PJ Gallagher – Original Review
Note: This review is from 2007
Review by Steve Bennett
Whatever you say about PJ Gallagher, you can’t deny the man’s got energy. A manic, dervish energy of the sort most skilfully harnessed by his compatriot Jason Byrne.It makes him a firm favourite with the crowd – well, that and the TV fame he’s secured through fronting Ireland’s Naked Camera. The man is adored, the deafening volume of the cheer he gets as he leaves the stage attests to that.
Yet behind his loud, breathlessly animated excitability, the material is rather ordinary, with observations about getting drunk, throwing up and dry retching; or of how the romance ebbs away from long-term relationships. These common experiences certainly strike a chord with his many fans, even if he’s not bringing along much to the comedy party.
But he sells his routine hard: shouting and shrieking his through the lines and buzzing around the stage like an over-caffeinated wasp. It leaves him physically exhausted, which is no surprise, as it’s tiring enough just watching him.
This noise and enthusiasm can seem like an over-compensation for a creativity hole at the heart of his set; but there can be no denying he energises a room like few others can do.
Review date: 4 Jun 2007
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
