russell brand
Crazy hair, controversial opinions. No, not Russell Brand, but Reginald D Hunter. The soft-spoken American hit the front pages earlier this year for using the word "nigger" during a set at the PFA's annual dinner. As Hunter said onstage at the Fairfield Halls last week, it's simply a word he uses. He is certainly an uncompromising figure, not prepared to dilute his language for fear of offending people.
It's been business as usual for Russell Brand in the last few weeks. A kerfuffle on Newsnight where Jeremy Paxman called the guest editor of The New Statesman "trivial" and had a go at him for telling people not to vote has been followed by a rant from Quentin Letts in the Mail putting the boot into him. As someone said on Twitter, Brand must be doing something right if the Mail has decided to take a pop at him. he is now in the middle of his Messiah Complex tour, which I saw on the opening night in Birmingham last month.
It has been a busy time for big comedians lately. Not just busy doing gigs and panel shows and plugging their plethora of product, but also busy being taken seriously. Following his guest editorship of the New Statesman and his appearance on Newsnight Russell Brand has now been taken to task by Robert Webb for being more style than content. Webb wrote a stinging response for the New Statesman saying that Brand's anti-voting stance has made him rejoin the Labour Party.
These days it feels as if everyone should be taking notes at gigs and not just if you are reviewing it. A few years ago there was a fear that stand-up was dumbing down. That we were destined to live in a world where we did nothing but put useless odds and ends in our man drawers. This week, however, I've been struck by how often comedy currently opts for the high brow option.
Don't hibernate, get out next month and see some live comedy in London. Here is your handy cut-and-paste guide to the essential shows next month. Starting out with one essential show later this month...
When you invite Russell Brand onstage at an awards bash you don't know quite what you are going to get. So, paradoxically, the GQ Awards should not really have been surprised earlier this week when Brand referred to the sponsors' past when he said: “If anyone knows a bit about history and fashion, you know it was Hugo Boss who made uniforms for the Nazis. But they looked f***ing amazing.”
The Edinburgh Fringe 2013 is one week old and already there is talk of awards contenders. I won't name any here and make some people giddy with anticipation and others feel like packing their bags. Needless to say, most people doing a comedy show in Edinburgh will not win a Foster's Comedy Award or even be in the running. Of course awards matter, of course they will make your mum proud, but don't get too downhearted.
Update 10/8/13 I've just heard about another performer who has joined the walking wounded. For part of his show in which he explores what it takes to be a legend, Luke Benson took part in the Tough Mudder, apparently the hardest military obstacle course known to man. Afterwards he said "it wasn’t that hard!" but he did not realise that he had fused his hip during the electric shock run.
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