Adam Flood is one of those comics who can draw diamonds out of his audience, riffing off them with warmth and imagination, so watching him trying to deal with a dull front row (sorry, I know being entertaining isn’t their job, but they just were) is like watching a racoon trying to wash candy floss.
Nevertheless, having wittily addressed the malodorous nature of this venue, he ploughs on with a cracking show which, like much the very best comedy, uses near-constant laughs as the Trojan horse in which to smuggle some interesting biographical revelations. It’s ever so subtle though, so if you’re put off by anything that feels too earnest and sincere, please don’t worry: this show is jokes jokes jokes.
Early on, after pointing out that his name is pretty much the plot summary of the Book of Genesis, he talks about what it’s like coming from a shithole, which is how he describes his home town, Stoke-on-Trent. We learn a little about how he made extra money at the age of 13 and he touches upon his days in an indie band. I’d love to have heard more about both of these.
The show is packed with memorably funny moments, from his description of a hypnotherapist to his observations of how one looks mixing cocktails and expensive plumbing humiliations. And his song about taking drugs at a festival goes in an unexpected and hilarious direction
Flood makes bounteous use of his Auto-Tune – a handy device both for livening up the material and injecting levity into any topics that might feel tricky.
He’ll go far, this funny, likeable Clayhead.
Ashley Davies
15.20
Monkey Barrel (Hive 2)
Until 27 Aug (not 15)
