It’s August, so that must mean the legendary Edinburgh Festival Fringe has returned, transforming Scotland’s capital into the world’s largest arts festival. For nearly 80 years, performers have descended on Edinburgh with everything from theatre and circus to music, drag and spoken word. But for many visitors, comedy remains the main attraction.
Thousands of comedians will spend August performing in packed rooms, pop-up venues and the occasional space that probably wasn’t designed for live entertainment. For most artists, the Fringe is a financial gamble, but the rewards can be huge. A successful run can lead to national tours, industry recognition and, perhaps most importantly, a brand-new comedy podcast, with recent Fringe stars including Amy Gledhill, Ahir Shah and Chloe Petts.
For performers, the Fringe offers something increasingly rare: the chance to perform a full hour of original material and connect directly with audiences. For comedy fans, it’s an opportunity to discover tomorrow’s household names long before everyone else catches up.
A few years ago, we asked a selection of our favourite comics about the reasons behind their walk-on music and how they prepare for that all-important entrance. So we thought we’d do it all over again with five comedians heading up to Edinburgh this week. Here’s what they had to say.
Adam Larter: Who Remembers the 90s? Just the Tonic at The Hive, 17:50, 7th-30th August (not 18th)
My new show ‘Who Remembers the 90s’, is basically lots of songs about lots of things that you will remember. Unless you are too young, in which case you won’t remember them. Lots of songs. Lots of cardboard. Lots of dancing. My walk on music this year is ‘Tubthumping’ by Chumbawumba – the classic 90s one-hit wonder. This song is from the 90s and it’s really repetitive so it’ll be good to hear it many times in a row for 24 days. The song is the sort of song you want to hear if you’ve had a really bad year. I’m fine.
@adamlarter
Katie Pritchard is Sir Elton Scone Nic 5 (Nicolson Square Venues Courtyard) at Hoots,15:40, 7th-30th August (not 18th)
This show is part gameshow, part what if Harry Hill and Jim Henson teamed up to make a musical, part interactive fever dream. But a whole lot of fun! My pre-show playlist, as you might expect from the title, is wall-to-wall Elton John BANGERS!!!! So many great songs will be blasting out as the TV studio audience comes in to get ready for the non-televised show they are about to experience.
My walk on track this year is possibly a little different to some other people’s as it is actually part of the show – my big opening number, if you will. So, if you come along to the show you’ll get to experience my dulcet tones as a pre-show voiceover artiste along with a hella pumping track as it’s the opening song of Sir Elton Scone’s gameshow – the only baking gameshow where contestants compete to be a master baker using absolutely NO OVENS!! There will be singing.
@katiepritchards
Nate Kitch: Replica Coorie at Gilded Balloon Patter House,17:00, 5th-31st August
The show is an hour all about manufacturing a life & act; getting stuck in loops and repeating yourself. I’ve got a hat and noises and very stupid clever bits, critics say it’s like jazz, but is it? My pre-show playlist sets a tone: fragments and lines that echo through the narrative, sometimes I play them in their entirety, sometimes I skip them and pace around the beer mats. Every song means something to me and thus the show because the show is an echo of my bones. Tracks on the playlist include ‘My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains’ by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, ‘Lemon Grass’ by MF DOOM and ‘Back, Baby’ by Jessica Pratt. Walk on music is a manifestation of a pop song I think, but you’ll have to see the show to hear it. I think I’ve nailed the walk-out music too.. them not me.. am i repeating myself here?
@natekitch
Ali Brice: This Is The Way We Brush Our Teeth Wee Container 1 at Hoots,19:40, 7th-30th August
Hello. I hope you’re sitting comfortably. My show this year – ‘This is the Way We Brush Our Teeth’ – is not entirely the show I set out to create. I had plans for it that did not transpire due to events that took place in my life that pushed the writing of the show way down the priorities list. However, I am grateful for it.
The aspect of my shows I have enjoyed the most in recent years are the bits where I talk to the audience. The, to coin an industry term, ‘crowd work’. I love it. It’s my favourite thing to do and my favourite thing to watch. This year my show will be 99% crowd work. I have always wanted to do a crowd work show, but never had the guts. This year, life forced my hand and I cannot wait. I am also incredibly scared.
My pre-show and walk on music has always been a playlist of songs I really like. It gets me excited and in the right frame of mind to perform the show. I do, however, find it quite frustrating because when the music stops there is a part of me that wants to listen to the whole song – but I can’t, I have a show to do.
In previews I was playing Redolent’s album ‘Dinny Greet’. I discovered them when they opened for Hamish Hawk at the Islington Hall. Much of the lyrics of the album related to what I intended to write about. Which meant they were quite heavy. I found it made me quite subdued. Then I went to visit my parents and they were throwing away some records and asked if I wanted them (I collect records). I unfortunately didn’t have any room for them, but looked some up on Spotify. That led me to find The Spotnick’s album ‘The Spotnicks in London, Out-a Space’. It made me immediately happy and also put me in a very silly headspace. I knew I had found my pre-show and walk on music. I was very happy to stumble upon it. And I look forward to hearing it every day at 19.40.
@twicebricebrice
Anna Thomas: How to Juggle a Ferret CabVol 2 at Monkey Barrel Comedy,14:55, 2nd-20th August (not 18th)
When I get the rare opportunity to choose my own walk-on music at a comedy club or whatever, I quite like choosing something that feels like a big, happy kick to the back of the head. Something like the opening guitar bit in My Chemical Romances’ ‘I’m Not Okay’, or one of the noisy bits from ‘The State of Massachusetts’ by Dropkick Murphys or ‘Territorial Pissings’ by Nirvana. However, I have also been known to ask for ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira as it’s a song that makes me feel like a cheeky little Komodo dragon. For my Edinburgh show, ‘How To Juggle a Ferret’, I’ll probably walk on stage to ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons as, again, it’s a song that makes me feel insanely cheeky. That song has me walking onto stages like one of those geese from The Aristocats.
@annathommy
A big thank you to all of the comedians who collaborated. Check them out if you are up in Edinburgh and let us know who had the best walk-on music.