"Oh God no! It's a singing comedian!" is a sentiment echoed by many an audience member at the appearance of a musically inclined comic.  It's also the hook of Mitch Benn's first song, a sharp and witty commentary that picks up perfectly on why this preconception exists.

As this opening number draws to a close, the sound of his comedically small guitar fades away and Benn glides into stand-up mode.  Striking the perfect balance between music and regular stand-up, he shares his observations on a variety of subjects (the Titanic and Lord of the Rings movies, the Vikings, Ikea and BMW drivers to name but a few) before moving on to the next song.

It's not hard to see how the singing comedian has got a bad reputation.  There are just too many using music as a gimmick, in an attempt to make themselves more memorable, or simply changing lyrics to well known songs at a level little higher than you might find in a school playground. 

Benn breaks this mould, bringing quality musicianship to the table and a level of intelligence that flatters an audience by not underestimating it's intellect. He undoubtedly posesses a great musical talent, not to mention considerable vocal talents (as shown by a finale featuring the BBC's "Perfect Day" song where he performs all the voices), but unlike a number of his musical-comedy peers he has the comic talent to match.

The Other Side - York - 22/05/2004 - Headline Act