There was something joyous yet melancholic about this show. The stage was mostly bare, except for a couple of chairs and side tables with stands for sheet music and a guitar. A large screen at the back displayed the title of the event, while brass band music played gently over the PA. There was no merchandise for sale in the foyer, only a couple of banners directing people to The Eric Idle archive via a QR code (or splodge, as it was referred to).
Eric Idle is quite open about why, at age 82, he is touring, and that is for the money. He even showed us the Monty Python song and dance sketch about Money. I suspect his relative destitution may have arisen due to the cost of his US medical treatment for pancreatic cancer, saving his life but not his bank balance. It's not for the John Cleese excuse, alimony, as Eric has been happily married for decades.
Rather than spend money employing a band to tour with him, he recorded a virtual band—a trio of musicians—to accompany him on the frequent music numbers. Cheaper that way. Obviously, being a Python, he played with the device, appearing with them at one point when he should have been on stage, getting Mickey Dolenz to fill in, performing I'm a Believer with the band, while he 'rushed' back to join us. He also duetted with Puddles (of Puddle's Pity Party) on the Galaxy Song from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
Essentially, the show was a trip down memory lane for Idle, recounting the standout moments from his life and career, the happy and the sad. He had cue cards tucked in his hands, though he rarely referred to them, except perhaps when he was sitting down waiting for a video clip to finish. He regaled us with showbiz tales, name-dropping frequently but in a matter-of-fact manner, as that was his life back in the day, where the Rolling Stones could pop round for a party while Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford were staying with him, shooting The Empire Strikes Back.
Python formed the backbone of the show, as it did his life. He felt so lucky to meet the future Goodies and Pythons during his first year at Uni, going on to perform in Edinburgh and in the West End, then on television and on stage in America, where Python was huge. Their film work brought them into contact with super-fan rock bands, such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull, who helped finance The Holy Grail, shot nearby at Doune. Thus, he dubbed his career 'Mock and Roll', where music and comedy became intertwined.
His friendship with George Harrison saved The Life of Brian, as the Beatle mortgaged his home and studio to raise the £4.5 million needed to finance the movie after EMI dropped out due to script concerns. When asked why, George replied, "Because I wanted to see the movie". The most expensive cinema ticket in history, as Eric dubbed it.
George and Eric were good friends, so Eric found it hard to write a eulogy for him, instead choosing to write a song for him, which he then performed at the funeral and sang again for us tonight over a montage of photos of them together.
He had to do this again when Robin Williams died. Their lives had intersected many times, both personally and professionally, and it was a sad loss to lose such a comic genius in such a manner. Another photo montage, another melancholic song, another beautiful sendoff.
Not that everyone was treated with such respect. During the Aspen film festival, all five living Pythons were being interviewed by comedian Robert Klein. However, the absent Graham Chapman, absent on account of being dead, did not get to miss out as they'd brought him along in an urn, which Gilliam later 'accidentally' kicked over, knocking his ashes all over the stage. Cue chaos as everyone tried to sweep him back up again, escalating from brooms, to brushes and pans, then to a handheld vacuum cleaner, which their butler engaged.
Idle also covered his other major work, that of The Rutles, his parody of the Fab Four, filmed for NBC, thanks to Lorne Michaels, as they would supply him with a bigger budget than BBC2 could offer.
Some of his script's jokes were telegraphed, overfamiliar, but I could forgive him for that. He had to say them. It was what the appreciative crowd wanted, and he met their expectations well. Some of the superfans would pump their fists in the air when they recognised a reference or relished the clip being shown. A young female nerd sitting nearby intrigued me with her encyclopedic knowledge of all things Python, as I eavesdropped on her regaling her friend with details I hadn't been aware of, such as how they interrupted each other's audiobooks for comic effect, just as they had on their soundtrack albums. Gavin Mitchell, Boaby from Still Game, was a couple of rows behind me.
I enjoyed seeing Eric's photographs the most. All the clips he played could have been tracked down elsewhere, but his snaps allowed us a deeper insight into his personal life, holidaying with George Harrison, filming with Robin Williams, and partying with the Star Wars actors.
He brought mirth into many lives over his career. It was a pleasure to be allowed to share a couple of hours in his company. It's unlikely, given his age, that the event will be repeated.
Spoiler: he finished with a massive fart.
Ticket Price: £75.00
Per Item Fees £10.15 (Service Charge) x1 & £2.50 (Facility Charge) x1 = £12.65
Handling Fee £2.50
Total £90.15 from Ticketmaster.
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