Jimmy Carr has an incredible mind for joke writing, especially when mining the dark corners of society's taboos, so it's always fun to hear the audience's reactions to his comedy. He is supremely confident on stage and knows exactly how to take down any heckler. Every line, every pause, every expression is there to serve the laugh, the giggle, the hoot and the guffaw.
We had two tickets to his show (which was convenient as there were two of us). JLS had sold out the OVO Hydro next door so, on the way to the Armadillo, as we passed through the Red Smartie tube, we had to endure a deafening mass of chattering young ladies dressed in belt skirts and black jackets. A few were silent but only because they were sucking on vapes, sending vapour plumes into the air like steam trains (or possibly steaming trains). It was the first time I felt I needed ear protectors before a gig.
It didn't take long to get into the venue, though the queues for the bar were so long they came out to meet me in the vestibule. I think the gig might have been delayed because of this, with Jimmy not coming on at 8pm as advertised but nearer 8.20 pm.
Our seats were good: middle of the middle stalls. The man sitting beside me on my right had packed all his laughter vowels, starting with ha-ha-ha (like a Scottish Sid James), moving onto hee hee hee (high pitched, like a little girl), finishing with ho ho ho (like an asthmatic Santa) before erupting with a wheezy fit of coughing. I'm sure the alcohol was purely medicinal to quell his COPD. He was so up for this gig, he even shouted out a heckle as Jimmy came on stage. I sank a little in my chair, thinking, "Oh dear, here's one". Fortunately, that was the start and finish of his audience participation.
I felt the first half of the show was too long, the punishing frequency of gag after gag beginning to hurt. The second half was looser, with more audience interaction to slow up the joke rate and was more enjoyable for it. Near the end, he regaled us with the jokes that nearly had him cancelled (all of which I'd heard) then finished with a series of texts that people had sent in, displaying them for him (and us) to read from the big screen. Many seemed scripted ie written by him to ensure the section was funny, but a few were definitely from the audience. One girl had texted in that she had dislocated her ankle and broken her foot in three places during sex after she jumped off her partner when the door went. When Jimmy enquired incredulously if this was true, she produced her walking cane to prove it. Why she felt the need to share this particular anecdote with three thousand others, I have no idea.
Overall, the show was incredibly good value, with two hours of laughter, packed with funny, well-told and suitably dark jokes. The one that drew the biggest ooh from the audience was: "What's the best thing to remove chewing gum from hair? Cancer." Ouch!
On the way out, I spotted a FB pal, someone from my school days, and waved. He nodded back but obviously didn't recognise me. He and his wife walked on, leaving me once again thinking I remain the anonymous punter.
Ticket Price: £79.20 for two tickets via Ticketmaster (bloody fees - Face value £32.50)
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