Russell Brand’s Scandalous tour not only lives up to its title – covering Sachsgate in detail - it’s also packed with the skewed, clever observational hilarity the comic is famed for. Liz McMahon shares highlights from the show at The O2.
The build up to Brand’s arrival on stage served as a montage of his disrespectability. News report after report merged together to convey the overwhelming controversy which seems to emanate from the comedian’s pores.
Russell Brand emerged on stage around half an hour late to a frenzy of applause. His appeal to women cannot be questioned when he has them fulfilling every stereotype and literally throwing their underwear at him.
It must be hard for him not to take advantage of his position and he said he was open to sexual relations with any woman between the age of 18 and death but he is not into corpses. Clearly he has some limits.
He was an interesting mix of intense narcissism and vulnerable self-deprecation. He was open about his mental fragility and admitted it is very much part of what makes him who he is.
He talked of when the self-obsessed “news” on a constant reel in his head actually became a reality. This was a funny way of approaching the inevitable: Sachsgate. He apologised but also poked fun at the audience for paying money to see him, “after what I’ve done!”
When his comedy was observational it was at its best. Upon analysing his media coverage, he has since realised, in the midst of the furore, he was getting dressed “like something out of Vegas” to go to the dentist.
And he showed us the coverage to prove it. He ridiculed his own attire, arguing leggings were not a manly enough to aptly describe his bottoms- testosterousers was far more appropriate, apparently. It seems it was a statistical inevitability Brand would eventually fornicate with the star of a sitcom’s granddaughter. Andrew Sachs was just caught in the cross-fire.
His handling of the debacle was laboured. He seemed to be apologising and would then rip it away with a quip like “I turn slags into celebrities!”
He also tackled the sticky subject of the Video Music Awards which he presented in a disastrous fashion. His justification was Americans do not “get” him. His first joke stating the US had better not be too racist to vote for Obama after they had allowed a retarded cowboy to run the house of white for eight years was famously met with stony silence. After this he had to pretty much make up the rest of the ceremony ad hoc.
He saved some of the VMA links he could not use especially for the audience. If Americans found his first comment below the belt, it is unlikely they would have liked to have gone down there again for Michael Jackson and paedophilia.
The show lagged when Brand resorted to reading hate-mail he had been sent post scandals. Yes, the show was called Scandalous so perhaps one gets what they ask for. By resorting to regurgitating the bizarre and deranged comments he received, he gave them more coverage than they deserved and it was lazy comedy.
There were many belly laughs. He painted a hilarious picture of himself waiting to meet the Queen while standing next to James Blunt after the Royal Variety Performance. He managed to juxtapose his perverse sexual thoughts with the curt instructions he had been given on protocol and his scathing impersonation of Blunt. It was at points like this he had the audience in the palm of his hand.
He made a couple of comments about “The Daily Mail” which became somewhat of a euphemism for the conservative press who had previously bayed for his blood. His attitude shows recent incidents have left their mark, not only on his act but also his sense of humour. There is a slight resentment there. One might say he is almost a Caliban of celebrity culture. He gained his celebrity by being what the public wanted- “edgy” and offensive. Indeed: “You taught me language; and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse.”
He finished the show with some tips on cunnilingus involving a kazoo and Bruce Forsyth. The physical gyrations which accompanied his advice will be something which may haunt several bedrooms for years to come.
The audience were permitted a wondrous surprise glimpse of Jack Black and I Love You Man star Jason Segel. They performed Dracula’s Lament from Forgetting Sarah Marshall while Brand quickly got changed. The formidable crowd then had to pretend to be the stadium audience for the upcoming sequel. This was cheeky but no-one seemed to mind.
When Russell Brand’s comedy was scandalous, the show was brilliant. When he wasted time talking about his recent misdemeanours, it was somewhat lacking. He needs to get over it now and get back to observing life’s idiosyncrasies with the verbose acridity only he is capable of.
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