Someone asked me the other day "What DO you like?" after I said that I didn't like 30 Rock. I know I'm the only person in the entire world who doesn't like 30 Rock but that simply means that, once again, everyone in the entire world is wrong and I am right. It suffers badly, for me, from being created by and starring Tina Fey, the most patronising and full of herself performer I've ever seen. I can't watch her because everything she says or does suggests she's a lot smarter than everyone else and when she interacts with any other actor her face just screams "I'm getting paid WAY more than you". But maybe it is a good show and I've only seen bad episodes but I'm probably never going to give it another chance plus I quite like being the only person in the world who doesn't like 30 Rock. And, anyway, how smarter than everyone else is Tina Fey when she posed for a Gap advert after the company had been exposed as running a sweatshop using child labour in Cambodia? Still, she's very good at being Sarah Palin, isn't she?
But that is a good question, isn't it? "What DO you like?" Well, I like being the only person who doesn't like 30 Rock. When everyone is talking about how great 30 Rock is and I don't know what they're talking about it makes me feel good. Look at me being different. But you know, I DO like a lot of things. I like my dog and my friends and drinking and The Young Ones and Metallica and being vegan and doing Los Quattros Cvnts and the strong emotion of love and a couple of books and Gavin Webster.
I was lucky enough to have a really good gig at the fantastic Bearcat Comedy Club in Twickenham on Saturday night, the night of Ireland's win/England's loss in some rugby match and the rising of the supermoon. It was great to have an audience that not only couldn't give a fuck about sport but also actively despised the moon. Stupid, round, 90% closer to Earth dick that it is. I felt so good after this gig that I went to another comedy club. Just to hang out. I'm glad I did because, not only was my dear friend Johnny Candon there, but also Gavin Webster was performing.
If I had to pick a favourite circuit comedian I reckon it would be Gavin. He's a hard-working, no-nonsense, straightforward, Northern, working-class, traditional comedian who is none of those things. Well, he's hard-working and Northern, I'll give you that, but he's also surreal and delights in being, I hate this word, silly. There's barely a thing he says on stage that he doesn't comment on or reconstruct immediately after, constantly reviewing himself throughout his act. Then at some point he'll rail against the world, like a proper old man in a pub, making a well-observed and clever point about something that has never happened. His reason for "this country going downhill" gag is pretty much my favourite joke in the world and the joy and confusion it brings to an audience in equal measure makes it even better.
I've tried about 50 times to describe Gavin's brilliance here and deleted them all. I have no idea why I have kept the words that I have but I have realised that I am no comedy reviewer and now fully understand why Steve Bennett gets paid the fortune that he does. It's really hard to describe someone who is utterly funny just because he appears to be one thing then reveals he's something else while having some of the best jokes and routines you'll ever hear. Maybe I should have just written that? I don't know. What I do know is that Johnny and I watched him at the Banana in Balham and right afterwards went straight into the upstairs room of the venue to watch him again. That must say something, right?
If you happen to see Gavin Webster's name in any listings then make the effort to see him. If you're the type of person who only sees comedy once a year at the Edinburgh Festival then go to see one of his superb solo shows.
Shame he's a cunt in real life.
He's not. I just realised that I said something nice and that's not what my blog is about. I am evil and I'm the kind of person that gets asked "What DO you like?" so I had to say something horrible about him. Now I've explained that I'm going to have to do it again. Shame he's a cunt in real life.
So, that's what I like, to answer your question. Gavin Webster. Mind you, I like the film About A Boy so take that whatever way you want.
www.gavinwebster.co.uk
www.michaellegge.info
4 comments:
But 30 Rock is really good.
And Metallica are REALLLLLLLLLY Bad (and not in a good way).
As luck would have it I just googled Gavin Webster and he's playing Queens Student Union in Belfast tonight. I shall rally the troops and head down, purely on your recommendation. You probably think this makes me an idiot. I am, and I'm a cunt.
I also like the Young Ones and (sort of) like Metallica, but dislike everything else on the planet. Therefore I must check out this Gavin Webster chap.
Post a Comment