News: Plan To Put Plaque Up For Ian Cognito

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There are hopes that a memorial plaque will be put up at the venue where comedian Ian Cognito died on Thursday night.

The uncompromising stand-up passed away during his headline set at the Lone Wolf Comedy Club at the Atic in Bicester.

Venue owner Ryan Mold has written on Facebook that he and the compere on the night, Andrew Bird, are aiming to organise a plaque to put onstage in his memory.

Andrew Bird has also spoken to BTJ about working with Cognito, whose real name was Paul Barbieri.

"His last gig was like every gig he ever did. No matter where it was or what it was he played it like he was a Comedy God. Which he was."

According to Mold, midway though his set Cognito sat down on a stool, tilted his head, back and arms spread wide, and the entire audience watched patiently awaiting the next punchline. As he had been joking about having heart problems earlier everyone assumed that this was part of his perfomance. 

When it was clear this was not his act luckily there was a paramedic in the audience who began CPR on the comedian until an ambulance arrived. 

Unfortunately, says Mold, "he passed away peacefully on stage in front of an audience who were hanging on his every word."

There were numerous tributes to Cognito in clubs last night, with many comedians carrying a hammer onstage on honour of Cognito's habit of banging a nail into the wall to hang his coat on while he was performing.

There are also plans for a major benefit gig at a large venue in London, details to be confirmed. There is also talk of filming comedians telling stories about Cognito. 

A recording has emerged of Cognito's own self-penned musical epitaph. Listen below.

 

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