Russell Brand Live in Bristol - Review
Posted on: 2017-06-21
Our rating:
Due to popular demand, the hilarious and eccentric coiled spring that is Russell Brand returned to Bristol’s Colston Hall for a second date last night after performing here in May.
Having never seen him live before, I wasn’t sure how his stage show would flow due to his erratic nature; but it’s fair to say that the whole audience were sucked into his thought-provoking world from the start and the laughter didn’t cease until a while after Russell finally left the stage.
This is a man that 100% deserves his fame; with his often controversial viewpoints and his lyrical flowing style of vocabulary – it’s clear that he’s done his research, has been around and would definitely be a hit at Speakers’ Corner.
We heard about how he gets his head around the big questions in politics and the accompanying video clips (where he often took the mickey out of himself) were the perfect addition to his tales of when things don’t always go to plan. But the part that really made me laugh (as well as many of the parents in the crowd) was his references to how his life has changed since he has become a parent. He’s now responsible for another human being, he can’t believe that it’s taken this long for a child to surface as he has put it about so much over the years, but Mabel is now part of his gang. We got to hear in detail about her birth and he’s obviously realised how having a daughter can cause many heart attacks.
The gig moved at such a fast pace, with his energy levels making us feel exhausted just by watching him, that it felt like a whirlwind had hit the sold-out room. Before we knew it, the interval had arrived and as people made their way to the bars - you could hear the crowd recalling the hilarious true-life stories that Russell told about audience members. That was a genius invention; he got people who had booked his Bristol show to email him their most embarrassing stories and then he selected a handful of them to read out during the first half. We heard about Rachel who hid her own poo in her handbag, Jen who has had a Twix put in a very odd place, Clive and his genitals and finally Teddy – the lad who decided to love himself just a bit too much.
It’s no secret that Russell was addicted to drugs for a long time and he got the biggest applause of the night when he said he’s been clean for 14 and a half years; but what was really commendable was the fact that he can laugh about it now and at the same time not belittle the problems that millions of people face. He’s passionate about recovery and his chosen charity of the night, The Nelson Trust, got a good mention towards the end of the gig as collection buckets were out in full flow.
He mentioned that we might be concerned that the free Russell Brand biscuits (that each member of the audience had on their chair when they first walked into the gig) were not gluten free, but he’s just trying to make sure he stays away from heroin and crack. Keep up the good work Russell, you clearly don’t need any toxins to come out of your shell and show your wild side.
True to form, Russell was a genius with his wit throughout the night as no subject was off limits (including mental health and religion) and even when he was repeatedly gyrating his crotch at us – I really don’t think his fans would want him any other way.
For more info please visit www.russellbrand.com
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
