Venue:
Vector Arena – Auckland, NZ
Date: 14/10/2015
A very entertaining night. One surprise was the skill of the support act, Mr Gee. He used to be on Brand’s radio show as the resident poet. He would come up with a very clever poem at the end made up during the show, about the show. His patter between the poems was very natural and relaxed – his many references to NZ life (L&P, the Edmonds cookbook and many more) showed that he had made a big effort to connect with this audience.
The main act was to be an hour later and the PA blasted out Smiths songs mainly while we waited.
A very loud montage of news media footage featuring Brand gathers apace and he appears – milking the applause for as long as decency allows. He has 10 minutes or so of NZ-centric banter and then wanders into the audience. In this period (and this may be intentional) he is heckled and he rounds on those who dare to do this. A large and loud man, who was clearly pissed, eventually asked him if he is circumcised. What followed was the most savage humiliation of a heckler I have ever witnessed. To give you an idea, the man was with his wife and Brand’s focus was on their sexual relationship. It was very, very nasty – but also very funny. The heckler had been warmed (“mate, you’re serving yourself up to me on a plate…”) but he carried on…and he got his comeuppance.
I had recently listened to the Revolution book and the funniest bits of that were the main meat of the rest of the show. There were other reminiscences about past exploits and footage of him with the Queen, Katy Perry and various celebs. Donald Trump was likened to a permanently crying baby, who just needs a Brand’s breast in his mouth. This is one of many mimes that defy description. Rupert Murdoch was singled out as the man responsible for the world order we now have – the outcome that the nazis desired. Or, if you prefer, “look at him, the liver-spotted old cunt”.
The thing about Brand is that in the flesh it is very hard to dislike him. Every name-drop and every hint of narcissism is immediately ridiculed. We learn that in certain conditions his penis can be very small indeed, “my pubes look like they have developed a bald patch”.
My only reservation is that he sometimes hinted at things he was going to tell us but didn’t get around to. This is a small niggle though. He covers an amazing amount of ground and I really don’t think there’s anyone around that’s anything like him.
And then that was it. He walked off stage into the audience and hung around, apparently, for about an hour. The picture is the crowd around him about 5 minutes after the show had ended.
The audience:
Mostly young students-types but a smattering of old farts like me. The woman behind me was with a lady in her 70s, who laughed like a drain. Funnily enough, after the large heckler was dealt to, there was no more of that kind of thing.
It made me think..
His natural funniness and real-life background makes me think of Billy Connolly in his prime. Like him, there’s also an icy professionalism. The routines are word-perfect but like all great comedians, he makes it sound like it’s all just occurred to him. He is a great comedian.
Saw him a few years ago and, despite the outbursts of hatred often encountered on here, I agree – he is a great comedian.
Thanks BC. Interesting review. Sounds like a very entertaining evening.
He’s definitely a very Marmite artist. Not living in the UK, it’s perhaps easier for me to like him?
I got dragged to a gig of his a few years ago and he is very skilled. Very sharp on his feet and brutally efficient with hecklers. He’s just not my cup of tea. He’s good at what he does but what he does, doesn’t rub my buddha. Also, he remade ‘Arthur’ – grrrrr…
That apart, he’s written a couple of articles for the Guardian which I thought were excellent; thought-provoking and beautifully written – not trying to be funny.
Enjoyed your review though; cheers.
I tried my best to stay away but I cannot resist saying two things.
1. Your review is excellent. Much better than anything Mr Brand has written.
2. You are incorrect about him being hard to dislike.
That’s it. I’m going now.
Years ago I saw Russell Brand make an appearance at The Book Club, Robin Ince’s old club. Now let me be clear here, Brand was way bigger than this night even then. That club was in a wee room downstairs at the Albany in London and Russell Brand was way beyond that even then. And he was a comedian I was actively avoiding on the grounds that he annoyed the crap out of me everytime I saw him on telly. So he showed up on stage and I was at my most “Oh yeah? Impress me then you fucking dickhead” as I have ever been.
And he did.
He’s not the greatest comedian I have ever seen (Daniel Kitson or Jerry Sadowitz, can’t decide) but he’s up there. He just got the room and worked it to fuck. He knew where he could go and what he could do and I left completely converted. He is an odd, talented guy. It’s fine to not like him, but you can’t deny he’s an oddball with a talent which he’s has worked like a demon on.
Maybe that was why I liked him. There was effort in what I saw. Seriously. If you get a chance to see him, do it.
If he stuck to comedy and stopped writing books or dabbling in politics or being in my face any time I open a paper, watch daytime TV or a chat show, then, maybe, who knows, there is a possibility I might laugh.