50 most memorable gigs of the decade

Tommy is at Number 2 in the website Chortle's, 50 most memorable gigs of the decadehttp://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2010/01/04/10276/the_50_most_memorable_gigs_of_the_decadeNumber 2. Tommy TiernanTheatre St Denis, Montreal July 2004Comedians are often spoken of in terms of ‘stage presence’, that immeasurable charisma that cannot be taught. But if you wanted a gold standard, by which all others would be judged, Tiernan’s performance in the unforgiving auditorium of the Just For Laugh festival’s showcase venue would be it. The Montreal festival’s gala shows can be soulless, a parade of seven-minute acts designed more for the TV show than the live experience. But Tiernan’s rant on religion, delivered with vein-throbbing fervour, was a powerhouse performance in a league of its own. It’s the first – and only – time that I’ve sensed a vacuum once he left the stage; a Tiernan-shaped hole that the act following could never hope to fill. It was a performance that established his reputation in North America.Read more: http://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2010/01/04/10276/the_50_most_memorable_gigs_of_the_decade#ixzz0cK16svPy