Venue:
O2
Date: 22/04/2023
We had a splendid day planned in London which would culminate in a chortle fest with one of Bolton’s best comedians.
We started with a cheeky pint at the Hole in the Wall pub at Waterloo. We also wanted to watch the first half of the Fulham v Leeds match (the best half as it turned out). Then in for some crazy golf and beer/cocktails at Swingers followed by a trip to Hawksmoor to hit the express menu (probably the best 3 courses for £31 in London).
Then, on to the main event at the O2 where 3 pints of Bud cost the same as three courses of excellent food at Hawksmoor. We didn’t feel the need.
Peter Kay arrived on stage 15 minutes later than advertised. He inferred that it was the audiences fault for taking too long. We spent 20 minutes listening to him saying garlic bread and then singing tv and advert theme songs. Not the strongest start.
It then picked up a little bit with a section on previous jobs and a few, frankly, dad jokes. Tempered by some jokes based around the famous people his job has enabled him to meet (and stay in their holiday homes). To balance that, he mentioned B&M and Asda several times.
Then, abruptly 45 minutes in, we stopped for an interval. 20 minutes later, he was back on with the best section, talking about his health issues. As I was starting to get into the vibe, it stopped just before 10pm with a slightly mawkish, over sentimental (for me) bit.
Cue audience confusion as some people got up to leave and then, after 10 mins, an announcement that there is a medical situation at front of house and the show would continue after that.
10 minutes later, he was back in with a 15 minute section that I won’t describe as Kay would like it to be a surprise for everyone coming to see it. All I will say is that once he got into it, I wasn’t very surprised by it. And then it finished. Possibly he came back in a again but, to be honest, the ego encore stuff is really annoying.
The audience:
A big crowd spread across the ages. Lots of families groups. There was a lot of whooping and screaming at the catch phrases and singalong tv themes. Alarming volumes seemed to be buying the most expensive drinks I have seen outside of Swiss hotel bars.
It made me think..
He’s phoning it in and the audience seemed to be very satisfied with that. He is the comedy Status Quo – people don’t want him to do new stuff – just versions of the old. Two days before, I had seen Justin Moorhouse. I was on a Phoenix Nights run. Frankly, Justin Moorhouse was brilliantly funny – genuinely warm, funny and interesting. Peter Kay was none of these things which was both annoying and a little sad to be honest.
That seems a fair and balanced write up (with the obvious huge caveat that I wasn’t there). I doubt the O2 helped matters either. Even bands with huge shows can struggle to make it feel like anything other than a huge void. I made the mistake of watching Alan Partridge – Stategem from the O2 on TV, and it was awful.
I like Kay, and thought Car Share one of the funniest shows in a long time, but his persona is all about finding shared memories, an expanded version of pub chat. Anything beyond a large theatre isn’t going to allow that intimacy. When I see comedians I like to be able to see their eyes and know I’m in the same room sharing the moment. When he’s on form Ross Noble can have the Palladium absolutely rocking, Billy Connelly had his famous residencies at Hammersmith. I can’t imagine enjoying either show anything like as much at the O2.
Jack Whitehall is doing an arena tour soon, including 3 nights at the O2. I’ll pass.
I wanted to like it. With a vehicle (pun intended) like Car Share, he is brilliantly funny. I suspect the characters he creates and delivers are more balanced and nuanced than his stand up. He reminded me of Danny Baker who I have always loved but liked less after I had seen his one man show about how great and interesting he is.
Ah, I’ve been wondering whether to go and see Baker, this might have made my mind up. Used to be quite a fan but he’s got increasingly up himself in the last few years. He can still be funny but yes, the self-regard has really got a bit much.
Watched Danny Bakers show recently.
I enjoyed it but had seen the earlier one and I don’t think you need both. And it’s SOO long
I enjoyed DB’s show a lot. But I liked him less after it. I started to understand why some people can’t stand him.
Saw DB’s final performance on his older show three months ago. Enjoyed the first two hours but as the third wore on the Mrs and I grew bored and left before the end. And he does have an irritating habit of breaking off in the middle of a story because he has remembered another one.
DB broke me half way through (I think) a Word podcast. I remember I was driving and he was going on and on and on and i suddenly shouted SHUT UP, switched it off and I’ve avoided him since. These people with no filter and huge ego are utterly exhausting.
