Get Out More............................................Gig Review

BILL BAILEY (NIA, 23 Nov)

26-11-2007

Paula Elenor would like to nominate Bill Bailey for The Stirrer’s title of Honorary Brummie and Black Country Comic on the Year on the evidence of his show at the NIA on Friday. And yes, that does mean she's specifically excluding Frank Skinner.

Bill “The Geek” Bailey performed to a sell-out crowd of afficiandos on Friday night.

Mentioning twice that this was the largest audience he had ever performed before, he did seem a little uncomfortable at times in the cavernous space of the NIA. Was it the best venue for his characteristic self-deprecating, digressive and indeed occasionally surreal show?

Well, I was not sure on that point either, although by the end of the gig the audience was definitely left waiting for more- a little despondent even– as he exited the stage/planet by the “Close Encounters” Mothership. Come back! We need you in Brum

Why? Who else can hold an audience single-handedly with “ strange, but true” anecdotes about assistants in Homebase, halal butchers in London, rambling digressions about his own slightly manic view of a world riddled with “marketing speak”, scary door-bell chimes, “Friends”, James Blunt , oh and Bush, Blair AND Al Qaida!

He’s right – these cannot possibly share the same planet. It is just too bizarre!

Only Bill Bailey can single-handedly control a show in which his gags depend on live projections, digital imaging (Bin Laden’s mouth working like a ventriloquist to Bailey’s voice) virtuoso keyboard and guitar playing AND a mobile trouser press. All this, while still maintaining his persona as the anxious, well-meaning and occasionally enraged Bill trying to make sense of this strange place we call Earth.

So, why am I nominating him for the tile “Honorary Brummie/Black Country Comic of the Year”? Well, quite simply he is nice and we are nice, too. Our own homegrown comedian Frank Skinner – “I’m just an ordinary Black Country Lad; I started at The Bear in Bearwood” is NOT nice!

Bill makes self-deprecating jokes about the internal conflicts and ethical minefields faced by well- meaning people who do not want to be thought of as racist! That’s OK – Britain in 2007 is full of slightly puzzled people who genuinely do not want to offend people – and it is funny to satirise the linguistic maze of “political correctness.”

But Frank makes jibes against the hapless Heather Mills-McCartney using her disability as part of the joke – the reason to laugh at her. Sorry - you can’t legitimise that as an ironic broadside against the self–righteous politically correctly hegemony in Britain today. You’re just nasty, Frank! Bill is nice!

Bill for Honorary Brummie and Black Country Comic of the year! And then we can sing “Won’t you come home Bill Bailey, won’t you come home!” Can’t wait to see him next time around! Come back soon indeed!

Did you see Bill Bailey?

Or Frank Skinner at his recent NIA gigs?

Do you agree with Paula?

Leave a comment on the Stirrer Forum.