Bill Bailey

Finally, after many years of trying and failing, including standing ten bodies deep outside a huge marquee thronging with people at a festival in the rain, we got to see Bill Bailey perform live. Is that a bit extreme? Sean, Jenn and Louise got tickets at the last minute to his sell out gig in Christchurch. The car didn't break down, we found somewhere to park, were not mugged on the way to the gig in the big city and despite getting a wee bit lost finding our way to the gig and turning up a wee bit late we arrived and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Bill was great, despite being obviously a bit confused by the time difference and the ' it looks like home, it smells like home but they ain't like I am' culture shock thing. Particularly in the opening warm up with 'whats the phrase that kiwis use that defines them as kiwis' and some bright spark shouted out ' get in behind'. Ho hum chuckle chuckle much mirth ensued. And then he pulled out his oud - beautiful.

HE also did an old standby, sing a song thats slow and melancholic but in german and in a techno style. Cohens Hallelujah this time. as funny as it is not sure if its not time to move on to something a bit different now.

It felt quite comforting to hear a voice from home wot talks like we do and talked of places that we knew. Jenn was sorely tempted to jump up and scream 'big up from the Swindon massive' but the surreality of it might have sent him over the edge.

Not sure that the kiwis in the audience got many of the jokes and references, we did, laughing like drains. He kept them in with lots of Orc and Hobbit references. He did a good powerpoint presentation reinterpreting the work of the Great Masters telling of the Doubting Thomas scene. Great use of the powerpoint. On the way home we wondered if he did the work himself bored one evening when nothing was on the telly, or whether some minion slaved away in a cold mean garret...