Mike Harding at Grand Opera House

On the final date of a long tour, Mike Harding performed at York Opera House last night to a sold-out audience. The Rochdale Cowboy, as he is sometimes known (although the blurb for the tour gives him as the ‘Grandfather of Alternative Comedy’) is most notable for his folk show on Radio 2. He has also, however, at various times in his life, been a singer, songwriter, poet, broadcaster, photographer, traveller, playwright and comedian - it was in this final capacity which he appeared for his York show.

Harding is a comedian of the Connolly era, one of the first of the ‘alternative’ comedians, but although he’s been around for a while, his humour is certainly mature rather than dated. The anecdotal jokes - which in the wrong hands can be the most uninteresting comedic form of all - undergo an onstage renaissance in the hands of the Crumpsall-born comic. And that’s to say nothing of the musical element; between the two, Harding is like a cross between Bill Bailey and The Goon Show.

The act is not overly long, but you won’t notice: Mike is straight into his work, tirelessly (and effortlessly) building a rapport that lasts all night. His is an act which reminds one very much of the social element of joke-telling. That reminder isn’t a fleeting thing, either - you’ll remember your favourite jokes all the way home, to tell your friends as soon as you see them. Well, I did, anyway: for those in the know, it was the one about the American, the farmer and the pigs - classic.

It’s not all about anecdotes and songs and poems though; actually, the gaps between these that punctuate the evening are also highly enjoyable, and allow Harding’s zany personality the opportunity to peer through the cracks in his comic world. There’s plenty of ad-libbing as well, which is a natural part of his warm and very genuine connection with his audience.

There were a couple of moments where the focus was a little bit lost: in the second half there were a few stories which deviated a lot from that classic formulaic story-with-a-punchline model; there was a danger here of confusing a comic style which had previously been very structured. It was also an interesting choice to play ‘Bomber’s Moon’ as the penultimate number - which, as fans will know, is a very moving song about the death of Harding’s father. Despite finding the song to be incredibly powerful and well performed (or perhaps because of that) I found that it changed the atmosphere for me, and made me a bit less willing to laugh.

The musical element is, of course, top notch. Just as one would expect, Harding puts to work an incredible vocal talent. Rather than the songs being challenging in range, however, they are more usually challenging in tempo, and the only slip-ups come when Harding joins his audience in sudden fits of giggles. The two guitars are handled with equal aplomb, and the use of a harmonica to retell a northern police chase was as skilful as it was funny. Impressions are actually also a strong element of the show, and one, perhaps, that a younger comic couldn’t get away with. Like the formulaic anecdotes, however, it’s much more palatable when interpreted by Harding, who describes himself - - after delivering perfect Devonshire, Mancunian and Newcastle dialects in quick succession - as a true polyglot.

I had a cracking time laughing with Mike Harding, and that’s exactly what it was. Many contemporary comedians can throw humour at you, but Harding’s interaction is very much an invitation to join him in a knee-slapping world of jokes that is all his own. You may well find that by the end of the show, you never want to leave.

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