Matt Price

rogersbrother · Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 41

An Accidental One Man Show

There's always a comedy night at the Western Hotel in St Ives as part of the St Ives Festival.
This year - like last - saw Matt Price billed as compère along with two other acts.

After a very busy and successful Edinburgh, Matt thought he "was due to do a bit of compèreing and then introduce two acts and go home and have an earlyish night". It didn't work out quite like that.

A few minutes before the sold-out show was due to start, the management received the news that neither of the other acts was going to show up - cue management panic.

With all of ten minutes' notice, Matt went on stage and did a one hour show off the top of his head, and the audience - all bar one - loved it.

The exception was a rather noisy elderly American whose interruptions were not so much a series of heckles as a dress rehearsal for a psychotic episode. Matt dealt with this with his usual professionalism and restraint. Personally, I - like many of the audience - would cheerfully have seen the guy slung out, but Matt managed to shut him up and deliver a storming set without any unseemly actions.

Anyone who knows Matt's act - a good half of the audience, here on his home territory - was familiar with some of his material, but the energy and confidence of the delivery made it seem newly minted anyway. There was also quite a bit of new stuff, too.

The last but one routine - a story that lasted about ten minutes - was set in a fish packing factory in Cornwall twenty odd years ago and was side-achingly funny. He closed the set with the familiar 'Camp Fire' gag; audience participation routines seldom fail and the audience went along with it big time

Matt left the stage after an hour, to cheers and applause; he and he alone had made the evening's comedy.

I joined Matt for a glass of lemonade in the bar after the show and I asked him about the Fish Factory material and he confirmed that it is a candidate for inclusion in his next Edinburgh show: 'Face Value'.

The psycho-heckler came and shook hands (personally, I would have shaken him warmly by the throat) but Matt - ever the gentleman - made a joke of it all.

Because they had failed to put all the advertised acts on stage, the Western management offered money back to anyone who asked. It had been a good show and very few people took the offer. One guy, though, got his money back then gave it to Matt as 'a bonus for a job well done' - an action that spoke louder than words.

This was a performance that I wouldn't have missed for anything and it confirmed that whatever else happens: "If you've got Matt Price .... You've got a show!"

Gloucesterboy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 3096

Just rewards for a lot of hard work put in by Matt; always been a fan of his from a long time back and nice to know he's doing so well.
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Nik Hill

rogersbrother · Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 41

Just as a PS to my original post - I was in the Western last night and a couple of the locals were still talking about it!

henryclift · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Posts: 27

Saw Matt at Bath Komedia last night (Sat.) and he was brilliant! It's the first time that I've seen the big man for a year or so and he has lost none of his stage presence and ability to engage with his audience. Even in a room of that size, the microphone seemed to be little more than an optional extra for Matt of the mighty voice. Somebody told me that he trained as an opera singer in his youth ... and I can believe it!

matt price · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 407

@ Henry
An opera singer !?! Dunno where that came from!
I was an amateur boxer (Heavyweight) for a couple of years before I decided that making people laugh was better than punching them (and being punched back!) but I am not, nor have I ever been, an opera singer. I'm strictly a bathroom baritone.

As it happens, I am back at Bath Komedia - compèreing - tonight (Friday) and tomorrow so if you want to check it out just turn up.

I promise not to sing!

Cheers,

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trojan · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Hertfordshire

Matt is the business!! One of the very best comedians on the circuit. Great MC and top headline act.

I'm know he was an opera singer, he is a fantastic singer. Book him for that too, an audience with Matt Price singing sensation with surely go down a treat. Anyone that knows Matt will know what a humble man he is and that he plays down his ability if anything. Take it from me he has an amazing voice, and before he entered comedy was actually touring the world as part of the Tenor Trio.

Paul Savage speaks Easy · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 1492 Location: Wolverhampton

Saw him last night in Exeter. Did 40 minutes and it was brilliant. I've only seen him Mc before (at which he's very, very good) but having a extended set like that was great.

Matt's set last night is the reason I'm running Edinburgh previews this year. His show will be a belter.

Depthsplumber · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Posts: 292 Location: Wales

I can't wait to see this show. I've been lucky enough to work with Matt loads of times and have booked him as an MC and headliner. Matt is one of the best storytellers in the business, works really hard at his craft and it shows. Matt deserves ewvery bit of success and plaudits that come and will come his way.

rogersbrother · Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 41

It's always a pleasure to see Matt Price back on God's side of the Tamar.

It's always a pleasure to find a new live comedy venue in Cornwall.

Thursday (Feb 2nd) saw Matt headline a new venue at Pentewan and he was in good form. He did one of his trademark walkabouts and persuaded two of the audience on to the stage for 10 minutes of improvised comedy that had something of the look and feel of a chatshow, think: 'Michael Parkinson + a spliff'.

Having raised the energy of the room by a couple of notches he moved on to his prepared material.

The Fish Factory story has developed since I last heard it and he told me (over a glass of lemonade) that it will be part of his next Edinburgh show – working title: 'Face Value'. He also did some perennial favourites. I have seen several variations on the 'Russian Coffee' visual gag over a couple of years and it still makes me laugh.

The new club - The Sea Horse – is a bit of a challenge, to say the least. Launching a new venue on a bitterly cold February night in rural / coastal Cornwall takes a degree of optimism and organisational skills that deserve to succeed.

If the opening night of The Sea Horse is anything to go by, it will.

The Sea Horse web site is here:

http://www.seahorsecornwall.co.uk/

and Matt's site is here:

www.mattpricecomedian.com

bobscomedyclub · Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 129 Location: Rayleigh, Essex

Matt Price is the man...

We had him headline one of our nights in Southend and he had most of the audience, and myself in tears.

We have him headlining for our big nights in Rayleigh next month and can't wait to see him again.

Staunty · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9q0Vh4De5k

Glad to see Matt and George have put their differences aside and are working together for the good of comedy

matt price · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 407

@Staunty

I'm sorry but you have been misinformed.
The link that you have posted is to a video advertising a 'DVD' of a 'tour' that never happened.

I am in no way connected with this nonsense which misuses both my picture and my name.

It is a breach of copyright and a gross intrusion into my privacy.

Please remove your misleading post at the earliest opportunity.

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matt price · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 407

Just an update to my previous post.
The material that I objected to has now been removed at source by by Youtube.

Cheers,

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Daley · Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Posts: 128

Matt, I have been trying to contact you, do you have a website?

Martin_Caine · Joined: 10 Nov 2011 Posts: 309 Location: Poole, Dorset