Radio and TV stars Jonny and the Baptists take time off from packing big city venues to play the Craigdarroch Arms in Scotlands Coolest Village, Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway.
When landlord Tim O’Sullivan’s children teased him about booking Jonny and the Baptists for the Craigdarroch Arms in Moniaive he said he’d drop them an email.
He was knocked for six when a message arrived in his inbox to say they’d be delighted to fit in a gig in between their bookings in between dates in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Barnsley and Salford.
Tim said: “My kids absolutely loved them and I’ve really liked them on radio Four. So when they teased me about getting them to perform in the Coach House at the pub I jokingly said I’d try.
“I was amazed when I got a reply saying they’d be delighted – so long as I could give them a lift backwards and forwards to the station.
“It really is pretty special to get an act that can attract really big audiences and is famous on national radio to come to our 60 seat venue in a tiny village in Dumfries and Galloway.”
The Eat the Poor Tour has so far been a sell-out success so far. It’s a riotously funny musical comedy about inequality, revolution, friendship and betrayal by the stars of Radio 4’s The Now Show and BBC Live at Television Centre.
It explores the gap between rich and poor with Jonny & the Baptists’ lives turned upside down when Jonny betrays Paddy for financial gain. As Jonny enjoys the highlife with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jerry Hall, Paddy falls into homelessness and despair.
Will Close, show director and the group’s manager, said: “We were delighted to get Tim’s invitation through, we’ve never been to Moniaive.
“It’s great to do gigs in some smaller places – it’s lots of fun and you get really interesting audiences.
“The one thing that was essential, though, was the lifts to the station as none of us drives.”
The reviews for Jonny and the Baptists last year were superb including: ★★★★ ‘Wickedly amusing’ The Times.
★★★★ ‘Spirited comedy … broad, daft & punchy’ The Guardian.
★★★★ ‘Uproarious satire from a double-act at the height of their powers’ The Stage.
The Moniaive gig is on Thursday, 25 May at 8.30pm and tickets are £12.
And if you don’t manage to catch them there they will be at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
For more see http://jonnyandthebaptists.co.uk
