Glasgow Comedy Festival
Phil Kay - Still Wholly Viable, The Griffin
Lorraine Wilson
Four stars
"He will turn up, I'm sure of it," jokes Bob Slayer, who isn't only promoting these Heroes evenings in the back room of The Griffin, but also his own excellent show, Fat Jockey.
And so he does. Battered guitar in hand and bundling his coat on to a side table, Phil Kay grabs the mic and takes us off on his magic carpet ride.
It's easy to get lost in Kay world. Partly it's the close proximity to such high energy levels, but it's mainly down to the emotionally charged and visceral storytelling, which leads us cycling down country roads in the dark with our eyes closed (and being attacked by badgers), taking four small children to Glastonbury (and avoiding mainstream ice-cream), and getting tattooed in Singapore.
He says that he could easily do a show based on his children but feels it wouldn't hit the mark with everyone. In his case, it would be welcome as there's deep love without the saccharine and his tales of being a husband, father, and even more amusingly a step-father, still provide a glimpse of his particular view of the world. Perhaps the guitar should have stayed on the table though.
There's little doubt that Kay was the chief influence on stand-ups who are now regularly selling out enormodomes now, but the prospect of him hitting marks and dressing in the same stage gear every night for DVD continuity is a belly laugh in itself.
It's a case of gripping the side of the seat and holding on, not really knowing where this is going to go - long may it last.
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