The Dicks Who Came In From The Cold

Vultures_InTheNickOfTime3

As you may have read before, we’re fans of Irish internet sitcom ‘Vultures PI’, and the lads rounded out the final season with “The Dicks Who Came In From The Cold” last week. This series has dealt with the lads and their mundane lifestyles after retirement but are they about to be pulled back together to fight crime once again? This episode sees Janine Drew finally going through with her promise to quit college. After watching Janine’s detective documentary, crime novelist Kate Marple hires the ambitious young sleuth to help her write an expose of rumoured crime boss Johnny Curragh (guy you shouldn’t mess with). In the meantime, former dicks McGrain, Vultour and Tennyson have been brought together for a Christmas reunion by an unknown party. Everything comes to a head in this festive finale which should answer the question posed by the first episode of the new series ‘Where … There’s more

Comedy: Vultures in the Digital Comedy Lab

Vultures001

Not actual vultures in a comedy lab of course! Those birds aren’t known for their sense of humour, more their picking at corpses. No, we’re talking about Vultures PI! We’ve mentioned the online comedy series before but the lads are in a competition you see. Digital Comedy Lab, created by Beactive Media, is a comedy incubation programme for film projects and puts Vultures in competition with five other Irish production companies who are battling it out to make a feature film. The winning entry gets announced at the Cannes Film Festival at the end of May and will receive €50,000 to make a mockumentary feature before the end of this year. What can you do to help? Simply watch this:

Comedy: Vultures

You like to laugh don’t you? Of course you do, you dirty bitch. Well pay attention because this may make you do just that. If it doesn’t? Well we don’t know what to tell you. Irish detective web-series Vultures returns with a new series to your local computer screen. Probably the one you are looking at right now. Aye, we see ye. We at Culch.ie love a good detective story particularly one with the word ‘dicks’ in the title. The new episode features student detective Janine Drew as she makes a documentary about unemployed detectives in Ireland and tries to find out what happened to the former dicks of Vultures Private Investigations. Starring Suzanne O’Brien (Janine Drew), Sean Hackett (Niall Tennyson), John Morton (Jim Vultour) and David Thompson (Dan McGrain) it’s worth a look. The first of four; episodes will go online monthly between now and June. Produced by Mycrofilms, … There’s more

Sweary’s Jaw: All Your Gotye Are Belong To Us

Gotye must be a mixed-up pup at the moment. The thirtysomething Belgian-Aussie has been making music since his teens, enjoying the slow, steady build befitting his workhorse tendencies. He’s released seven albums as a solo artist and as part of his band, The Basics, and has accumulated a healthy smattering of awards and accolades. Then his latest album, Making Mirrors, exploded like a microwaved bullfrog and now, all over the globe, people are yodelling along to second single Somebody That I Used To Know with wildly varying degrees of success. For Gotye is no longer a mere popstar. Gotye has become a living meme. It’s a sign of the times. This is the Age Of Information, and once something becomes a cultural phenomenon, it becomes… communal. Have you ever seen an artist go from indie unknown to pop superstar to global tummy-tickle as quickly as Gotye has? Once Somebody captured … There’s more

Comedy Review: Simon O’Keeffe @ The Workman’s Club

Last Saturday Simon O’Keeffe took the jump from headlining various comedy clubs around Dublin and MC’ing the Capital Comedy Club to presenting us with his own one man show Neighbourhood #1 (Love, Sex and the Northside) at the Workman’s Club. Providing support to Simon on the night was Matt Saddlier whose randomness made for some interesting comedy. From observations such as how the Olympic committee could convince the English darts team to walk about the track during the open ceremony to describing the correct way to eat a KitKat bar (if you don’t know God help you around Matt), he had the audience chuckling away in their seats. Matt is a great storyteller and is easy to listen to which is a bonus. After a short break it was Simon’s big moment. As he walked out on stage wearing a shirt and a tie my initial thought was ‘he’s made … There’s more

Interview: Andrew Stanley

Comedian Andrew Stanley is probably best known around these parts as the regular MC at The International Bar, but the Swords funnyman is about to do his very first solo show and he had a chat to us about what we can expect from ‘Come On‘, his comedy influences, and being an armchair sports commentator on The Twitter… Your show is called ‘Come On’. What inspired the name and what can we expect from your debut solo offering? Well I needed a title that was simple and that was it. I will be saying lots of things on stage that people probably won’t believe happened so they’ll be thinking ‘Oh Come Onnnnn!!!’ You’re one of the most recognisable faces on the Dublin comedy scene. Has ‘Come On’ been put together from smaller sets or is it all new material? It’s a mixture of both. A lot of the time when I am … There’s more

Comedy Review: Fred Cooke “Tilted” @ Whelan’s

The stage is set….. the room is full to the rafters, the lights dimmed, the voices in the audience suddenly grow silent as Fred Cooke’s voice booms out over the speakers welcoming everyone to Whelan’s and thanking them for coming, before announcing that he won’t be gracing the stage just yet as he is in Charlie’s across the way having some fried chicken, but that he is very pleased to welcome to the stage a wonderful MC in the form of Tommy Nicholson. Tommy Nicholson is a Navan man who if you don’t find funny, I would be worried. He has a very open stage presence which helps in endearing the crowd towards him. Not only were the crowd treated to Tommy Nicholson as MC, but Simon O’Keeffe provided support. With two acts such as these, you just knew it was going to a good night. Simon is a great … There’s more

