Chris Martin - Spot the Difference

Chris Martin cuts a trim figure on stage, sports a fashionable t-shirt/cardigan combo and leers at us from behind neatly cultivated facial hair. He speaks of relatable, everyday phenomena. Backed by a major promoter, he is being bred for success and will go far so long as he continues to share his name with an existing mega-celebrity.

It's tempting to dismiss Chris Martin as a generic young standup, lacking in originality yet poised for national success. Outside of a significant poster campaign, there's little to distinguish him from countless other hopefuls, each desperately clambering for a slot on Live at the Apollo. A tricky proposition to market, the superficially bland 26 year-old shines thanks to his material—sometimes mundane, but sometimes revealing his considerable strengths. 

An opening routine concerning a squirrel-based epiphany is too far fetched to impress, but Martin soon changes tack. Dwelling on culinary politics for much of Spot the Difference, his observations are so broad and universal that he seems to conjure solid material out of nothing. Emitting the verbal tick “but food is weird, I'm obsessed with food,” between each gag, he appears to act outside his own will, musing on vegetarianism, biscuits and cheese like a man possessed. Only when he reads from his father's food diary, an interesting idea in itself, does he slow down and relinquish his command of the audience. Frequently inane but always good natured, the hour flies by.

http://www.chrismartin-comedy.co.uk