Have you ever seen Russell Brand live?

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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.

Previous huge huge fan here.

Yes, when he posted that picture of Katy Perry, trying to burst her carefully crafted pop-star image for all of the world to see, I started to really go off him. There was just a sort of breach of privacy that made me think he wanted to first own the beautiful pop star, then deconstruct her.

I’m sure he isn’t enjoying having his carefully constructed persona dissolved at the moment.

I was watching/ listening to all of he and Matt Morgan’s Viddycasts on YouTube last night and I realised that it was Matt Morgan (the comedy writer) who was the real comedian all along.

We went to see his Messiah show in 2014 (or something like that) and I remember thinking that he had no contrast in his delivery. It was all shouting. Literally all shouting with no variation in delivery. I remember feeling disappointed in his performance as I’d always admired his ability to communicate prior to that.

Whilst in my early twenties I got involved in an eastern religion in the uk that had been very westernised and a 12 step programme for overeating. Over the course of 15 years I understood both of these organisations to be cults.

This is important because as my understanding of the mechanisms which have to be in operation for a cult to work got better, Russell became more and more and more Ernest and embarrassingly text book culty. Cliche.

He wasn’t even funny or personable anymore, just a typical spiritual-narcissist with beads, bare chest and blanket on his head pursuing myriad hobbies on his expensive rugs, in expensive converted outbuildings, leaving me wondering just who is holding the fort while he does his: conspiracy podcast, ice bathes, interviews people on his podcasts (notice he rarely goes on other people’s podcasts because he’s so controlling about his image), yoga, meditation, chanting and running. Who is in the ring dealing with the drudgery of raising small children? Why does he have so much time? Why isn’t he funny anymore? Who is he to give advice to others liberally? Why can’t he just admit he’s another rich man wielding his power in an unhealthy way?

Beware the ‘spiritual man’ who posts photos/ videos of himself engaging in meditation. It’s the biggest red flag. Why protest so much?

So here we are.

Very jarring was his casual disrespectful language about women during those old podcasts. In a way it made me feel hopeful that post Metoo we are making some progress at least in what is acceptable in banter and everyday speech. I feel as though women have a more powerful voice these days and it’s uncool to be a misogynist.

The jimmy carr being supportive of female comedians - is that stemming from Katherine Ryan talking about her audition for Cats? Because I've never heard it before and suddenly people are talking like he's some feminist advocate

No, thank goodness. I didn't even realise he was a comedian. I think I saw him on the Big Brother programme and thought he was an awful, repellant individual and have avoided him ever since!

I loved him as a teenager. I stopped following him a few years ago when he started to get progressively more cult-ish.

I met him at a book signing when I was 13. Used to listen to his radio show every weekend, watched all his TV stuff when he was at the Big Fat Quiz/Nevermind the Buzzcocks etc. peak.

On reflection, yes, he was a total arsehole. But he was quite funny about it.

Yeah, I’ve now realised how it was very much Matt Morgan.

Was this in Reading ? As I was about to come on and post the same. I can’t for the life of me remember the show other than the heckling and it abruptly ending
I only went as it was a group social as I don’t think I ever found him particularly funny or liked his content. I thought he was articulate at best but someone mentioned he would always use 20 words when 5 would do.

How do people feel about Matt Morgan with the latest allegation in the news? Joking about indecent exposure

I saw him around 2007/8 - I thought he was funny I've always heard that he copied (or borrowed a lot from) someone else's act, I used to think it was Noel Fielding as they had a similar fashion style but I recently learned that it is Paul Foot (comedy not fashion) and that RB is not respected amongst stand-up comedians because of this.

He always struck me as stupid hair and silly voice to cover that there was no there there: if he were actually funny he wouldn’t have needed the exaggerated bouffant or the voice, he could have just said stuff.

@Pumpernickel101 - the culture aspect to Brand to me is also very concerning. It is the same behaviour, repackaged. Wellness, addition clinics and religion are a toxic mix and there are many manipulative people leading them. They are looking for vulnerable people either to take their money or something else. It is an old game and a good cover because it is "helping". My suspicion is that Brand isn't a different person at all, but he has attached himself to something that suits his narcissistic behaviours. It is not about helping at all.

this is an interesting article https://www.wired.com/video/watch/how-online-conspiracy-groups-compare-to-cults

I think he’s cornered his own cultish following which also means he can make a convincing argument he isn’t like the others.

I think his following (cult) feeds his narcissism which leads to his reliance on his own opinions and perspective (which btw is a complete mess of other peoples various theologies cherry picked to make a digestible monologue). I don’t think he necessarily consciously set out to cultivate the community he has but it was too irresistible to step away as it grew. His moral compass simply doesn’t allow him to reject any ‘success’.

