Change »
|
|
|
|
Peter Kay: The Tour That Doesn't Tour
The star of the BAFTA-winning Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy's Road To Nowhere and Britain's Got The Pop Factor returns to stand-up for the first time since his 2003 Mum Wants A Bungalow tour.
Speaking ahead of his return, Peter said: "Writing my book recently made me realise just how much I used to love and have missed performing stand-up."
His Mum Wants A Bungalow tour still holds the record as the biggest-selling British stand-up DVD and tour of all time.
|
Peter Kay: The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour |
|
|
Peter Kay is a great entertainer, but a mediocre comic. After seven years away, he’s back with the same brand of straightforward home-spun observations he’s always peddled, although they didn’t seem to make quite the same connection with the audience as they once did. Yet by pulling out all the pyrotechnics for a full-on rock and roll finale, he ensured a near-unanimous standing ovation from a sold-out arena. That’s unarguable… and why this comeback tour will gross around £26million in ticket sales alone, let alone the proceeds from the inevitable DVD and well-stocked merchandise stand. The products on offer there tell their own story. You can still get ‘garlic bread’ T-shirts should you wish, indicating this show isn’t going to generate many new catchphases of its own. Where once he talked about t’internet, now he mentions th’iPod. I’m guessing that didn’t take the full seven years to write. In fact, much of the writing is pretty lazy. In a long section about TV, he slags off Grand Designs, Supernanny, Secret Millionaire, Embarrassing Bodies, How To Look Good Naked and Come Dine With Me. Looks like he couldn’t even press the remote to change the channel off No 4. The comments he makes are pretty much what anyone would come up with if asked to describe the show. For instance, Come Dine With Me ‘isn’t a cookery show, it’s all about nosy bastards’ or Supernanny Jo Frost ‘just states the obvious’. Which is rich from someone who’s made a fortune doing just that. His cosy nostalgia is rife here, as expected, and while he’s describing things we can all relate to, there’s little spin on it. Remember how you used to have to put the immersion on hours before taking a bath? Or how you’d have Imperial Leather soap for special occasions till it was worn down to just the label. Yes, I do remember – but comedy should surely be more than a good memory, laced with trademarks. Very rarely would Kay recount something specific to him, such as witnessing his dad trap his testicles in a sun lounger, or the time he took an ill-advised swig of Coke from a friend. These were by far the best moments – nice little anecdotes skilfully told, rather than simply repeating shared experiences – and I yearned for more. The format of the evening, in which we spend a lot of time looking at an empty stage, makes it difficult for Kay to build up momentum. In three hours, he’s on stage for 80 minutes, with two long breaks, one midway through the set and one after opening act Rick Astley sets a cruise-ship lounge atmosphere with a songs including a hideous medley of Manchester acts including New Order, Oasis and – shudder – the Smiths. But Astley encompasses everything that also epitomises Kay: a ‘guilty pleasure’, combining nostalgia and music. There’s no disguising the fact Kay would rather have been a pop star – as his X-Factor spoof and countless kitsch charity covers prove – though he’d probably be almost as happy running a mobile disco in the Bolton area. His love of music manifests itself in the second half, firstly when he expresses envy for the Guitar Hero generation when he had to make do with imagining his father’s spade to be his axe; and secondly in his old trick of playing song samples from his Walkman, and describing how he misheard the lyrics. Well, I say ‘he’. These mondegreens, as they are called, are widely available on the internet. So when he suggests a Sister Sledge actually sing ‘just let me staple the vicar’ in We Are Family, and brings the house down with it, it’s a observation you can grab from Google. Maybe it doesn’t matter – his audience love them even more than they love the old pub gags with which he starts his show, as always. He’s giving the what he wanted. The encore in which he lives out his rock-star fantasy is a perfect example of this. Of course it’s a brilliant showstopper, because he’s using the music of Queen, and how can that not get an elated reaction? But still there’s still a curmudgeonly argument that wants to urge him: ‘If you want to be a musician, at least learn to play a goddamn instrument.’ However the 750,000 people due to see him on this tour can’t be wrong. Can they? |
|
| Date of live review: Wednesday 28th Apr, '10 | |
|
Review by Steve Bennett |
|
|
Terrible review. Sounds like this is coming from a very bitter man. Went to one of his shows at the SECC and I didnt stop laughing. Duncan, January 2012 |
|
I personally think you're a very cynical, stupid man. He's obviously doing something right if he's packing out massive arenas and having to add dates. Who cares if some of it isn't completely innovative and original? If it makes people laugh, thats what counts. Rachael, December 2011 |
|
I was a huge fan, bought both stand up DVDs and both books, but have to agree with the review, he is the laziest comic going. So many recycled gags. If we're being honest he's released roughly two stand up shows over six DVDs! stephen, November 2011 |
|
Couldn't wait to see PK in Birmingham last night (16/06/2011)and yes we laughed all of the way through but I thought the show was disjointed, no sooner had he come on stage then we had an interval, then another 25 minutes and then the finalle. A good percentage of his material was recycled, no support act we had gone expecting Rick Astley to belt out his hits from back in the day ! Simon Baker, June 2011 |
|
