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Saw Rob for the first time last night at Off The Rails, Saddleworth - great compere as far as I am concerned. I'll never be able to walk round the bed section at TJ Hughes with a straight face ever again though (not that I actually ever have!!)

Ann-Marie, August 2010

Saw Rob for the first time last night at the Borough in Lancaster. Thought he was good and would go to see him again.

Terry, March 2010

Stop being mean!

Sympathetic, May 2009

Saw Rob last night for the first time and he made all of our party laugh (with great ease) a funny dude and also a pleasant man. We will be regulars from now on at off the rails ≠ the best £6 I have spent in a very long time. Rob, if you read this, keep up the good work.

kristian gorton, September 2008

Rob is pretty good as a compere, although the material he uses is often still 'in development'. Some of the acts at the Blue Cat are very good, and sometimes Rob's material suffers by comparison (but then, who's wouldn't?). It would be good to see Rob's own act to really rate him. Being MC isn't always an easy task, but he does it well compared with most.

John F Keane, August 2008

Hi Ben, below, Thanks for the feedback. A residency is particularly difficult to mc, especially as we get so many repeat customers - most of you will have heard most of my material at some point or other. For this reason I natter to the crowd until something funny comes up and get the acts on, although I'l be the first to admit there can be some long pauses between the laughs. I've never been late for the gig. Show starts 7.45, latest I've ever arrived is 7.30 and I'm usually there for 7. Yes, I do like the odd Guinness but it's rare it's more than two over the night. Dull, but true. The reason the the price is going up is so we can provide a 'double headliner': Bligh, Burgess, Brackenbury and Monkhouse all coming in the next two months. I won't be there in August as I'm down at a new night but I'll be back in Sept, refreshed and ready to roll. Make sure you say 'Hi' next time Im there. And as for my other new critic 'cold toast' is about as vitriolic as one would expect from someone called Colin.

Rob Riley, July 2008

I've got to agree with Ben here. I have seen Mr Riley crop up as an MC quite a few times. Why bother? He reminds me of cold toast. A lazy, tired scruffy act, who would be better giving others the comperes mic. An amateur trying to operate in the world of professionals

Colin - Glossop, July 2008

Rob Riley comperes (and I think organises) the monthly Sunday stand-up shows at Heaton Moor's Blue Cat. I've been three times and have always found the headliners to be great acts. What worries me is that his own compering can come across as a little lacklustre at times, as if he didn't really have his heart in it. June he was late arriving, having been beaten by several of the acts he was introducing. The month before he said he was an hour earlier than intended and made the mistake of starting on the Guinness. When he gets into his stride he can be funny enough and I'd really like to see more evidence of preparation: a good compere can lift a show when some of the acts are flagging and leave you thinking that you've had a good time overall. I'll see Rob doing his own set fairly soon at another venue and I think this may inform my decision as to whether it is worth risking the Blue Cat in August and beyond when the entrance charge increases to £6. I'm hoping that I'll be favourably impressed but it depends on the commitment he shows.

Ben, June 2008

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