Review: Des Bishop Likes To Bang, Assembly George Square

By Kate Copstick
Published on 09/08/2012 13:37

He MAKES an unlikely rapper, Des Bishop, and, for the good Catholic boy he is, his rhythm method leaves something to be desired. But, at 36 (a fact with which, he tells us, he is struggling) he finally has his Roland V drumkit and, yes, he uses it. He’s been learning for a year. Way to go Des. Quite a way.

****

However, it all becomes part of the huge fun of what he calls a “silly ass show”. Bishop’s relationship with his audience makes Adam Hills look unsociable and, as most of the audience sound like they know their crubeens from their colcannon, he takes a few moments to get to know them. By the time he has elicited what he deems a “sectarian clap” and been told he looks “hot” and propositioned by a female latecomer, we are already so tickled to bits we don’t care when his next rap falls apart at the second line and he has to borrow a crib sheet from the band. Yes, there is a band.

Between the raps (which are, to be fair, not just funny and clever but, in one case, incredibly well researched and factually accurate to a T) and the chats, Des gets down to some serious comedy about teenage alcoholism, Eire’s tragedy of migration and the overwhelming stress of a nice day in Scotland.

And then there is The Honesty Section of the show. Here Des confesses to thinking about other women while in bed with his current girlfriend. There is another confession, but I feel I have to leave that to Des. The trauma of it runs through the show like the black intestine through a raw prawn. I’d say try not to laugh at it but you so will. All this and he tags it with the cleverest callback I can remember. Great bloke. Great comedy. Great craic.

Until 26 August. Today 8:50pm.