Saturday 09 October 2021.

Friday 08 October 2021. MO GILLIGAN plus support act play Hammersmith Apollo. Support act did a decent 30 mins set, but I did not get their name. Comedian Mo plays the second of NINE shows at this venue as part of his UK tour. Mo has become very popular due to the success of his tv series. MO GILLIGAN arrives on stage at 9pm for his 85 mins on stage. Mo is a black South Londoner , and there is a nice mixed crowd here tonight. There are film cameras around who are filming tonight and tomorrow for a live DVD. The stage has striped lighting all across the stage, but not much else. No band members to pay, so it is kerching time for comedians when they take off. This triumphant gig demonstrated how far Gilligan has come since he quit his job working in a clothes shop in Covent Garden only four years ago. Having broken through with his viral Instagram clips, he is now one of the UK’s top stand-ups. His crowdpleasing set was an observational comedy masterclass, ranging from charting how we behave when we go clubbing to detailing the dubious customers he encountered when he worked in Westfield shopping centre. He is far more Peter Kay then he is Richard Pryor. Like Kay he is very big on the humour of nostalgia. Remembering buying Air Max trainers and being too scared to tell his mother how much they really cost. Remembering his childhood wallet with that big strip of velcro and the tiny, awkward pocket to put the coins in. Sometimes it felt he was playing up to attract a white audience, as he often went into a "mockney geezer " accent , but overall he was very enjoyable to watch.

Posted 9th October 2021