Don't Make Us Pray For Rain

Cricket World Cup 2007 anthem written with John Ryan

More Steve Gribbin videos

From 1984 to 1993, Steve Gribbin was half of the political musical comedy duo Skint Video, alongside Brian Mulligan. They appeared on TV shows including Saturday Live and Cabaret At Jongleurs and The Mary Whitehouse Experience on radio.

Since then, the 5ft 4in Scouse exile, lapsed Catholic, socialist, Liverpool FC fan has become a solo stalwart of the comedy circuit, and is a permanent member of The Cutting Edge topical show at the London Comedy Store.

He has also performed two full-length one-man shows at the Edinburgh Festival, Natural Born Kidder in 1995 and I'm Turning Into My Dad! in 1999.

Original Review:

His strength is punchy musical one-liners; gags that are efficiently set up then smartly despatched with a snatched line or two from a rewritten hit song.

Where many lesser comics would painfully pad the one gag out into a full, repetitive song, this lively Scouser swiftly dismisses it to move onto the next. The jokes might be punny, silly or old-fashioned – but the spirited quickfire delivery ensures he’s a worthy crowd-pleaser.

Gribbin does, however, struggle to maintain that impressive momentum with the full-length numbers he writes. Here a heavy reliance on the shorthand of simplistic, familiar reference points - George Bush=stupid, for instance - means the lyrics can lean towards the bland. Still, the music is so upbeat, and performed with such vigour, that it can’t fail to entertain.

His subjects are drawn from topical events, and he works hard to that ensure his material is quickly turned over, keeping the routine bang up-to-date. He might have been on the comedy circuit more than 20 years - first as part of the Skint Video double act, then as a solo act – but he’s admirably determined not to rest on his laurels.

Despite that success, Gribbin’s writing is still informed by a chip-on-the-shoulder working-class anger, which gives a vicious kick to some of his more vicious insults, however cheerily they are delivered. And that sugar-coated venom is what gives Gribbin’s polished set the edge.

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Audience seemed to like him but not overly so. Likeable personality, lively etc. and a few quick snatches of songs/gags but although a good stage presence, I didn't find him particularly funny

Bob, September 2006

Oh dear. It's generally acknowledged that the creaking "All scousers are funny" claim should be put in a box and laid to rest forever, and on the evidence of his performance at Leeds Jongleurs in May. Gribbin's act was a conflation of the regrettable elements of old-style stand-up comedy (bombast, coarseness) with the regrettable elements of laddish, post-modern comedy (the obligatory Star Wars references, tabloid-esque football banter). Sadly, what got lost in the mix was the humour. The old adage has it that a comic says funny things, but that a true comedian says things funny. Gribbin adopts a radical new approach: he says unfunny things unfunnily. It was the eve of the FA Cup Final, in which Liverpool were playing, and so, boys being boys, there was mild heckling from a few West Ham fans. Gribbin's response? "Hammers - what a bunch of f***ing c***s!" He then mentioned Teddy Sheringham, and mimed a man hobbling about the stage with a stick, saying "Ooh, I'm really old, I'm really old". No, honestly, I'm not making this up; that was the best he could do. He was also technically awful, despite (apparently) some years in the business: staring at a point straight ahead of him in the middle distance for his whole act, thereby excluding 90 per cent of the audience. And if his instigating a sub-Baddiel and Skinner World Cup singalong at the end of his performance was an attempt at inclusiveness, it felt tacky and manipulative. Oh, and he sang some other songs too. You can imagine.

Simon Nicholson, July 2006

Had the audience in the palm of his had. Very topical and political, without feeling like he was hitting you over the head with it. It maybe that I am a similar age as Steve, and a lot references appealed to me, but the Dr. Who/Morrissey song was class. Very funny and was the best act of the night.

Marisa, March 2006

Saw Steve last night when headlined at the last minute. His Dr Who Morrisey song brought the house down complete with Mancunian Daleks, and his i-pod songs of celebrities are all well observed, and performed. It's also the first time this year I've seen a comic at this particularly gig get an encore. I've still his "How low have the mighty fallen" tune buzzing around my head which ended the night superbly.

Steve Gonzalez, November 2005

This guy is pure talent. Saw him last Saturday and the audience wouldn't let him go home. The Morissey song alone is one of the best things you'll hear live anywhere this year. Top comic.

John Gee, October 2005

A fantastic musician. made me cry with laughter

James Ross, September 2005

The difference between 'controversial' and 'tediously offensive' is clearly talent. I suggest Steve takes some time off to rewirite his awful outdated material with a degree of thought. At least he can play guitar

Tim, September 2005

Saw him at Jongleurs last Saturday for the first time; very topical jokes, and very, very funny.

Paul, September 2005

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