Robbie Williams, Russell Brand & Mr Gee
Last week, a girlfriend kindly gifted me with a spare ticket to a comedy show.
After I finished squealing, I posted on Facebook that, thanks to her, I could tick something off my bucket list. Because I would be going to see Russell Brand.
I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but let me tell you, he is definitely my cup of tea. I could wax lyrical about his physical attributes but what I really like about Russ is that he’s a bit of a thinking woman’s crumpet, in my opinion. He’s super well-read and has some ideas that really resonate with me. They physical attributes are like the icing on the cake, you know? Like, a Swiss meringue buttercream type icing. If you haven’t tried that- it’s just about the best icing ever.
I’m not sure if I’m adequately conveying my excitement at being able to go to see Russell Brand. Think something like this:
What I was unprepared for was the supporting act- a guy called Mr Gee. Mr Gee warned the audience that he wasn’t a comedian, so we shouldn’t expect too many jokes because he’s actually a poet. That didn’t stop him having the audience in stitches with his observations. He spoke about body image and in particular the way the female body is represented in the media and the unrealistic pressures it puts on to women. He was particularly horrified by the thigh gap trend, which made me love him just a little bit. His poems were powerful, too. I’ve never seen live poetry. He was mesmerising. He spoke about climate change and love and made some hilarious observations about Australia and how difficult our colloquialisms are to process for a poet. Since then, I’ve looked him up on twitter and let’s just say, he will make you think. He is also pretty easy on the eye. If you were wondering. Take a couple of minutes to watch this one poem, which I was lucky enough to hear him recite:
After Mr Gee, there was a brief pause before the main act…
I’m a tiny bit EXCITED #thetrews #russellbrand #squee A photo posted by Amy@HandbagMafia (@handbag_mafia) on
Then Russell Brand strutted on to the stage. There is literally no other word for it. Flung his jacket off, launched himself into the audience for hugs and kisses and expressions of love for everyone in the place. Alas, I was a little too far from the stage to fling my knickers at him (a lace-trimmed leopard print was the recommendation). What followed was a mixture of lascivious innuendo, swearing, self-deprecating humour and anecdotes interspersed with impassioned speeches on revolution. He’s not calling on people to arm themselves and overthrow the government, though. The revolution Russell talks about starts with us. If a corporation is hurting the planet- hurt them back by not buying. Make small changes in how we do things. Volunteer your time, if you can. He spoke about people losing their homes because of greedy investors. He spoke about asylum seekers. He spoke about climate change. He spoke of the need to get rid of the patriarchy. You see why I love this guy? I didn’t get any spectacular pics but I did find this image from the night. I’m pretty sure he was looking right at me.
Just a couple of nights later, I found myself in a ridiculously good seat next to my bestie waiting for Robbie Williams to entertain me. In fact, Let Me Entertain You was the first song he sang. And entertain, he did. Robbie isn’t known for his intellect, so to speak. That’s not to say he isn’t clever, just that he’s more widely known for other reasons. Like the time he was a bit of a dick to his labouring wife. Or for his general cheekiness. Or his somewhat troubled past. Or that time he was in a boy band.
Robbie Williams, if nothing else, is a born entertainer. The show was a pop music aficionado’s wet dream. He sang his hits, he threw in a bit of Hey Jude and even belted out Bohemian Rhapsody towards the end. He joked and chatted with the crowd and sang a little song he’d written for his son which was a sweary tune that got a lot of laughs. His Dad joined him on stage to sing Better Man and he told a few jokes that made me glad I hadn’t brought the kids along. He was also surprisingly sweet, singling out a few concert goers he recognised from other shows, dedicating songs to them complete with personalised lyrics. He even spotted one lady sitting alone and made a big fuss of her, getting her to sing for him and wishing her a good night. The show itself was amazing but the best part, for me, was how cheeky, down to earth and human he is. He was gorgeous and fit and every inch the pop star, of course. His name was in lights, he had dancers wearing giant caricatures of his head as masks, there were busts of him decorated in mirror tiles… But despite all that in-your-face ego, he thanked the audience for growing older with him. It was a nice touch. Here’s a few shots from the show:
And my favourite pic of the night, taken completely by chance when I was trying to get my phone camera to focus:
Can I just channel my inner Mum-abulous for a moment to tell you that it was basically my week of British crumpet? Hawwwwt! And on more than one level!
On that note, I’m signing off for a short bloggy break- just a week! I’ll still be around on facebook, so pop over and say hello!
#FYBF @ With Some Grace
#WWU @ Melting Moments
#Weekend Rewind @ Maxabella Loves
