Latest news with #KateSmurthwaite
Edinburgh Live
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Fringe comedian fumes as she cancels two shows 'due to Oasis gigs'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Comedian Kate Smurthwaite has pointed the finger at Oasis for her decision to cancel two shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, taking to social media to express her frustration, stating, "Oasis should be more considerate". The band's reunion tour has hit Edinburgh with three gigs on August 8, August 9, and August 12, coinciding with the world-renowned arts festival. The British stand-up noticed a stark drop in foot traffic while promoting her act in the city centre and subsequently pulled the plug on two performances due to poor turnout. She lamented: "Big groups of people in Oasis shirts are not interested in my show or anybody else's. "I'm also aware of performers losing their accommodations because landlords have suddenly realised they can make more money by renting the space out to Oasis fans. "It's absolutely heartbreaking to be cancelling shows for the first time in ten years at the Edinburgh Fringe." At 49, Kate expressed her dismay: "I'm pulling shows because no one turned up. I think the Fringe Society should have seen this coming and done more about it, and a band like Oasis should be more considerate of their fellow performers when they decide where and when to put their shows on." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages She further captioned her post: "The Oasis Effect. Cancelled 2/3 of my shows so far today. Please if you're local or able to get to Edinburgh come and support Fringe acts as the city gets turned into an Oasis-only zone and we all suffer.", reports the Express. Her followers had a mixed reaction to the cancellations, with some suggesting she shouldn't point fingers at Oasis. One individual commented: "Cmon, you can't blame Oasis. It's one of the biggest musical comebacks of our generation, but you really think Oasis or any band, for that matter, won't put a show on because the fringe is on? "That's laughable. Completely different crowds, too. If anything, it'll bring more people to the city!". Another added their two pence worth: "Gonna be honest mate, there were plenty of people at Rizzle Kicks on the night of the first Oasis date at Heaton Park. Rizzle Kicks! I think the problem might not be Oasis." Nonetheless, several fans expressed solidarity with the comedian. A supportive comment read, "Dearest Kate, I am so so sorry... I really hope to get to see you. Sending so much love and support." Another supporter shared similar sentiments: "I agree! I don't understand why Oasis couldn't have come at a different time. What were they thinking?".
Daily Record
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Fuming comedian blames Oasis after no one turned up to Fringe gigs
The comedian blamed the 'Oasis Effect' after no one turned up to her show. A comedian has blamed the Oasis gigs at Murrayfield Stadium after she was forced to cancel two performances at the Fringe Festival when nobody showed up. London-based comic Kate Smurthwaite took to social media to lash out at the rock band for touring during the Fringe. The Edinburgh leg of the reunion tour kicked off last night, August 8, with additional performances tonight, August 9, and Tuesday, August 12. But the concerts, which are bringing 200,000 fans to Edinburgh, clash with the Fringe- the world's biggest arts festival. The English comedian informed her followers online that she noticed a difference in attendees when flyering for her show in the city centre, reported the Express. She then revealed that she was forced to cancel two of her scheduled gigs due to a lack of attendance. She argued: 'Big groups of people in Oasis shirts are not interested in my show or anybody else's. "I'm also aware of performers losing their accommodations because landlords have suddenly realised they can make more money by renting the space out to Oasis fans. "It's absolutely heart-breaking to be cancelling shows for the first time in ten years at the Edinburgh Fringe.' The 49-year-old continued: 'I'm pulling shows because no one turned up. I think the Fringe Society should have seen this coming and done more about it, and a band like Oasis should be more considerate of their fellow performers when they decide where and when to put their shows on.' She also added the caption: "The Oasis Effect. Cancelled 2/3 of my shows so far today. Please if you're local or able to get to Edinburgh come and support Fringe acts as the city gets turned into an Oasis-only zone and we all suffer." Many of her followers responded in mixed ways to her cancellations, with several saying that she shouldn't blame Oasis. One person typed: "Cmon, you can't blame Oasis. It's one of the biggest musical comebacks of our generation, but you really think Oasis or any band, for that matter, won't put a show on because the fringe is on? That's laughable. Completely different crowds, too. If anything, it'll bring more people to the city!" Another also chimed in: "Gonna be honest mate, there were plenty of people at Rizzle Kicks on the night of the first Oasis date at Heaton Park. Rizzle Kicks! I think the problem might not be Oasis." However, many fans sympathised with the comedian. One commented, "Dearest Kate, I am so so sorry… I really hope to get to see you. Sending so much love and support." A second also similarly echoed: "I agree! I don't understand why Oasis couldn't have come at a different time. What were they thinking?" The Edinburgh Fringe Festival runs for four weeks every summer. The Scottish capital will also stage huge performances by Chappell Roan, AC/DC and Sam Fender, which also clash with the Fringe. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Scotsman