Talking of Danny Baker and Peter Kay – whatever happened to the sitcom, Cradle To The Grave, based on DBs autobiography and starring Peter Kay as his dad – I thought it was renewed for a second season ?
It seems it was an unintentional casualty of the family drams which caused Kay to withdraw from performing for a while https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a847548/cradle-to-grave-in-limbo-peter-kay-family-commitment/
I saw the Pythons at the 02 nine years ago. I was in the same room as them but I feel I was sitting in a different postcode.
That’s a shame, it sounds a bit flat. I have enormous love and respect for Peter Kay and some of his stuff in the past has been the funniest stuff I’ve ever seen. I also think Car Share was his best show.
Never saw the appeal personally, but clearly he has a huge following. Whether one finds something funny or not is purely subjective
I think he’s funny but no act on earth could persuade me to go to the O2.
I don’t disagree. I have only seen 3 concerts there. The best one was a massive school choir thing with my kids in it – it actually needed the scale of the place to get 10,000 school kids in it. Flight of the Conchords suffered from the scale of it. It wasn’t the biggest problem with the Peter Kay show.
I’m only going to go if Mrs LB wants to see something. And I will put a visit to Hawksmoor as part of the deal.
Yes Twang Jr sang there with the school choir though Mrs. T went rather than me.
The smaller venue (Indigo?) is better. I saw Little Feat there and the room was OK but it’s still a horrible place and a dog to get to.
I don’t mind the O2, although it isn’t my first choice by a long way. I’ve seen Iron Maiden, Fallout Boy and Elton John there and sound has been ok (Elton was best) but you need a big show to fill it. Maiden are quite theatrical, Fallout Boy had a huge central catwalk and a big riser at the end that raised right up to the roof. Elton used some creative video on a big central screen as well as the two side screens. I imagine they were all more visually interesting than Peter Kay, even if you find him funny.
I saw Steely Dan there and the seating was so steep I was genuinely afraid I was going to fall off. Most unpleasant.
I saw Elton John there on this current tour and to be honest it was fine for him – in fact the best of the 3 times I have seen him.
Also saw Prince there on his 3121 tour and my wife still describes it as best she ever saw.
I quite like Peter Kay but not the fact the hype meant it was easier to win the lottery than to get a ticket for a gig near you. And that by and large you had to buy them two years in advance- someone made some decent interest on that
Offspring the Elder has booked a pair of tickets (paid for by me in lieu of a birthday present) to see SZA there in June. I hope she stays with the current Unsuitable Boy as there’s no way alive I want to go in his place.
Interesting to note that Barry H always insisted on playing theatres rather than arenas
Interesting to note that Barry H always insisted on playing theatres rather than arenas
Is that you, Brian Kennedy?
Like death, taxes and the Good Lord Himself,
Brian is always with us (well a beat behind
to be precise)
Peter Kay is a great comic writer with a real sense for mixing comedy and emotion – the bit in Car Share where he and the lovely Sian Gibson sing along to Billy Ocean and then discover they are holding hands is a terrific bit of heartwarming TV.
But his stand-up has always left me wondering why all the fuss about seeing him live. Having admittedly only seen clips of his gigs from before his long lay-off/rest, it seems there’s too much of “Wasn’t it funny back in your schooldays when…” and “Remember that show on TV, you know the one…”
It’s good that he’s back in action, and well done to him for selling so many tickets to fill enormodomes, but from the posts above, it sounds like I’m not missing much. I’ll keep waiting for more Phoenix Nights or Car Share.
I get the feeling, purely from what I’ve seen of him, that Peter Kay’s heart is in his telly work.
There also was a saying a few years back; “Comedy is horrible people pretending to be nice. Alternative comedy is nice people pretending to be horrible.” The few comedians I have met IRL have not been kind about Peter Kay.
Of course it could be just envy…
Showbiz. They all hate anyone who’s more successful than they are.
His heart may be in TV, but nice to earn a few million every few years with a mediocre stand up routine.
Agree with you on Justin Moorhouse being the better live comedian. He has a rare talent for combining empathy, [self aware] mocking humour and quick-witted withering put downs. And unlike Kay, he also manages to play against the stereotype of the ‘working class northern comedian’.