A review of Amelia Bayler: I Work in Customer Service But I’m Actually a Pop Star, Fringe 2023

It was Birdy’s first time in the BlundaBus, and she got a warm welcome from Amelia Bayler as she made her way through the curtain, up the stairs and plonked down on the nearest bench ready for a fun show.

I’d never seen Amelia Bayler perform before, but apparently she had this very same venue last year, and feels right at home here – combine that with the confined quarters of the BlundaBus and the small-ish crowd gathered inside (because how many people can you realistically fit into the top floor of a bus?), and it felt a bit like being in someone’s front room.

Amelia herself said it was like we’d all been on different nights out and ended up “in a random person’s gaffe” but really, it’s definitely more like her gaffe, and that’s okay.

Amelia was friendly, personable and made sure to greet every single person as they entered the bus – which ironically reads a bit like you’d expect a customer service CV to read, so we’re off to a good start!

It was the title of the show that really got me interested in seeing Amelia, and she’s also recognised as a bit of a rising star of the Scottish comedy circuit, so how could I not?

The format

Amelia takes us through a bit of stand up mixed with a few hilarious songs, and there’s also a bit of awkward audience interaction (but luckily not really much participation – I think that’d have been a lot more awkward on this small bus).

In between some songs, there are some ‘iconic accessories’ that need to be added or removed in favour of the next, and Amelia confidently transitions between each song and subject matter. I also want to state, for the record, that I appreciate the burger hat, and want to give it the recognition it deserves.

I found Amelia likes to say ‘iconic’ a lot, and I was in awe of her iconic leopard print jumpsuit so much that I was actually glad she’d spilled blackcurrant juice down her right tit before the show and had to change into it.

The vibe

It’s very fitting and just a happy coincidence that we have a ‘the vibe’ section for our Fringe reviews, and I hope Amelia will appreciate this, as I’m now going to be thinking of her song ‘what’s the vibe?’ for every sodding review I write for the rest of the month now!

The vibe is the slightly unhinged atmosphere of a bunch of random strangers on a bus, but we’re all totally willing participants and Amelia has us happily singing along to songs about tupperware – with only a few awkward moments when Amelia kept making eye contact with one particular couple in the audience.

The show itself

Because Amelia is so utterly charming and relatable, it’s easy to get on board with just about anything she throws at us – including songs about tupperware, Gregg’s, Wimpy, and teal being a really cool colour.

We’re regaled with stories about Amelia’s experience working in customer service, and her headset, in which she starts pulling off a pretty damn passable Britney impression – it’s Amelia, bitch.

At one point, Amelia says she’s 19, and I could well have believed it, despite thinking: “Really? I wish I’d had that level of confidence at 19!” In fact, she’s in her 30s (much like myself), and five years sober.

Amelia has some really good observations about DJs – probably because she keeps sleeping with them – but I also found her show quite uplifting in parts, as I felt a lot of truth in her statement of ‘you don’t always get what you want, but you do get what you need‘. Totally feel that.

My favourite song was probably ‘What’s the Vibe?‘ and it’s at least the one that’s stuck in my head the most. This was such a fun show, I don’t see Amelia heading back to her customer service job any time soon (unless she really wants to get some new material, of course).

Overall

I really recommend checking out Amelia Bayler: I Work in Customer Service But I’m Actually a Pop Star if you like comedy with a musical twist, and want to partake in some silliness on the famous BlundaBus, where Amelia is in her element. She just needs to remember not to jump too high when performing some of her songs, as the ceiling isn’t quite high enough!