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March 28, 2024, 11:06:33 AM

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Explain Richard Herring please

Started by MrMealDeal, May 06, 2022, 06:41:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Mobius

Nothing really, he deleted his facebook and as far as I know nothing really ever came of the mystery!

JamesTC

Quote from: Mobius on May 08, 2022, 11:24:54 PMI still fondly remember bits of the Collings & Herrin podcast. The fox eating a nappy full of baby shit, taking the piss out of Richard Littlejohn. "I paid a pound!!" Hearing about their Edinburgh adventures each year. The pigeon outside the window, the builders.

So many classic moments come to mind:
  • "Your mum is a fucking idiot"
  • Encouraging listeners to go to the Wikipedia and amend the page for Barabbas to say he was a bummer and that was why he was going to be crucified.
  • Encouraging listeners to submit a film to IMDB called "I am a Bummer" starring Argentina Brunetti, the dead 100-year-old actress, "as a tribute to a hundred years of hard work".
  • Sending an email to a TV listings magazine suggesting that Nick Griffin should replace Anton Du Beke on Strictly Come Dancing because he would be less racist. This came at a time Du Beke was in trouble for using an offensive word.
  • On Jon Gaunt: "that's an ironic name considering his fat face"
  • A young man in the audience had come with his mother. Andrew asks the mother "did he make you come" which is followed by a mixture of laughter and booing.
  • Andrew accidentally suggesting that an audience member gets a tattoo of a butterfly with his mother's face on the end of his knob and getting booed for it.
  • Richard lists an increasingly absurd things that he did with the copy of Andrew's book such as "did a diarrhoea on it, did a bile on it" only for Andrew to respond to the tirade with "I've got the receipt".
  • Calling Walt Disney a "frozen headed cunt" and goading him to sue them.

Bigfella

Quote from: Bobloblawslawbomb on May 08, 2022, 09:51:09 AMIn fairness, the driving instructor acronym bit is very very funny
Taking us back a good few years there!  Did it sound anything like 'MIZROOM NA ROOM MIZZRLE BIVNEL PAFFKAY'? I also remember a young Sally Phillips and a bald(ing?) guy complaining about a picture of a red apple representing traffic lights.  His contention that most apples are green brings a chorus of rebellious approval from the other learner drivers.  I'm surprised I remembered that much, has to be what, 25 years ago?

Mobbd

Quote from: JamesTC on May 08, 2022, 11:46:24 PMA young man in the audience had come with his mother. Andrew asks the mother "did he make you come" which is followed by a mixture of laughter and booing.

I was at that. I might have cried.

So many memories!

It was mah favourite show.

Mobbd

#64
Quote from: JamesTC on May 08, 2022, 11:17:03 PMThe reunion on RHLSTP was great, but it was a shame that Collins felt so keen to slip right back into the old routine and Herring seemed very resistant. My dad mentioned the RHLSTP to me, saying he didn't like Collins, but I had to explain that it was him trying to get back their old chemistry.

Do you really think that? I'd like to think it was something along those lines (though the more hostile chemistry of the later episodes, the second CD, and the BBC shows was never my favourite) but it felt to me like Collins was still genuinely real-life sore about the breakup and about the sacrifices he'd made for the relationship (i.e. looking unprofessional) that never paid off beyond a few years of fun and hijinks. It made me feel quite sad.

Might watch the reunion show again to try and see it through your eyes.

With regards to them getting back together, I sometimes look in on Collins' Twitter timeline and it makes me think that Collins is still sore and trying to put it all behind him. He's really drilled down into jobbing DJ and film/music review work (all talking about other people's stuff as opposed to really making anything of his own, like the blow to his creative confidence was too much).

I also think (like many of us) he feels personally wounded by current politics and has withdawn a bit because of this. Poor guy. All long-distance armchair psychology on my part of course. I wish him the best.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: Mobbd on May 09, 2022, 02:49:57 PMI wish him the best.
I hope all the bad things in life happen to him, and nobody else but him.

