I've never seen Phil have a bad gig and I've had the pleasure of seeing him many times in front of many audiences. Why is it that people view a comic being a crowd pleaser as something to be looked down upon? Surely making people laugh is the most important thing? There's room for every kind of comedy from the very clever off the wall stuff to the more mainstream. I think this review is very unfair and it looks like I'm not alone.
Senis, April 2008
I saw him on Saturday night at Komedia and thought he was awful. One of his longest jokes was wearing someone's glasses and repeating "effing hell" over and over and over as a way to convey the strength of the glasses. That was boring at best. I found him tiring, arrogant, and offensively unimaginative in his audience involvement. He was the sort of embarrassing uncle you would avoid at all costs at a family gathering. The only table who guffawed throughout were a large stag group who had annoyed everyone in the room previously with their inane chattering throughout the other two commendable acts. This is only my opinion however, and the stag group seemed to enjoy what I thought was his childish and vulgar humour. Testosterone filled beered up blokes will love him.
Amy, September 2007
I had the privilege of working with Phil Butler at the end of the 90's. Although I have not seen him work for many years, if he is half the comic he was, he will still be a light entertainment genius, with nowhere to develop his talents. Any TV producers reading... get you fingers out and start producing comedy shows that the majority of the British audience want to see... and if you do, you would have to go a long way to find and all round entertainer who could better Phil Butler.
Ashley Hamp, September 2007
I have seen plenty of top comics at comedy clubs and at the Edinburgh Fringe who are not a patch on Phil Butler. He is a true professional and very funny with it too. The overcritical review needs to be taken off the web site. Saw him at The Belvedere in Billericay last night and he was hugely entertaining.
John Simpson, March 2007
I worked with Phil Butler in 1992 when he was still touring holiday camps! He was one of the strongest acts we had, hardworking and always on the lookout for something new. It comes as no surprise that he's now carving a living on the "proper" comedy circuit, and I'm surprised at the unkind review for an act that understands audiences as well as Phil does. Maybe he's not doing you usual "alternative" stand-up, but using "gimmicks" like a Speak n Spell is pretty similar to using gimmicks like one's opinion on buses, drugs, girlfriends etc. in a way. He's giving the audience his take on things, like most comedians do. Fair play to him , I say
Chris Wright, September 2006
This review is neither accurate nor fair. Phil Butler has ALWAYS stormed on all of the many times I have seen him perform, the majority of times as a compare. That means rabble-rousing is what he is being paid to do! To Phil's credit, many times I have seen him, his slot has been far funnier and more original than the, so-called big name acts on the bill. Furthermore, the routine mentioned with the childrens toys was one of the funniest things I have ever seen ANY comedian perform. Phil is a naturally funny, immensely likable and hugely talented comedian.
Andy, March 2006
Phil Butler is by no means a comedy genius..Just a hardworking man earning a buck by making people laugh. He is one of life's true funny people, not a contrived ove- rehearsed automaton delivering formulaic prose to impress the critics with their startling talent. While I feel the reviewer raises valid points, he seems to express them like a man who has been unlucky enough to find Mr Butler stuck inside his wife! Don't be so harsh its OK to laugh at the inane.
Terry Andrews, January 2006
He is not pretending to be Bill Hicks / Lenny Bruce. His job is to entertain and get laughs and I have seen him many times storm the arse off a gig and have guffawing punters making positive comments about him in the bar during the interval.
