress” recommendations just for Josie, who is a brilliant stand-up comedian and a brilliant human being. Pure hope and joy radiates from her being the way that actual radiation radiates from a broken microwave.
MICHAEL ODEWALE - “OF MIKE AND MEN”
My second-favourite comedian from Dagenham after ol’ Jynx-hair himself. I’ve never seen Michael live but I love his podcast and stand-up clips on Instagram. He’s good!
I could go on and on! Go see Jin Hao Li, go see Gareth Mutch, go see Amy Matthews, go see Susan Riddell, go see Amelia Bayler, go see Kathleen Hughes, go see Thomas Elvin, go see everybody! Go see Rob Auton. Go see Chris Thorburn. Go see Jay Lafferty. The beautiful thing about stand-up is somebody gets to tell you what it’s like to be them, and you see the world through their eyes.
But most importantly, go see me.
CMB x As You Were
P.S. I wrote most of this last night. My grandad died this morning, and he was a lovely funny man. Rest in peace, John.