Archie Henderson: Jazz Emu
Clever songs abound in a haphazard debut
Archie Henderson starts his new show with a tune about how he's taught himself to be distinctly average at many things. That's not quite true, though, as he demonstrates over the course of the next hour that he's actually very good at a couple of things (although juggling isn't one of them).
One of the things that Henderson excels at is penning and performing comedy songs. His lyrics are witty, and he proves himself to be adept with a synth and loop machine. The show has very little structure, jumping from a reimagining of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as performed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, to experimentations in fusion music, and on to a clever song about anxiety. The segments are all over the place, but you get the impression that this might well be the point.
Henderson has a captive audience throughout, and his songs have more than a touch of Flight of the Conchords about them. He can perform a range of different styles with talent, and although some of the repeated jokes lose their charm towards the end, Jazz Emu is an assured Edinburgh debut.
Gilded Balloon at Old Tolbooth Market, until 25 Aug, 6.45pm, £6 in advance or donations at the venue.