On Gordon Brown's Bigotgate

At Chortle's Fast Fringe

More Brendon Burns videos

Australian comic Brendon Burns has been performing comedy since the early Nineties and is known for his aggressive stage presence and controversial material.

He briefly hosted the 11 O'Clock Show and even more briefly the ITV2 spin-off show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here Now!, walking off after just three shows.

However it is live – and especially in his solo shows – where he has forged a reputation, with six live CDs to his name. He has also performed at Montreal and South African comedy festivals

He first appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1996, hosting The Comedy Zone showcase of new acts, and performing in his debut solo show 6pm Time To Get Up For Work. He has returned to the Fringe every year since, except for 1999, and in 2007 won its top prize, the if.comedy award

A trilogy, Burnsy versus Brendon, which ran at Edinburgh in 2004, 2005 and 2006, examined his own life – culminating in his mental breakdown and drinks and drugs rehabilitation at the Priory.

Altitude 2013
Live Review

After a spell in Meribel and now three years in Mayerhofn in Austria the Altitude Festival has established itself as an appealing part of the increasingly crowded global comedy festival circuit.It might not be up your street - or up your ski-run – if you don't want to spend all day sliding down mountains, but it is hard to fault the apres-ski entertainment over five fun-packed evenings.

Actually you could fault it, but only by last year's impeccably high standards. 2012's line-up included crowd-pullers Tim Minchin, Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle, Milton Jones and Jimmy Carr. This year there were only two major names, but they were arguably even bigger ones. John Bishop arrived with 15 mates in tow and Eddie Izzard arrived in high-heel boots and glossy red nail varnish.

Izzard headlined the opening gala in the 550-seater Europhaus, after some very good support, making this much more than a Highlight Club gig on steroids. MC Andrew Maxwell donned his site-specific lederhosen

and explained that due to the effect of wearing chamois all day – and no pants – he was polished from the waist down. He also showed off his language skills, before discovering that there was only one German speaker in the audience – ‘so much for the local advertising’.

The full house of Brits loved opening act Marcus Brigstocke, who hit the ground running, or should that be sliding, with a series of old gags at the expense of snowboarders who spend their days pushing the snow off the mountains. The day’s blizzard conditions also gave him some good new lines about his own adventures on the slopes. ‘Llike Stevie Wonder getting a blow job – couldn't see shit, but it felt good.’ We wouldn't normally quote gags, but I can't imagine him doing this one in London, assuming that the UK's winter finally ends soon.

Brendon Burns had something new to talk about. He has just been diagnosed as 30 per cent deaf and has started to wear a discreet hearing aid in one ear. This meant that his set shuttled between the usual raging at the world and marvelling at the fact that he could finally hear his own voice coming through  the monitors. I suspect Burns will get some good material out of his condition and probably an Edinburgh show. Proof that in comedy nothing is ever wasted.

The second half opened with what could have been a corny visual gag but actually won the audience over immediately. Michael Mittermeier is a major star in his native Germany, but thanks to the support of Eddie Izzard is making inroads in English-speaking countries.  A lot of his schtick was about national differences – Brits and their queuing, politeness and using the phrase ‘Bob's your uncle’ – and hardly groundbreaking but Mittermeier is a clever, assured performer who makes you feel that you are in safe hands. He also has a good, clownish physicality and, like most Germans, speaks better English than most English people.

And so to the eagerly anticipated headliner. I've been slightly concerned about Eddie Izzard lately, afraid that he was so busy with so many other projects he had started to neglect his comedy muscles. He seemed a little unsettled at Russell Brand’s recent Comic Relief night and was not great when guesting at an impro gig just before this gala. But from the moment he strutted on he seemed to have found his form again, Maybe Izzard is so unique – and definitely unique among the mainstream crowd-pleasers at Altitude – that he really needs a headlining spot and plenty of time to shine.

