Promoter courts offence

A charity comedy gig has been kicked out of its second Edinburgh Fringe venue for fear of causing offence.

But the situation was not helped by the promoter publicly lambasting the decision to throw her from the first venue as ‘bollocks’ from a ‘humourless bint’.

Catch Comedy, a Macmillan Cancer Care fundraiser, had originally been due to take place at the Acoustic Music Centre for five nights from next Monday. But just days before the festival started, the venue contacted organiser Katie Yossarian to say she was no longer welcome because they did not want foul-mouthed musical comic Kunt & The Gang performing there.

The council-run venue stuck to its guns even when Yossarian offered to take the offending act off the bill, as she had already advertised him as being at the venue.

She then found a new home with Cafe Camino – part of the Catholic St. Mary's Parish Centre – again with Kunt taken off the bill.

But when bosses their found out that Yossarian had kicked up a stink on her blog about being kicked out of the music centre for breaching its guidelines, they withdrew their offer, too.

In an email to her, Café Camino said: ‘It is very unprofessional to make scurrilous remarks on a website about a venue manager who has guidelines to adhere to. As Edinburgh is a small community, permanent venue managers tend to have a good network and do not take kindly to unconstructive, personal criticism.

‘Neither venue will tolerate any performer called Kunt & The Gang and by referencing them along with Cafe Camino on your website your show would not be welcome here.’

When she was kicked out of her first venue, Yossarian posted on her blog: ‘Some humourless bint at The Acoustic Music Centre has taken offense to one of the acts on my bill and decided to pull the entire show. I even removed the act (Kunt and the Gang, big surprise huh?) and they still refused to put my show back on. The entire thing is very petty and, I feel, a personal attack for ‘besmirching their good name’ or some bollocks like that.

‘I took the problem away and they’re still not co-operating. Apparently this woman had made her decision a number of weeks ago, but only told me yesterday which I find incredibly unfair and unprofessional.’

The night now has a new home at the The Sapphire Rooms – a strip club.

Published: 6 Aug 2012