Travers Purton wrote about the new Festival Club format last week and I had the happy role of seeing the second weekend‘s headline act, Al Madrigal. Al is from San Francisco and has featured on US late shows like Jimmy Kemmel Live. The Festival Club setting is perfect for him as he spoke about his young ‘interracial’ family in the familiar American sardonic style, touching on subjects ranging from The Wiggles to Mexican strippers. There was heart behind it too (as you’d hope when someone is talking family) and his bittersweet frustration at being the second favourite parent felt almost uncomfortably authentic. The International Date Line had tripped him up heavily and more than once he was left with a blank stare saying “Let’s see…” while he remembered his routine, but like the American food references that popped up throughout his jokes, it didn’t matter.

The MC was Sam Simmons and it was a night where people persistently spoke at the back of the Hi-Fi Bar. Why people go to a gig to not watch it will always be a puzzle, and it isn’t an annoyance exclusive to comedy. Nor is it uncommon to The Festival Club, but tonight it unfortunately got to the comics who all interrupted their patter to mention the ‘weird’ crowd. Jetlag was a factor for Al, but in the insecure business of stand-up we again wished comedians would concentrate on the many people laughing, rather than the few not. Al got plenty of laughs, proving his natural talent even when it was stop-start. With the combination of five other comics The Festival Club should have something for everyone, but if your ‘something’ is socialising loudly at the bar, it’d be better if you just went to the pub.