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Festival Fringe comedians blame 'Oasis effect' for cancelling gigs
Oasis are due to play their first concert at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium on Friday night. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Fringe comedians struggling to fill venues have claimed the 'Oasis effect' is hampering ticket sales, with some forced to cancel shows. The Manchester brothers are to play in Edinburgh for the first gig of their three-night run on Friday night. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Comedian Kate Smurthwaite said she cancelled two of her three shows scheduled for Banshee Labyrinth on Thursday - and cited the Oasis concerts as a key reason for the decision. Comedian Kate Smurthwaite said she had been forced to cancel shows. Ms Smurthwaite, who earlier this year won the 2025 Fringe World award for Best Children's Event in Australia for her family-friendly science show Evolution Revolution, said she believed people were struggling to attend the Fringe this week because of the spiralling costs of accommodation in Edinburgh. She linked this to the timing of the Oasis gigs and said claims that fans of the Britpop rockers might also attend the festivals during their stay in Edinburgh were unfounded. An investigation by The Scotsman earlier this year found some hotels had increased prices for the tour dates by hundreds of pounds a night. This had pushed the cost of a stay at one city centre hotel in Edinburgh as high as £2,702 on the first day of the concert run - almost £1,000 more than the price charged a week earlier. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Smurthwaite told The Edinburgh Minute: 'Big groups of people in Oasis shirts are not interested in my show or anybody else's. I'm also aware of performers losing their accommodations because landlords have suddenly realised they can make more money by renting the space out to Oasis fans. 'It's absolutely heart-breaking to be cancelling shows for the first time in ten years at the Edinburgh Fringe. 'I'm pulling shows because no one turned up. I think the Fringe Society should have seen this coming and done more about it and a band like Oasis should be more considerate of their fellow performers when they decide where and when to put their shows on.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, comedian Zara Gladman said despite having a sell-out run, spare tickets were available for her show every night due to no-shows, which she put down to a new wave of Covid. She said: 'Literally every night there have been spare seats because I think Covid is doing the rounds again. So if you didn't get a ticket, you can just turn up and get a ticket on the door.' The Edinburgh Fringe Society last year highlighted the rising cost of accommodation during the festivals as a major barrier to people attending the event, as well as for visiting artists. The festivals are not only competing against the run of Oasis concerts this year, with Australian rock icons AC/DC also performing at Murrayfield Stadium on August 21. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Oasis are returning to Scotland for the first time in 16 years for their three sold-out shows, with the other two concerts running Saturday and Tuesday nights.
Scottish Sun
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Furious feminist comedian blames OASIS for no one turning up to Edinburgh Fringe show
This is despite her stand-up performance being free of charge COMIC'S BLAST Furious feminist comedian blames OASIS for no one turning up to Edinburgh Fringe show Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FURIOUS feminist comedian has blamed Oasis for no one turning up to her gig. Kate Smurthwaite, 49, was forced to cancel her Edinburgh Fringe performance due to no bums on seats. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Kate Smurthwaite has taken a swipe at Oasis after a disappointing audience turnout Credit: Corbis - Getty 3 Noel and Liam Gallagher shared a hug at the end of their first reunion show Credit: The Mega Agency This is despite her stand-up show being free of charge. The telly comic - who proudly sports hairy armpits - describes herself as "left wing, feminist, atheist, polyamorous comedian and activist". And she is now calling on the Gallagher brothers to be "more considerate", according to MailOnline. Oasis are not due to perform in Edinburgh until Friday, while Kate's cancelled gigs were due to take place on Tuesday. She said: "I'm still in costume, 25 minutes after my show should have started and THIS is the Oasis effect. "So I did a couple of hours flyering as I usually would, that would usually get me a good crowd and I could tell it wasn't working. "Big groups of people in Oasis shirts coming past. No interest in hearing about my show or anybody else's show that was out there." She also fired shots at The Fringe Society, who help organise the iconic performing arts festival every August. Kate said: "They raised no objection to the concerts being staged in the middle of the Fringe. "They glibly suggested Oasis fans might also come to Fringe shows." The Sun join the first ever Oasis masterclass ahead of Murrayfield gigs But the comedian faced a backlash from those defending Oasis for their upcoming gigs on the 8th, 9th and 12th August. However the Oasis blast was met with fierce backlash from loyal fans. One wrote: "With all due respect, Oasis are not the reason nobody showed up." Another added: 'Maybe people just don't fancy going to your show, it's not the Oasis effect, Oasis gig goers won't attend the fringe. 3 A furious feminist comedian has blamed Oasis for no one turning up to her gig Credit: PA "I am an Edinburgh resident and don't attend any fringe and never have." A third added: "Not convinced anyone that normally frequents the Banshee is off to the Oasis show." It comes hours before brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher return to Scotland for the first time in 16 years for three sold-out gigs. The first gig will kick off tonight, with two more shows on Saturday and Tuesday. Last night, the skies above Edinburgh were lit up with an impressive drone show. The display shone purple in the iconic Oasis logo which could be seen across the city.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'This is the Oasis effect': Woke TV comedian blames the Gallaghers after nobody turned up to watch her Edinburgh Fringe shows
