I have been monitoring the progress of my thigh, bruised heavily in my Exciting Fall last Thursday. As you can see, it only needs a few more shades to function as a Dulux colour chart. The bruise covers pretty much the entire front width of my leg and is, unsurprisingly, still a bit tender. But I’m soldiering on. Like the two little boys in Two Little Boys, there’s room on my horse for me.
A virtually full room for Three Man Roast made for a nice gig. I went for a drink with Billy afterwards and had a rare pint of beer (a Brew Dog IPA). Despite having a ticket to another show, profligately (and slightly weary of sitting in warm rooms for an hour) I decided to carry on chatting and have another pint of beer. And who can turn down a Trashy Blonde?
I can’t quite remember where the evening went (always a good sign) but after a quick curry at the very convenient Mosque Kitchen, it was time for the day’s main event: The Wrestling.
Crazy mofos Max and Iván (and I don’t use the word lightly: they really were crazy) decided to organise an Edinburgh Fringe wrestling match featuring comedians and professional wrestlers. It was incredibly foolish. It was also awesome.
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The likes of Colin Hoult, Humphrey Ker, Tom Rosenthal (on extremely creepy form) and former wrestler Max Olesker himself took on a host of well-built and very athletic scantily-clad pro-wrestlers. And if that wasn’t enough of a feast for the eyes, ringside announcer Nick Helm, roving reporter Matthew Crosby and commentators Brendon Burns and a gloriously-pitched Andrew Maxwell made the whole stupid spectacle hilarious.
I benefited from having recently got into WWE a bit (much to the chagrin of my 15-year-old self), so I recognised elements of the genre being imitated more than I’d’ve done a year ago. I also knew what a clothesline was (get me), although when massive wrestling fan Dan McKee started talking about tombstone piledrivers or rhinestone cowboys or whatever, I did get lost.
Dan was really getting into it, leaping to his feet and (as a very tall man) blocking the view of the people in more distant rows. I think this is what he does instead of drinking booze. His perspective was:
I was with Will Howells and when I was up from my chair practically foaming at the mouth he was sat rather demurely having a bit of a clap.
Which is what I get for showing some consideration for the ladies and gentlemen behind me. I mean, I’d’ve been most annoyed if the man in front of me had blocked my view of Mark Haskins. To pick a random example.
What I learnt today: Professional wrestling would be much more entertaining if the commentators were sarcastic, drunk comedians.
Recommended show: Three Man Roast (Yeah! As there’s no point recommending The Wrestling now…)
Obligatory plug: I’m in Three Man Roast, 2.35pm weekdays and Saturday 20th at Finnegan’s Wake on Victoria Street – free entry. Also at the Amused Moose Comedy Awards Showcase at the Pleasance Dome, 4pm on August 17th (book online).
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