Twilkes

Wasn't Collins always a journalist and writer most foremostly anyway? There's a difference between a comedian and someone who can be funny, so while he did radio show banter with Stuart Maconie I always thought it odd that he teamed up with Richard Herring. Only listened to a few clips of it just now, and Herrin sounds like a comedian doing a bit while Collings sounds like a normal person trying to be funny, not saying he's not successful but there's no heightened-self that you usually get with Comedians with a capital C.

iamcoop

The funniest bit of C+H for me will always be Richard saying the very ill boy that Andrew used to raise money for 'didn't deserve it'.

Sounds very crass and I've remembered it badly but I must have laughed at that for about ten minutes.

Edit:

Still makes me laugh now.




The Bumlord

Quote from: Cold Meat Platter on May 08, 2022, 12:47:03 AMI've noticed he seems to think people will be impressed by his remembering things. The 'genealogy' of Jesus in Christ on a Bike

I was quite impressed when he did that bit in Edinburgh, until the mic lead popped out halfway through. Oh Rich

JamesTC

Quote from: Mobbd on May 09, 2022, 02:49:57 PMDo you really think that? I'd like to think it was something along those lines (though the more hostile chemistry of the later episodes, the second CD, and the BBC shows was never my favourite) but it felt to me like Collins was still genuinely real-life sore about the breakup and about the sacrifices he'd made for the relationship (i.e. looking unprofessional) that never paid off beyond a few years of fun and hijinks. It made me feel quite sad.

I felt like it was Collings trying to get back to that hostile (but also affectionate) chemistry they had in the latter half of the run whereas Herring was doing his normal RHLSTP shtick. Though near the end, Herring did seem to clock what he was doing and joined in.

It felt sweet rather than sore from Collings perspective. He even had some of the old newspaper clippings of stuff they talked about in old episodes.

I don't think Collings would be all that bitter about the way his career has gone. He has a successful weekly job with Classic FM, various columns and numerous other gigs. And he is still writing/script editing the odd thing here and there to feed his creative side.

pigamus

Another thing about Herring's supposed contentment with his lot and his career etc. - if that's really true, would he really get so upset about Collings doing some piddling 6 Music show with Josie Long? I mean it's pretty small beer isn't it?

Twilkes

Quote from: pigamus on May 09, 2022, 06:30:40 PMAnother thing about Herring's supposed contentment with his lot and his career etc. - if that's really true, would he really get so upset about Collings doing some piddling 6 Music show with Josie Long? I mean it's pretty small beer isn't it?

Probably just another case of a middle aged man having to come to terms with a younger female replacing him who can do his job just as well. She went on RHLSTP so it can't have been that serious.

typeforty

The way he told it at the time, it was less about not returning and more about the fact Andrew had agreed to do it (without even consulting him, I think?). It was very much a case of "I would never do that if the roles were reversed, so I'm hurt that Andrew has."

thr0b

That's how it went down really; Collins pointing out that the 6Music thing was his job, and essentially Herring's side-hustle.

Which would've made sense if they'd only been doing stuff together for a couple of months, but by that point the were very much a double act.

Neither dealt with it well.

somersetchris

Quote from: pigamus on May 09, 2022, 06:30:40 PMAnother thing about Herring's supposed contentment with his lot and his career etc. - if that's really true, would he really get so upset about Collings doing some piddling 6 Music show with Josie Long? I mean it's pretty small beer isn't it?

Is he upset about it? He doesn't even like music, as he has said numerous times (and also shown by his apparent lack of interest when recently interviewing Terry Christian).

