Matt Elsbury: Advice You Shouldn't Need
Live Review

Matt Elsbury offers an hour of solid, if unspectacular club stand-up, which may be just the ticket for festival-goers seeking a more identifiable ‘observation-punchline’ formula in a sea of storytelling whimsy.

Formula is the word, though, as his Advice You Shouldn’t Need sometimes comes in the form of ridiculous safety labels on household – or even military – products. Elsewhere, he wishes that in place of a GPS he had an LPS, life positioning system, that gave out tips on where he’s going wrong, usually in relationships. He also compares the American show Cops with a less thrilling UK version, ponders his own klutzy ineptitude, and throws in a few topical one-liners.

No new ground is being broken here, and Elsbury gets dangerously close to being hack at times, but usually manages to skirt that damning charge by producing a witty turn of phrase to give a twist to the easy observations.

Though clearly suffering the effects of food poisoning, the red-eyed 38-year-old performs with accurate professionalism, with each punchline being delivered with impact. A couple of his yarns take place on cruise ships, and he certainly has the safe pair of hands and easy-to-grasp material needed to entertain the broad audiences that such gigs demand.

His gimmick of using an iPod to garnish some gags with musical flourishes is, however, a prop he shouldn’t need, as it detracts from stand-up that’s consistently amusing, if unadventurous. But it certainly doesn’t need such gimmicks.