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Have you ever seen Russell Brand live?

147 replies

Sausagenbacon · 20/09/2023 08:02

What strikes me in all of this is just how popular RB was, until 3 days ago.
Has anyone been to see him, and did you find him funny? Watching clips of his shows, it seems clear how awful he is, but the audience love it.
There must be a fair number of people on mn who did.

OP posts:
Graciebobcat · 20/09/2023 13:52

I never really like very dark and controversial comedy, I like the light-hearted daft stuff like Harry Hill. Brand could say some immensely funny things followed by something horrible, so I found him hit and miss comedy wise and he was always one of those people who gave me the creeps from when I first saw him in action on TV.

Also sexism and misogynistic humour was tolerated in comedy circles for far longer than it should have been. Whereas in the 1990s it was rare to hear racism from live comedians sexism was absolutely rife, it was all women are like rah rah rah, and I hated it back then.

This carried on into the 2000s, making rape jokes on panel shows and the like. Oh we're not laughing at rape itself, or at women. Yeah right.

Graciebobcat · 20/09/2023 13:55

shadypines · 20/09/2023 12:39

No, wouldn't waste my money. Strikes me as the sort of character that can dish it out but can't take it.

As for cherry picking from the audience, how repulsive. These women/ girls must have had the self esteem of a used dishcloth.

Though he picked them out, surely many said "Er, no thanks."

It doesn't mean you fancy someone if you go to watch them do stand up comedy.

Wendysfriend · 20/09/2023 14:32

I haven't seen him live, but I was in the audience many years ago when he was on Friday night with Jonathan Ross. I have to admit I did laugh out loud, he was so 'flirty' with Daniel Craig, he seems to 'banter' the same with everyone, even Jack Dee cracked a smile/laugh. I did see Jimmy Carr live, I did find his content 😳😳 and I'm not easily shocked.

JaneJeffer · 20/09/2023 14:50

I watched an old sequence of clips of Big Brother's Big Mouth and he did more flirting with the men in the audience than the women. I did laugh at the priest who rang in and said I don't want to get too religious and RB said well that's kind of your job.

BookSuperWorm · 20/09/2023 15:19

Yes I saw him around 2012/13 maybe? I'd previously watched his stand up on DVD and grew up watching him on BBBM as a young teen. I also read his first book back when I was at uni and enjoyed it.

He was funny. His show wasn't massively sexual by that point, though of course it had some references to it (I think Scandalous was the most sexual). He did some humour about the local area and general headlines. He also spoke a lot about religion and stuff and I'd lie if I said it wasn't entertaining because it was - funny and somewhat thought provoking. He definitely had a massive ego - but I see a lot of comedians and this is pretty common (I guess you need an ego to get up and do that sort of job).

I haven't watched or read anything of his in years since though - probably around the time he started doing movies in US. Since all the news headlines I've seen snippets of his YouTube/Rumble(?) vids of late and they seem really odd and culty!

NoNeedToHurry · 20/09/2023 15:27

He was at Greenbelt festival a couple of years ago. I was on the outskirts, only really went to listen to him because my friends wanted to. He seemed to be well received, I don't really remember much if what he talked about but I remember feeling he was super arrogant and really affected, using long words to sound clever and alienate his audience. I didn't like him. Many many people did though.

shadypines · 20/09/2023 15:30

@Graciebobcat I was simply going off what those who have seen him live were saying ..that is they appeared to be queuing up at the stage door to sleep with him, at his beckoning during the show. Nowhere in my post did I imply that if you see someone live you must fancy them!

Wenlock12 · 20/09/2023 16:37

I saw him in 2007. I’d enjoyed the BBBM stuff and maybe other TV specials by that point. It was a big venue but I’m sure he just tailed off halfway through and started walking about in the audience being adored then just got everyone who wanted to speak to him / sleep with him to gather at the back. Absolute waste of time for anyone who was there for an actual show.

YokoOnosBigHat · 20/09/2023 20:46

Quite a few times over the years and he was very funny. Less so the last time I saw him, it was a weird one, it was the end of 2021 and the first half was traditional stand up, very funny observational stuff about being a husband and dad. But the second half was the wellness weirdness and half of the audience (us included) audibly gasped when he said something blatantly antivax. But all the other times, circa 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, he was hilarious and very sharp and entertaining. He had lost his way as a comedian before all this I think, whether by design or not. It makes me very sad that he's turned out to be a predator, I've had a soft spot for him for many years and he speaks and writes very eloquently about his less than brilliant childhood. I feel- ridiculously- quite let down personally, like he was a mate who'd done this.

SequinsandStiIettos · 20/09/2023 21:33

Saw Shame in 2006. He did basically ask any women up for a shag to form an orderly queue. Pretty sure half a dozen were loitering in the foyer for a meet and greet after the show.

MissBattleaxe · 20/09/2023 21:54

@YokoOnosBigHat That's exactly how I feel, word for word

IhateHPSDeaneCnt · 21/09/2023 00:45

I never saw him but there were loads of so called comics shagging around. I think even Baddiel was disgusted how Skinner exploited his new fame at the time. Jxxxxx Hxxxx was no love god but pounced on loads of women

Fluffyhoglets · 21/09/2023 02:08

NoNeedToHurry · 20/09/2023 15:27

He was at Greenbelt festival a couple of years ago. I was on the outskirts, only really went to listen to him because my friends wanted to. He seemed to be well received, I don't really remember much if what he talked about but I remember feeling he was super arrogant and really affected, using long words to sound clever and alienate his audience. I didn't like him. Many many people did though.