By the time i got to this: "For instance, Come Dine With Me ‘isn’t a cookery show, it’s all about nosy bastards’ or Supernanny Jo Frost ‘just states the obvious’. Which is rich from someone who’s made a fortune doing just that" I had to stop reading the review. Peter Kay "a mediocre comic"? Just "states the obvious" and that's it, is it - the man's lucky? Whoever wrote the view: you're either a first rate idiot or a very bitter failed stand-up comedian. If the second, you're barely to be pitied (ie, I'd still like to see someone deliver you a hefty kick in the testicles), or you haven't the first idea about the subject of comedy: what on earth are you doing writing for this website? I haven't seen the show myself bec. I don't go to see comedians in arenas: but a mate of mine was dragged along dreading someone he admires in a massive venue and came out completely and utterly won over. Told me he couldn't stop laughing from beginning to end. That'll do me over your witless drivel all day long. CT Craig Thomas, June 2011 |
|
i went to the SECC in glasgow on the 14th of april.and i have to say the people on this site that are complaining have no sense of humour what so ever. it was belly laugh after belly laugh and if i was lucky enough to get another ticket i would make sure i took a hankie to wipe the tears of laughter from my face. if u don't like his style then tough, if its not broken don't fix it....go and see frankie boyle....me i prefer good clean british humour that will make the whole family laught...well done peter can't wait for the dvd kevin crainie, April 2011 |
|
Saw him in Glasgow on Thursday. He soon got around to his gran and Sky+ I had realised it wasn't going to be worth the 18 month wait. Finalle was great but I won't be going again, seven years and a lot of recycled material left me feeling ripped off and wondering if the audience were fans or just along for the bragging rights.. Jim, April 2011 |
|
Went to O2, April 3: So disappointing, the half was slow and predictable 2nd half warmed up but the content was again just stuff heard before from many comedians (i.e. the finale misheard lyrics) yawn yawn. Got to say however many people came ready to laugh and they did. i did notice PK getting a bit ratty with the audiance "whats a matter with you tonight" etc and fluffing a line here and there. All in all poor. L Price, April 2011 |
|
Let's not beat about the bush. The guy is hilarious. If you're not a fan of his style don't go! Ignore all of the negative comments i went to the telewest arena last night and cried laughing! Absolutely brilliant! Adam, February 2011 |
|
Saw PK at Sheffield Arena on Monday 31.01.11. I have to say v disappointed and he has definitely wasted fans ticket money - see complaints about Rick Astley's performance, well the fans on Monday night didn't get any support entertainment whatsoever (which makes it even more annoying) - I think he's got a nerve thinking that audiences should be satisfied with two 40-minute slots of, as others have commented, lazy and same old same old stuff Julie, February 2011 |
|
Saw him at Sheffield. Complete rip – fat, lazy, rich yes very and milking it ian, December 2010 |
|
Saw the Belfast show last night. Eight months on, it's still the same material. Some very funny moments but mostly just made me smile rather than laugh. I love Peter kay but I left feeling disappointed. Simon, December 2010 |
|
I agree the show at Sheffield Arena last night on sun 28th April was lazy. He was on stage in total from 8.10pm to 8.45 but stayed on and put live x factor on screens which was funniest part then went off back on at 9.45 and we were away by 10pm! so 80mins is about right. The seating is poor at best at Mororpoint arena there's more leg room on Ryanair. Not a great night but we did enjoy it but next time I will not bother with the show and await the DVD! Clive Westlake, November 2010 |
|
Shame that Mr Bennett isn't able to really truly understand just how clever a comedian Peter kay is... of course it is all similar material - it's a brand and style that many people respond to and ultimately that's what it is all about.....rather like Mr Bennett being payed to cower behind a laptop in the bedroom of his mother's house criticising people's work who have actually gone out of the house and done something! Don't forget to wash behind your ears Steve. Krouse, November 2010 |
|
I can't but agree with the review. Lazy is the right word. Same material recycled! Gegs, May 2010 |
|
Stop being such a miserable sod. I went last night and i couldnt' stop laughing all the way through and that's what you want with a comedian! rob, May 2010 |
|
This review is bone idle itself. Not the biggest fan of Kay, which is why I don't watch him, but I'm always entertained by the likes of this reviewer. Clearly, he thinks the humour is below him, fine, but you didn't seem to find any humour in Rick focking Astle doing songs of the Smiths?Comedy gold. And Kay did the dictophone thing before Google. Give the fella some credit. Mark jones, May 2010 |
|
I spotted two typos in the penultimate paragraph, Dipesh, but no grammatical errors. What a strange comment. I also agree with the reviewer re. Peter Kay's laziness. I do not find him funny or original in the slightest. Poor. TeePee, April 2010 |
|
Still much funnier than Michael McIntyre (who, granted, is funny but incredibly overrated). Matthew, April 2010 |
|
I totally agree with the review. I saw a warm up at the Bury Met and it was the same as detailed in the review therefore meaning the material was just a re-working of what has gone before i.e. the nan gags. What was not a re-working BUT just old material was the songs on the dictaphone - they are the same songs he was doing this with 10 years ago - very disappointing and very poor. WB, April 2010 |
|
The number of grammatical errors in this article is embarrassing. Dipesh, April 2010 |
|
There was a long break due to a technical issue. jeannie, April 2010 |
|
Absolutely spot-on review. He is a funny guy - but the material was weak. Not a patch on Michael McIntyre. This was his first tour re-badged, it lacked freshness. Enjoyable evening but expected much more. Tim, April 2010 |