DrGreggles

I think the BBC put them in a difficult position there.
They must have been aware of them working together, so surely knew it could cause a problem.
But I think Rich was wrong to expect Collins to leave, given that Collins had semi-regularly been on since before they worked together.

somersetchris

Quote from: Twilkes on May 09, 2022, 03:24:13 PMWasn't Collins always a journalist and writer most foremostly anyway? There's a difference between a comedian and someone who can be funny, so while he did radio show banter with Stuart Maconie I always thought it odd that he teamed up with Richard Herring. Only listened to a few clips of it just now, and Herrin sounds like a comedian doing a bit while Collings sounds like a normal person trying to be funny, not saying he's not successful but there's no heightened-self that you usually get with Comedians with a capital C.

Yeah Collins was a music journalist for a long time. For me, if your job is music journalist and you get some gigs in radio, even if it's off and on, you're doing alright for yourself. That would be a bit like a musician complaining they get some acting jobs but not enough acting jobs. I used to like him because he wrote for Select which I loved, but then I read his autobiography and went off him. It's called 'Where Did It All Go Right' and is basically about coming from a fairly ordinary background and everything working out very well for him. It's not a scintillating read.

Indomitable Spirit

Collins' blogpost he wrote at the time about the whole affair is here -

https://wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/the-break-up/

I read it back last night after reading this thread and the level of preciousness from the pair of them (Collins includes Herring's right to reply at the bottom of the page) is genuinely staggering. Especially when the entire fall out is over, as a previous posted pointed out, a piddly little 6music show.

I think it's clear reading it back that there was simmering tensions between the pair and this was probably the final straw. Collins was obviously a bit weary of playing Herring's on air punching bag and Herring seems to be annoyed that Collins turned down the chance to do some shows in Edinburgh (and also some petty shit about buying equipment).

Saying that, I would say I fall slightly more on Collins side of the argument. They both were involved in other projects outside of the double act, so it feels like Herring's protestations about loyalty ring a bit hollow - it's far more likely he was just bitter that he didn't get asked to do the show.

It's also quite funny hearing Rich yammer on about how busy he is considering the type of half-arsed shit he's passed off as "work" over the last decade or so.

thugler

Always felt that Herring after a certain point lacked quality control, and was simply putting as much shit out as possible, that has definitely continued. Some of the crowd funded stuff, like AIOTM was so fucking dismal, and I struggle to listen to most episodes of the leicester square pod anymore unless there is a very good guest. He's just not that interested in getting better as doing them, he just does his usual shtick and often doesn't listen to the guest or ask very good questions at all. Also agree that he's much better with written stuff that he's taken time on, and some of his earlier stand up shows are really solid with plenty of laughs. I don't even know what would possess someone to listen to the stone clearing/puppet/snooker ones. There are too many bloody podcasts out there to listen to as it is.

With the Collings fallout, I always felt like he enjoyed being the experienced confident comedian of the two, unlike with his previous partnership but eventually hated it when Collins got laughs, particularly in the live shows, there was some sort of simmering resentment that spilled out in the nastiness that went beyond a joke at times and just felt uncomfortable and not funny. Collins seemed like a sensitive and absolutely harmless guy who was just trying to do his job well but wasn't up for that kind of shit. When it started it was such a screw around thing the atmosphere of it was much lighter and sillier and a lot better for it. The split I have to say I broadly agree with Collins on, that's his main job and being a comedian was never going to be his priority. The 'tiny andrew collins' thing I never found very funny either. The things he's bitter/resentful about are extremely obvious and they are largely the same things he pretends not to be bitter about. He's very easy to read.

somersetchris

Quote from: Replies From View on May 08, 2022, 08:09:33 AMIt annoys me, because there are amazing podcasts out there, brilliant ideas and superb content, that'll never develop the audience base they deserve because there is now so much stuff to wade through.  Whereas Richard Herring is almost wilfully producing the shittest material he can come up with - material that is self-consciously tedious and unfunny - and he knows it'll have listeners due to the sheer inertia of his fanbase.

Some really incredible snobbery here. So people only listen to RHLSTP because they're too thick to know better? Do you have a podcast by any chance? Because you seem very bitter that people listen to him when it really doesn't affect you.