Yes I saw him there. I went to see him as I was intrigued and found him engaging and eloquent. But since then he's clearly gone more and more off into unreality and I think would quite like to be worshipped himself.
I knew he had no sexual boundaries but am shocked that he is actually a sexual offender.
I believe the papers would not have published without being sure they could legally prove a defence to a libel claim

Frijjystrawberry · 21/09/2023 02:12

I have honestly never laughed more in my life than I did at Ponderland. It is absolutely incredible comedy. We rewatch it whenever we want to belly laugh.

I also enjoyed some of his stand up shows.

And his book.

Frijjystrawberry · 21/09/2023 02:15

YokoOnosBigHat · 20/09/2023 20:46

Quite a few times over the years and he was very funny. Less so the last time I saw him, it was a weird one, it was the end of 2021 and the first half was traditional stand up, very funny observational stuff about being a husband and dad. But the second half was the wellness weirdness and half of the audience (us included) audibly gasped when he said something blatantly antivax. But all the other times, circa 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, he was hilarious and very sharp and entertaining. He had lost his way as a comedian before all this I think, whether by design or not. It makes me very sad that he's turned out to be a predator, I've had a soft spot for him for many years and he speaks and writes very eloquently about his less than brilliant childhood. I feel- ridiculously- quite let down personally, like he was a mate who'd done this.

I felt the same. A bit sad and let down because I had a real soft spot for him.

WhereYouLeftIt · 21/09/2023 02:50

Shortpoet · 20/09/2023 08:24

I have yes. Was around 2013 I think.

I remember he did a bit about getting arrested for being protesting naked in London.
He also had that day’s local paper which he made jokes about the stories in there. I thought he was funny and quick-witted.

Weirdly, very near the end someone started heckling him and just wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t hear the person’s words, but they keyed shouting something. The heckler would stop, RB would start again, then get heckled again.
In the end RB just said, “fuck this” and walked off stage and that was it. Lights came on. Show over.

(I found a recording of the tour online afterwards. He’d declared earlier that he was The Messiah. Then was describing his sex life in detail (and how he made women come first) The final punch line should have been that he was the Messiah because he was “the second coming”).

As we left we saw a queue of people at the stage door. My friend said if she wasn’t in a relationship she would have joined it. I wouldn’t have.

I used to see a lot of comedy so he would have been one of many I saw that year. A lot of comedians do cringy sex and dick jokes, so it didn’t strike me as anything unusual.

I think that must have been the same tour DH and I went to see - that was definitely the same punchline! Like you, we were going to a lot of comedy shows around then so his routine didn't stand out to me as hugely out of whack.

Since he didn't walk off stage at the show we were at, the queue of people was immediately in front of the stage. People queuing to hug him. That did stand out to us, had never seen such behaviour at a gig before. I don't know how long it took for him to get through his queue, because we just looked at each other with eyebrows raised and beetled out.

lollipoprainbow · 21/09/2023 03:07

Frijjystrawberry · 21/09/2023 02:12

I have honestly never laughed more in my life than I did at Ponderland. It is absolutely incredible comedy. We rewatch it whenever we want to belly laugh.

I also enjoyed some of his stand up shows.

And his book.

Love it too!

vincettenoir · 21/09/2023 03:09

I’ve seen him live twice and listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts. I found him very funny. I haven’t followed him in recent years and I’ve watched very little of his You Tube content.

I also feel let down and found the news very confronting, given how big a fan of his I was. It’s very depressing.

vincettenoir · 21/09/2023 03:11

Oh yeah and really, really loved Ponderland too. I rewatched it regularly.

Mothership4two · 21/09/2023 03:34

I saw him in 2017 and he was very funny. He seemed sharp and witty. I can't remember much except him talking about his children - don't remember him being particularly crude or offensive. He is definitely a flying by the seat of his pants comedian (or that's how he comes across) and quite hyper. He is the only comedian I have ever watched who didn't take a break in the interval but sat on the edge of the stage chatting to fans.

I can't go back and rewrite or reedit history - we enjoyed his show.

Seen a few comments about how weird or creepy he looked, it's obviously subjective but in the flesh he looked like an attractive man. Not my cup of tea then and obviously not now!

Edited to add I think his tour was called Rebirth

BusterGonad · 21/09/2023 04:05

Frijjystrawberry · 21/09/2023 02:12

I have honestly never laughed more in my life than I did at Ponderland. It is absolutely incredible comedy. We rewatch it whenever we want to belly laugh.

I also enjoyed some of his stand up shows.

And his book.

I love Ponderland too. He's so funny. So observant. Just hilarious.

usernother · 21/09/2023 04:12

Yes, I've seen him live a few times and think he's really funny. Much of his show is him taking the piss out of himself.

Ladyj84 · 21/09/2023 04:45

Nope never liked him

sashh · 21/09/2023 04:57

I must live on a different planet, I've never found him funny or witty or clever. I did catch a bit of him when one of his daughters was born, not sure what he was on, maybe the one show, but he made a comment about 'wipe up for a girl' and did an exaggerated hand motion.

I just though 'Uhg', who talks about their child's genitals on TV?

beguilingeyes · 21/09/2023 05:08

One funny thing about Jimmy Carr. I've always loathed him and that laugh of his makes me want to reach for a machine gun, but I read recently that he's really supportive of female comedians and a good guy like that.
Conversely I saw Richard Herring a couple of years ago. I've always loved his 'When is International Mens Day' thing every year on Twitter but he was pretty sexist live and perving over a couple of women in the front row. Grim.