Events: Comedy @ Newbridge Laughs

Comedy clubs in Dublin are ten a penny these days but travel outside Dublin and maybe not so much. Which is why Paul Marsh has set up Newbridge Laughs. For those Dublin-based it’s only an hour’s drive and for those Newbridge based, it’s on your doorstep! Located in Judge Roy Beans, Newbridge Laughs promises to deliver a night full of fun and laughter. For their opening night they have a fantastic line up including Gerry McBride, Patser Murray, Paul Crowley and headlining is the wonderful Willie White. The night will be MC’d by Paul Marsh. Gerry McBride’s spot-on observations delivered with precision timing make this Monaghan comic a joy to watch. Patser Murray has a way with words that must be witnessed. Paul Crowley is a new one…even for me! Willie White, well if you miss Willie White you need your head tested. This promises to be a fun night … There’s more

The Comedy Interview: Simon O’Keeffe

Simon O’Keeffe is a the resident MC of the Capital Comedy Club at the Ha’penny Inn. He is known for his somewhat harsh opinions on certain subjects and his not-so-subtle way of telling people what he thinks. On Feburary 18th he takes the leap with his debut solo show at The Workman’s Club. I caught up with him recently to talk about those opinions of his and his new show. So Simon, first solo show, how does that feel? It’s kinda weird. It’s just something I’ve never done before and it’s about time I done it. I think I’ve always thought if people want to see me they could come see me in the Ha’penny. I’ve been headlining way more over the last few years so I’ve gotten used to doing 30 or 45 minutes. I think it’s also about showing people that I can do an hour or an … There’s more

CLOSED: Competition: Win tickets to Simon O’Keeffe @ The Workman’s Club Feb 18th

Simon O’Keeffe presents his debut solo show in The Workman’s Club on February 18th. Let’s face it, with a name like that why wouldn’t you want to go, eh? Simon is the regular MC at the Capital Comedy Club in the Ha’penny and has decided that it’s about time he branched out and gave his audience what they want: a whole hour or thereabouts of his fabulous humour. Support on the night will be provided by the rather funny Matt Saddlier who has supported Eddie Izzard (so therefore must be good!) Simon has kindly agreed to give us a set of tickets to give away to our lovely readers, so to be in with a chance to win them simply answer the following question: Simon is the regular MC at which comedy club? Competition closes Friday 17th February 2012 at 5pm and we will notify winner by email. Good luck!

Comedy Review: Trinity Arts Festival Monday night comedy @ The International

When the opportunity to spend a few hours in the company of college students came along, I of course jumped at the chance, hoping it would make me feel infinitely younger than my 27 years - throw a couple of comedians and the International Comedy Club into the mix and I’m sold. Which is why I found myself sitting at the International on a Monday night for the kick-off of the Trinity Arts Festival. On the line up was the fab Marcus O’Laoire as MC, Kieran Lawless (who stepped up to the plate at the last minute I must add), Chris Kent, Andrew Stanley and from the comedy society at Trinity College, their very own John Kelly and Francis Breen. As an MC for this gig, Marcus was the perfect choice. He has youth on his side along with a boundless amount of energy and dear God that loud voice! … There’s more

The Comedy Interview: Fred Cooke

Fred Cooke. What can I say about Fred Cooke? He is a high octane, ball of energy and is always a joy to watch on stage. He’s back this year with a brand new show to entertain and amaze with and I caught up with him recently to discuss the gig and all things comedy-related. So Fred, how did you wind up in comedy? College. I was the auditor of the Comedy Society in college and when I left, Simon O’Keeffe took over, it only had 63 cent in the account! I ran it into the ground. I’m surprised it’s still running to be honest. He took it on and started a magazine and got sponsorship and everything. But that’s where it started from. I remember seeing David O’Doherty in the student bar and not being able to get my head around the fact that it was happening, I knew … There’s more

Events: Foil, Arms and Hog @ Whelan’s April 20th

We caught comedy sketch gang FAH in Whelan’s last year, at which time our Andy pronounced them ‘a perfect balance between the surreal and observational, with sketches going from a disgruntled visit to the Samaritans to – possibly my favorite of the night – a twenty-second sketch in slow motion about a Dublin dance floor’. Since then, our Amanda has interviewed them and perhaps entirely unrelated to our eager coverage, their upward trajectory has continued unabated. All you really need to know is that they’re one of the finest sketch groups at work in Ireland today (with the possible exception of that active retirement group who meet up and draw the Stephen’s Green bandstand in charcoals every Thursday) and they’re celebrating their birthday in Whelan’s on April 20th with lashings of snappy sketch goodness. We highly recommend that you make your way there. Whelan’s is an interesting comedy venue with a … There’s more

CLOSED: Competition: Win tickets to see Fred Cooke’s “Tilted” show in Whelan’s

Fred Cooke brings his new show, ‘Tilted’, to Whelans on February 10th. After his sell-out success in 2011 including a run in Edinburgh, Fred returns with a brand new show to tickle your funny bones once again! Rapidly become a unique stand-up delivering a style of comedy that simply cannot be imitated, Fred is also such a generous guy that he has given us a set of tickets to give away to what we can assure is going to be one of the top shows of the year! To be in with a chance to win all you have to do is say ‘yes please!’ in the comments below. Competition closes at 5pm Thursday 9th February and we’ll notify the winner. If you want to better your chances by entertaining the inhabitants of Culch Towers, come up with the best and of course the funniest caption for the photograph below, but it’s not … There’s more