The way he speaks in his videos is very ‘grooming’. Assuring them of their cleverness for accepting his version of events.

Objectively, RB does have comedic talent. He has the ability to captivate when he talks and the timing to deliver comedy. When we’re talking about comedians that are predators or otherwise harmful then those are talents that are used inappropriately.

Saying funny stuff isn’t the be all and end all of comedy. There’s a huge element of sophistication and timing involved in turning a sentence into something lots of people will laugh at.

The way he styled himself was undeniably part of that, he used it in a very similar way to Boris Johnson and his ridiculous hair. They know the stereotypes attached to appearance and it’s the first step in getting peoples mindset into accepting what they’re going to say. Someone who has accepted that you fit a stereotype thinks they ‘know’ you.

I think his best humour is bouncing, and reacting to another, whether that’s Matt Morgan, Gareth Roy or a random- he is naturally very quick witted and funny.

i find the pulling sound bites from podcasts that have been in the public domain for almost 20 years quite bizarre. They were sacked from xfm I believe due to Matt and Russell taking their clothes off - it’s all there and went out at the time. I don’t get why it’s shocking now?

It will also be interesting to know where the line is for comedians now. Saw a standup this week, big on tv etc. He was making jokes about a guy asking if he wanted a blow job from his wife. Is this acceptable now? I felt not really. And do we then police all podcasts / tv from the past with problematic stuff in? There’s so many that are would be seen as wrong.

(Just in case I need to say it, I do believe the women)

i find the pulling sound bites from podcasts that have been in the public domain for almost 20 years quite bizarre. They were sacked from xfm I believe due to Matt and Russell taking their clothes off - it’s all there and went out at the time. I don’t get why it’s shocking now?

only my own musings but I would guess that Brand was given a pass for pushing social boundaries - that’s what he did and he made it funny. The unspoken agreement was that everything he painted with humour was done with no ill intent and in a consensual environment. It was just a given. Most importantly it was done with the impression that he thought it was ridiculous too and encouraging laughter at him.

now we know that his behaviour wasn’t done in a consensual environment and without ill intent. People exposed to him weren’t in a position to voice their discomfort or opt out of being ‘part of the joke’.

When an artist is exposed or reveals something about themselves it’s not uncommon to view their work through a different lens. It might not change anything from the past for you individually but some people will take the opportunity for introspection.

Thank you for the considered answer @Cornettoninja - really useful.

Indeed - not unlike Cosby's history of 'Spanish Fly' jokes, which included references on the Cosby Show to his magic juice (or something like that) that made Mrs Cosby go mad for him.

They may look weird and pervy in retrospect but they look a whole lot darker than that, once we know he used drugs to incapacitate women.

I didn't know he was a comedian either. Tbh I don't know what I thought he was. He was on the TV a lot 10-15 years ago and liked to use long words for the sake of it as they would often be in the wrong context. That doesn't seem to have changed.

@OldPear it does of explain the strength of the reaction. People gave Brand a pass on nothing but trust because of the nature of his act/persona. They feel personally betrayed to have been convinced that it was ok to do that in his case.

Yes, comedy stand up around 2012/2013. As the show came to a close, he asked women to come and give him their number, then he sat on the edge of the stage collecting said numbers.

I thought "what a creep".

No, I'd never see him but sometimes old interview clips on chat shows would pop up on Facebook and I used to enjoy watching them because he was so funny. These weren't sexualised. In fact looking back it was when he was on Jonathan Ross and JR was licking his arse about his charity work.

I’ve not seen him live in person, but the show they had at the beginning of dispatches, with the gagging mascara running joke. I watched it on channel 4 at the time and I used to think it was the funniest show ever! Watching it back it’s so gross and I can’t believe I laughed at that sort of thing. Guess I was late teens / early 20s at the time so obviously very immature back then. It’s awful watching it back now.

I saw him a long time ago, maybe 2011. The show was entertaining and he definitely invited women to come and see him after the show. There was a large crowd waiting for him once the show finished.

Never I saw him in snippets on TV but never watched his big brother show or listened to him radio show and while he could be funny he wasn't someone I went out of my way to hear more about. I have since had a few videos of his pop up on my youtube feed and they always seemed like he thought he was oh so clever and enlightened while actually being a bit pedestrian in a verbose way, lots of people seem to have fallen for it though. I never found him sexually attractive, he always looked to me like he's never out of the GUM clinic.

Never had any desire to. Found his prank call to Andrew Sachs about Andrew's grandaughter, and his on-stage boasting lie about Rod Stewart's daughter completely revolting.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. It's interesting to hear from a range of voices.
I've never liked him, and the clips of him that are being played on the radio sound repellent and not funny at all.