Rich Hall is Otis Lee Crenshaw
Friday 24 Jan 2003 at theThe Platform, Morecambe Box Office 01524 582803
reviewed by satori

Ooh, if you didn't go you really missed out! He was really really funny. President Bush: 'he doesn't even know where I-raq is - next week he's going to invade Celine Dion...' Hall has a warm, intimate style that allows him to mercilessly lampoon members of the audience who take the risk of sitting close to the front, improvising songs like 'Marketing Boy' - a multi-purpose lament to loneliness that not only had us in stitches but actually rhymed and had a musical quality backed up by his band, the Dirty Liars - a slick texan 3-piece who clearly took a wrong turn somewhere near Houston.

As the man says - you play guitar and harmonica - you're a star, the world is yours - but go the extra 5 yards and strap a pair of cymbals between your knees and the world will cross the street to avoid you. Having said that he knocked off a sweet blues about Morecambe -
'although things go faster - in Lancaster'. (He's clearly been doing his homework.)

Rich came back in the second half as Otis Lee Crenshaw who reeks of all the foetid crustiness of a deep fried southern stereotype. Otis has been married several times - all to women named Brenda. 'If there's a Brenda out there, I'm all here for you - I'd ruther have mah heart broke all over agin than git a tattoo removed.'

Otis takes us closer and closer to the edge - his song to love and muggers 'Do what you like to the woman only please don't hurt me' cracked us up - 'Incest Boy' (with a face so ugly only a mother could love him) was nearer the knuckle but just snuck through.

It's another great comedy night from the Platform. They keep bringing out suberb, national / international standard comedy acts to play in this old railway station. It's remarkable how they do it - do they lie to them? Con them into coming? I don't know how they do it but they have to keep it up.

Satori