@ The Stand, Glasgow, on Wed 23 Mar 2016
From his The Wee Review interview, it was evidently clear that Patrick Monahan is an absolute gentleman. He was honest, and his promise of lots of dancing is definitely not broken this evening. The Disco Years is not a comedy gig but an absolute performance – fun, entertaining and a bit bizarre.
It is clear from very early on that the audience has total faith in Monahan. He enters the stage wearing an open-buttoned blue and white summery shirt with a gold chain, and Ottawan’s D.I.S.C.O blaring from the speakers. He then proceeds to hug everyone in the The Stand. Other comedy fans and writers have said that Monahan’s hugs are somewhat special and, as he says in interview, it definitely does seem much nicer than a handshake. There are absolutely no audience and performer boundaries. At the interval, Patrick speaks to everyone he can and says thank you to everyone personally at the end. He’s incredibly down-to-earth and virtually impossible to dislike.
His show, The Disco Years, mainly consists of Monahan discussing the health benefits of different dance types, and then proving his point by asking members of the audience to join him in a dance of that style on stage. The Glasgow audience are definitely game for the laughs, and the night’s high points come from the off-the-cuff interactions between the Irish-Iranian comic and the lucky few selected to dance.
After a short interval, Patrick goes back to discuss his upbringing, and the troubles he faces with an Irish passport that says he was born in Iran. Listening to him interacting with the crowds of friends and couples who have travelled to see him is a delight in itself. He is a natural entertainer and a true pleasure to watch and meet.
The night concludes with most of the audience on stage with Patrick and two very keen comedy lovers on the actual bar of the comedy club boogying away. Leaving the audience smiling from ear-to-ear throughout the night, Patrick Monahan’s The Disco Years is a unique and energetic evening of comedy, dancing and laughter.
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