His 40-minute set had a sprinkling of familiar material, but it was mostly a preview of his Force Majeure tour. Once again Izzard picked at his preferred themes of history and religion, with an added appeal to his fans to stay British but also embrace Europe: ‘The war is over. Learn another language.’ As many great philosophical minds have already done, he argued that God does not exist, and if he does he's a bit rubbish, but Izzard did it with more panache than most, jabbing a varnished fingernail in the air to emphasise his points.

Human sacrifice, Magna Carta, Richard The Lionheart and Charles I also came into the mix and there was a nice ego-deflating story about a recent cab trip from Wembley to Central London. As Izzard got out the taxi the driver asked if he was going back to Wembley. Izzard replied yes, and virtually reeled off his tour dates there, but what the cabbie meant was would he need a lift back there later. Proof, if ever it were needed, that comedians live in their own bubble.

Yet Izzard, with his long-term political ambitions, is clearly one who has plans to engage with the outside world. That will have to wait though. In the meantime Altitude suggests that he has got his stand-up mojo back.

• Read Bruce Dessau's report on the rest of Altitude here.

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Yes its loud, and inevitably some of his rants will have you squirming uncomfortably, but there's a hell of a lot of giggling too. Particularly identified with Brendan's observations about the 'algebraic' nature of some relationships.(can't complain - got me a decent washing machine!). Also his observations about men that 'give up the fight'. So very true.

Jo Phelan, July 2008

I wish you all the best for your Fringe run - I'll be spreading the word about your comedy again... cheers for the laughs.

Mark, June 2008

Just saw his show at Soho Theatre and was expecting a lot as friends had recommended him, but got very little really. First 20 mins were quite funny but after that it was pretty boring/offensive, with a twist at the end which was meant to make you think but just seemed an excuse for what had gone before. Also two very obviously Bill Hicks-influenced skits. Love Hicks, don't think he'd have loved this.

Tim, May 2008

I've seen Brendon several times, both doing his regular stand up set and his 'offensive' tour show. Yes Brendon shouts, yes Brendon says things that might make you uncomfortable but hey guess what - he's also damn funny. He may be controversial, he may press some buttons - but guys, seriously, that's the point. Don't sit in the front row if you don't want to be 'picked on' and don't heckle unless you can take it. Instead go along, switch ON your brain, listen to the man and not the mannerisms and go home with a new viewpoint, or not - it's your choice after all. But the comedian and the man are two very different people.

Gregg, May 2008

Just saw this guy at the Comedy Store and I can't think of a more thrilling performance since Alexei Sayle trod the selfsame boards. He snarls, he sneers, he also gets me laughing myself into a stupor. Long may he reign.

Michael Monkhouse, May 2008

Thanks Jessica but in fairness most of my responses are equally, if not more, puErile. Yeah you misspelled it. Sucks don't it? I hate it when I call someone a moron but then use blatantly incorrect grammar. I think Steve leaves out the spell and grammar check on purpose to weed us all out. For further entertainment, check out the Pommy Johnson rants. He says he was quite drunk.It's hilarious. If you check the dates he was clearly quite drunk for a few days... Awesome reading. Personally I think that that's the best thing about chortle- slamming people that are too chicken shit to heckle let alone use their own name. What could be more folly than destroying some muppet who calls himself "space captain" or "chimp splash" then deludes himself that he's a comedy pundit because he's got a dvd player and a remote control. When in reality his name is Brian and he works at the carphone warehouse. I enjoy folly it's what lost hours are for.

Brendon Burns, March 2008

Brendon, you obviously read these comments, and indeed reply to them, which is nice but at the same time, why bother? Success always will always attract detractors, but there's no point rising to these people. The good reviews written on here say volumes more than their frankly purile digs. Brendon is a class act, and well worth seeing, yes he shouts, but he's also incredibly thought provoking once you get it, comedians as consistently funny and intelligent as this are rare.

Jessica., March 2008

Saw this moron on the Late Edition. Pretty embarrassing really. Marcus Brigstocke blew him away. Save your money.

Davey, March 2008

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