Stand-up comedian Kate Smurthwaite has blamed Oasis for having to cancel two of her shows when no one turned up to her Edinburgh Fringe gigs. The television regular, 49, who describes herself as a 'left wing, feminist, atheist, polyamorous comedian and activist', is performing at the comedy festival but was yesterday forced to cancel her gigs 'due to zero audience' despite her shows being free. The stand-up said the lack of interest for her show was due to Oasis performing at Murrayfield Stadium in the Scottish capital this weekend as she called on the Gallagher brothers to be 'more considerate'. Oasis are not due to perform in Edinburgh until Friday, while Kate's cancelled gigs were due to take place on Tuesday. In a video filmed at the Banshee Labyrinth, a free venue in Edinburgh's Old Town, the furious comic films herself in the empty venue and said: 'I'm still in costume, 25 minutes after my show should have started and THIS is the Oasis effect.' 'So I did a couple of hours flyering as I usually would, that would usually get me a good crowd and I could tell it wasn't working.' 'Big groups of people in Oasis shirts coming past. No interest in hearing about my show or anybody else's show that was out there.' 'Advertising my children's show this morning, also cancelled due to zero audience members showing up. 'I'm also aware of performers losing their accommodation because landlords have suddenly realised they can make more money by renting the space out to Oasis fans.' 'I think it is absolutely heartbreaking to be cancelling shows. The first time I've done this in 10 years at the Edinburgh Fringe. 'Literally pulled a show because no-one showed up.' 'I think the Fringe Society should have seen this coming and done more about it and a band like Oasis should be more considerate of their fellow performers when they decide where and when to put their shows on.' The comedian who plays Drag King, Penis De Milo, later added in a Facebook post: 'Of course there's some luck. Some general impact of inflation and stagnant wages. The fact yesterday was my day off and sometimes people take a flyer and come the next day.' 'But the big factor is Oasis. They're playing huge gigs at Murrayfield Stadium on 8th, 9th and 12th. It was so obvious as I flyered. Big groups of people in Oasis shirts with no interest in my show or anyone else's.' She took particular aim at The Fringe Society who help organise the iconic performing arts festival every August. Kate said: 'They raised no objection to the concerts being staged in the middle of the Fringe. They glibly suggested Oasis fans might also come to Fringe shows. 'We all knew better. Oasis themselves must remember what it was like being regular performers trying to make a living. They could have played Edinburgh any dates they wanted.' But the comedian faced a backlash from those defending Oasis for their upcoming gigs on the 8th, 9th and 12th August. Rowan Lavender wrote: 'With all due respect; Oasis are not the reason nobody showed up.' Scott Laing said: 'Maybe people just don't fancy going to your show, it's not the oasis effect , oasis gig goers won't attend the fringe, I am an Edinburgh resident and don't attend any fringe and never have.' 'Accommodation is always a huge price hike and again nothing to do with oasis it's the council and landlords price hiking. Banshee is a good wee venue but maybe just maybe you don't look back in anger and stop crying your heart out.' Another wrote: 'Not convinced anyone that normally frequents the Banshee is off to the Oasis show.' Fellow stand up Yvonne Hughes, however, agreed with Kate about her predicament, writing: 'I have 0 in for tomorrow. 2 lovely folk today. People are deliberately staying away bc of Oasis.' Another performer Aimee Cooper said: 'Jesus, we knew the oasis effect would be bad, but seeing this is making it more real.. so sorry this has happened Kate.' The comedian previously debated Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain where she revealed that she embraces her natural body hair. The debate started with Piers Morgan asking if the woman growing body hair was 'helping feminism or promoting laziness?', and he went on to ask Kate if she had any problems with men because of it. 'It's funny how people care about how men will react to this, but I'm polyamorous and have several boyfriends, so I'm fine thanks.' Kate said that going unshaven is actually an advantage in relationships, saying: 'It filters out the kind of men who thinks that important – which is a plus for me. However, her fellow guest replied: 'I'm sorry I know it's your personal choice but I find it repulsive, it's the hygienic aspect of it. Pulling up her arm and wafting it into her fellow panelist's face Kate said 'It's not smelly,' while the guest went on to turn away from her and visibly wretched at the situation, while Kate laughed about it.
