Join Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert on his own radio show, recorded in front of a live audience and packed with laughs. Joining Rhod on stage are fellow comedians Lloyd Langford and Greg Davies (We Are Klang), along with Sarah Millican who takes a look at "The Six Stages of Woman". This episode also features live music from Kid British, including hits 'Lost in London', 'Winner' and Two Out of Seven', and a guest appearance from award-winning comedian Mark Watson. Listen to Rhod's Rant about irritating products, delve into his Confessions where Lloyd Langford impresses the girls with his French and see if Greg Davies can tempt you with his Indecent Proposal involving the Chuckle Brothers...

I have to admit that when I listened to the opening segment of Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs my heart sank. It seemed to be another not very funny comedy show. The opening gags were so weak I almost turned off. It was pretty obvious Gilbert had no more quality material left in him... a fact made even more obvious by the fact that, like an old radio show, he breaks up the episode with other acts - on this release it's Kid British and Mark Watson. This way you never really twig that the show is paper thin on laughs.

This sinking feeling was made even worse by Kid British's first song 'Lost in London'. It seemed immature, full of the eager mistakes of a fresh band - high on enthusiasm, not so hot on quality material.

But then, as we move onto the main segment of the show, everything seemed to come together. This is where Gilbert and resident comedians Lloyd Langford and Greg Davies indulge in a little scripted pretend spontaneity as they delve into Gilbert's bulging barrel to dig out topics which they then weave into comedy gold. And it works rather well. Before the subject can get boring we're off on another angle. To break this up we have more spots from Kid British (who deliver quality material this time), Mark Watson (whose made a career out of pretending to be a not very good, nervous standup comic) and Sarah Millican (who delivers her tongue in cheek woman's angle on things).

Highlights from the main body of the show include:

Greg's Indecent Proposal in which he asks would you, for the gift of eternal life, attend every funeral you are asked to attend with two guests in tow - The Chuckle Brothers.

It's a Set Up where the punch line to jokes are given and the team make up their own build up.

We finish up with the longest segment, Rhod's Rant Club, in which Gilbert starts off a bit of standup comedy on something that has annoyed him recently... and before we know it it's turned into a comedy rant.

So not an essential purchase, but it entertain you for an hour.

7

Darren Rea