We went to the show at the Hordern Pavilion. It would have been amazing to get Enmore Theatre tickets for the previous night as the Enmore is a small theatre (whereas the Hordern is a large arena) but I think they underestimated his fame in Australia when booking that one, as it sold out in 30 minutes! Fortunately they then added the Hordern date to placate those of us who didn't realise how popular he would be!
The warm up act was an Australian duo called Merrick and Rosso...I wasn't expecting much as let's just say I've not thus far been overly impressed by Australian comedy, but they were ok, they got the crowd going and due to a late start were only on for around 15 minutes.
Then it was time for Russell! The lights went down and the show started with a series of video clips of Russell's career played over a soundtrack of Mozart's Requiem. Beginning with the footage of the MTV awards trailers where he is in a room with the elephant and asks "Am I in a dream?" followed by news clips concerning Sachsgate, old footage from when he got naked in the MayDay riots, radio show footage and his BBC resignation, end ending with the footage breaking down into just clips of various people saying "Russell Brand; Russell Brand; Russell Brand; Russell Brand", and onto the stage he marched!
You can see someone's video of the show opening (in Liverpool) here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yANkmosnDp4
I was actually shaking when he came out on to the stage! After greeting the people of Sydney he then went for a walk through the audience. He paused about 2 metres away from where Mark and I were sitting to talk to a 13 year old boy who was in the row behind.
I am amazed I even managed to take this photo, I was shaking so much and had to concentrate to catch my breath. It was like Beatlemania but with only one person (me) and Russell instead of Beatles. Russellmania!
He made his way back to the stage and I tried to take deep breaths to stop my heart pounding. Calm down, Anna, you are almost 25 years old, not 15!
The show itself was mostly concerned with the Sachsgate affair, as well as the MTV VMA backlash. He played the clip of the song he sang with Jonathan Ross onto Andrew Sach's answerphone ("not ONE person congratulated me on making that song up on the spot - I even rhymed 'menstrual' with 'consensual'!), and described his reaction to the ensuing madness.
"I had 70 people with cameras outside my house for 3 weeks. The main thing that went through my mind was: 'what does one wear to go on the news?!'"
"Now, I already think I'm quite important. So when I put on the 6 o clock news and hear 'On tonight's news: Russell Brand', I think 'yes! what have I been doing?'"
He also poked fun at comments by members of the public, who came up with such punishments as "send them both to Afghanistan" and "Russell Brand should be on the sex offenders' register".
"What, with all the paedophiles and rapists? YES. I don't wanna go on the sex offenders' register....Well...not for that!"
He also did his Bush speech from the VMAs (*audience laughs* "Yeah thanks...I wish you could have been there on the night....") and read out some of his favourite death threats. The whole show was about an hour and a half but it felt like about 10 minutes, I could listen to Russell for days on end! [And indeed I do sometimes with my iPod full of Radio2/6music podcasts!]
After the show we made our way out into the foyer where there was a crowd of people waiting to see if Russell would come out, including the usual girls in way too much make-up and way not enough clothes that make up the usual post-Russell-gig entourage it seems. And all of a sudden he appeared!! Everyone crowded him and he could barely move across the room, I stayed back a bit to see what would happen.
I think some people at the Australian shows were a bit shocked to see the way Russell acts after some of his gigs, the way he picks up girls whilst simultaneously signing autographs and getting photos with other fans. They lack the exposure to the extent of press it gets in the UK perhaps. I was very wary of getting too close to what was going on because it is part of his personality I do not like and although I accept that that is the way he is I don't really want to see it. I guess when you have basically deified someone in your mind for so many years you just don't want to be reminded of their most negative aspects. For me, his public personality is what I love about him and I feel that in his case, his private persona is probably very different and I don't want to be disappointed. I don't think that's foolish, I know what goes on, I just don't want that to be my overriding impression of him.
So anyway, I stayed towards the back whilst everyone else crushed him. He then got up onto a table and spoke to us all, and then I moved forward to get some pictures!
He said happy birthday to everyone, "whether or not it is your birthday today", and then said he was very sorry but he had to go off to a party Time Out had organised for him. Then he was whisked away by Danny, his huge security guy!
I would love to meet him but definitely in different circumstances, I would just like to say thank you to him really for making my life a slightly smilier place since...well, years ago....2002/3 I guess. It sounds stupidly gushy but he honestly has helped me through lots of stresses and sadnesses over the years. He has always given me hope that there are better people and better places out there in the world, and has just made me feel a little less alone. He is someone who's work i can always escape with.
To be honest if I did meet him I would probably spaz up, like when I met Will Self and I had spent all day thinking of brilliantly witty things to say, but when the moment came I just thrust my copy of Dorian at him and went "MYNAMEISANNA" and looked scared and forgot to blink. I would probably also never be able to meet Stephen Fry for similar reasons. Actually if I met Russell I would probably just pass out.
I am now going to give my The Young Ones DVD the full attention it deserves and then get my poop hat on ready for a visit to slumbertown.
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