Ice cubes, pop-up books and hairy backs: Welcome to Radio Haha’s comedy night

They had 5 absolutely fantastic acts including Bec Hill, Ronan Linskey, Alan Irwin and Paddy McGaughey along with the unbelievably talented Micky Bartlett who was also hosting the show in between acts.

I have to say, I hadn’t really heard of any of these comedians before and for a fiver, didn’t have many expectations.

But as it turned out I was so impressed by the standard of talent at the show. The atmosphere was very relaxed and intimate. There were a mix of comfy arm chairs and stools to choose from with round tables and candles on them. Very like an old fashioned comedy club set up.

I was semi-brave and decided to sit in the second row; thankfully they picked on the front row!

Micky Bartlett opened the show by demanding “are you two banging?” of a somewhat geeky guy who was sat beside a good looking girl- when they said yes Micky’s shocked response was “fair play mate” and so the hilarious night began.

The comedians were very witty and sarcastic; they discussed some unusual taboo subjects (such as racism and one night stands which made some of us feel slightly awkward!) and interacted really well with the audience.

The fact it was in Bar Sub in SU meant alcohol was flowing and before long everyone was willing to interact with the comedians. The excellent comedy cleverly focused in on things we know and love as students such as Tinder and Tayto crisps, with Bec Hill suggesting Tayto are so crunchy because it’s the Irish version of goldschlager- cutting our throats as we eat them to streamline potato into our bloodstreams faster (seems legit).

As the night went on the jokes got weirder- with Ronan Linskey shoving ice cubes down his back and Alan Irwin revealing his awesome  ACDC  tattoo… and his hairy back, but by this point we were comfortable with the weirdness and it was just plain hilarious.

I have to say, Ronan Linskey’s act wasn’t really my kind of humour and did drag on a bit. He discussed in way too much detail a joke he shared with his manager during his job as a waiter which was semi-relatable but not really that funny! I fully respect how difficult it is to get up and perform stand-up and all the comedians did a fantastic job, however Ronan didn’t quite meet the fast-paced humour of the rest of the comedians.

Then after an interval, Bec Hill came on the stage. I had seen a few of her Youtube videos before and was excited to see her live on stage. On first impressions she was ridiculously sweet, she wore very colourful clothes, her hair in two pigtail buns and had a massive smile on her face that was instantly likeable.

She proceeded to show the not so innocent side to her, making jokes about things she hates like makeup and mornings- encouraging the audience to repeat the phrase “f**k you makeup” etc. which was a fun way to introduce audience participation.

She also brought out really amazing pop-up books which she moved to music, I had never seen anything like this before so couldn’t stop smiling the entire way through! She brought out the childishness in all of us and we were all in love with her by the end of her act.

The Tab got a chance to chat to Micky Bartlett during the interval, who seemed to be enjoying the night just as much as we were.

“Awesome crowd, I’m used to playing big gigs so it’s really nice just performing for a small crowd, it feels a lot more intimate”

Alan Irwin also added that “none of acts were being paid, and all proceeds are going into Queen’s Radio Equipment and they will also be using the money to host a formal for the hard working Queen’s radio team for the first time.”

So there you go, a great, cheap night out all for a good cause! I would definitely recommend anyone who enjoys comedy (or has nothing to do) to go down to the SU for the next Radio Haha comedy night!