LIVERPOOL COMEDY FESTIVAL - Silky: Criminally Underrated, Downstairs at the Royal Court

Jun 9 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

ORMSKIRK-BORN, Crosby- raised and now Leeds-based comic Silky has most recently been seen in the city compering at the sadly missed, but hopefully soon to be reborn Capital of Comedy nights at the Slaughterhouse, so the chance to see what he’d do in an hour-long show was promising.

There’s been so many finely honed, painstakingly scripted acts to catch during the comedy festival. In fact, there’d been a distinct lack of heckling in many, which in a lot of cases were more about delivery and material than terrorising the audience.

But not this time. Silky didn’t even get round to explaining the premise of Criminally Underrated, although it was supposed to have been new material.

Known for his comedy songs, of which again he had written some new ones, he managed to get out about one and a half.

It wasn’t because there was a problem. It turns out the man just has an overwhelming nose for mischief and trouble. A stag party had accidentally wandered in looking for something to do, and from then on the entire show went hilariously off kilter as Silky just went where the evening took him.

It was fascinating to see how he willingly, joyously, threw himself into the bear pit and revelled in living on his wits for the entire hour, whether he was dealing with people in the audience actually taking phone calls or a pair of drunk female fans who kept telling him off for being too rude and asking him to sing something nice.

He's not pushy or hard-faced at all – just very mischievous.

Watching him deal with it all – and stay afloat throughout, although there were some scary moments – was stand-up in its purest, rawest form and it was amazing to watch. One of the bravest and most unusual sets of the festival.