Black Country Festival: Laughs aplenty at annual Bush Fest - with pictures
It was a laugh a minute as almost 70 comedy acts took to the stage at a popular comedy festival.
The feast of fun took place over four days at The Holly Bush pub in Cradley Heath, where TV comic Joe Lycett cut his stand-up teeth.
Among the highlights were Canadian comedian Tom Stade, who lived in Bilston for several years, and American funnyman Lewis Schaffer, now based in London, who made the trip to the Black County funded by a customer.
Landlord Dave Francis, who runs a Thursday open-mic night at the Newton Lane boozer, said one of his customers, Frances Davies, offered to stump up the cash to have him appear.
"She's a regular at the open-mic night and said she felt guilty for sticking to one can most evenings, so she offered to pay for one of the professional acts at the festival, which was fantastic," said Dave.
"Two-thirds of the 67 acts that appeared have come through our weekly comedy night. It's a breeding ground for talent.
"At the time we launched it in 2006, there were no other regular open-mic nights in the West Midlands, with the likes of Joe Lycett and Darren Harriott, from Brandhall in Oldbury, coming through our ranks."
New Zealander Sully O'Sullivan, a seasoned headliner, was another highlight of the Bush Fest comedy weekend, part of the month-long Black Country Festival which runs until the end of the month.
Around 10 acts take to the Holly Bush stage at the free Thursday open-mic night. Anyone wishing to have a go can email Dave at waxthing@hotmail.com for a booking.
