The Good, The Bad and The Irish: 16 Years of "Underground" Comedy

The Good, The Bad and The Irish Underground and Uncensored – A Rebellion in Comedy

It started 16 years ago in the basement of The Jekyll & Hyde in Edinburgh ( now The Hanover Tap ) A free show, thrown together with no budget, no big names, no safety net — just chaos, wordplay, and pure instinct.

I packed 110 people into an 80-seater, punters spilling down the stairs, comics clambering over the crowd just to get to the stage. People were calling the bar for days trying to get in — for a show that didn’t even have tickets.

The Beginning of Something special

That was the moment I knew — something real had been born.

This Isn’t a Brand. It’s Something Different.

The Good, The Bad and The Irish grew — and if I’m honest, I struggled to handle that on my own.

I started selling out shows across Europe: Holland, Belgium, Spain, Prague, Germany, Hungary, and even Moscow ( before the war ).

It was too raw for TV.

Too unpredictable for the big promoters.Too honest to be anything but underground and uncensored.

This show was never built for industry types.

It was built for the punters — for the people who wanted real laughs, real edge, and a room that feels alive.

Modern Comedy Wants to Control the Narrative. We Don’t.

That’s the problem with the comedy scene today — too many gatekeepers trying to steer the narrative, shape the message, tell the crowd how to feel.

But here’s the truth: you can’t control can’t fake a vibe.

In a real comedy room, the truth reveals itself.

Audiences will feel what they feel as comics, we don’t get to control that — we only get to react to it.

That’s the high-wire madness of stand-up, that’s why I still do this, every single night.

Because I’m not trying to be liked. I’m trying to be honest.

PBH Free Fringe, August 2nd–24th

This summer, The Comedy Cellar hits the PBH Free Fringe for the first time.We’re bringing the spirit of The Good, The Bad and The Irish underground again — seven nights a week.

No tickets needed. This is Pay What You Want , if you want a seat, you’d better queue early — just like they did all those years ago.

The Comedy Cellar!

This Is What Comedy Was Always Meant To Be

It’s not curated It’s not censored It’s not made for Instagram reels.

This is real stand-up.

Sixteen years of carnage — UVF lads turning up to warm the room, stalkers, sell-outs, seven nights a week without rest — because I believe in this.

This is a movement.

This is a rebellion.

This is underground and uncensored.

I used to think The Good, The Bad and The Irish was a crowd —a tribe of people hungry for something real.

after all these years, I finally get it.

It’s me.

I am THE GOOD.

I am THE BAD

AND I am THE IRISH!

you can RSVP here for more information

FRINGE