I listen to a huge number of podcasts, and RHLSTP is often among them. I now know I am just too stupid to know any better and am not an adult capable of making my own decisions about what I listen to.

Replies From View

Quote from: somersetchris on May 09, 2022, 09:59:14 PMSome really incredible snobbery here. So people only listen to RHLSTP because they're too thick to know better? Do you have a podcast by any chance? Because you seem very bitter that people listen to him when it really doesn't affect you.

I listen to a huge number of podcasts, and RHLSTP is often among them. I now know I am just too stupid to know any better and am not an adult capable of making my own decisions about what I listen to.

Would you like to double check whether I'm being snobbish, bitter and calling people stupid?

Ferris

He is pretty inarguably coasting and has been for (10?) years. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but there's a thin line between "I'm doing a shit job of recording this because that's part of the joke" and "I'm doing a shit job of this because that's all that is required.

Hypothetical - would any new podcaster producing the same material get anywhere? Moving stones around and playing me1 vs me2 snooker? Why or why not, and how does that relate to Herring?

Again, I'm a fan and I like that he does stuff solely to amuse himself but his career relies on a large amount of pre-existing goodwill and inertia. I don't think it's snobbery to point that out.

Twilkes

I think listening to many a known comedian wandering around a field, moving stones around, talking to themselves about things that come into their head would be entertaining to a greater or lesser extent. Jason Manford, Kevin Bridges, Mike Wozniak, Cariad Lloyd, Fern Brady, the possibilities are endless. I'm surprised Herring doesn't bus them down to his field and take a percentage.

Twonty Gostelow

Quote from: somersetchris on May 09, 2022, 08:29:44 PMI used to like him because he wrote for Select which I loved, but then I read his autobiography and went off him. It's called 'Where Did It All Go Right' and is basically about coming from a fairly ordinary background and everything working out very well for him. It's not a scintillating read.

There were two more where that came from, from the heady days when Ebury Press even showed interest in my Diary of a Data-Entry Clerk.



I enjoyed them more than I did Herring's How Not to Grow Up, fwiw.

I often felt that a part of Herring was genuinely contemptuous of Collins for his belief in homeopathy. A similar dynamic to Lee's scorn for Herring sticking with Avalon.

Ferris

Homeopathy seems like a benign form of lunacy these days doesn't it? None of this crypto-fascist NFT-selling anti-vax stuff, just slightly insane beliefs about water that essentially harm no one.

Gurke and Hare

Quote from: Ferris on May 10, 2022, 12:06:12 AMHomeopathy seems like a benign form of lunacy these days doesn't it? None of this crypto-fascist NFT-selling anti-vax stuff, just slightly insane beliefs about water that essentially harm no one.

Harm no one until they tell people to do it instead of, say, chemotherapy.

Quote from: Ferris on May 09, 2022, 11:25:05 PMHypothetical - would any new podcaster producing the same material get anywhere? Moving stones around and playing me1 vs me2 snooker? Why or why not, and how does that relate to Herring?

I think it's probably fair to say there's very few people who are Herring fans now who weren't fans of Lee and Herring. I doubt you could say the same for Stewart Lee.

Ferris

Quote from: Gurke and Hare on May 10, 2022, 12:37:57 AMHarm no one until they tell people to do it instead of, say, chemotherapy.

But you'd have to be a believer in the first place so it only really harms themselves (well that's their lookout), unlike the other belief systems I mentioned which harm others.

Good point on the L&H fans vs solo fans of either.

PlanktonSideburns

Agree with lots of the criticism here, but still find all his stuff to be less lazy, inane and smug than acaster and gamble talking about their favourite snacks inbetween ASMR crunching and water pouring sounds with their DAVE pals

Replies From View

If conspiracies have the power to harm individuals, they can harm others as well, because they spread around between gullible people who didn't know about them before.

AllisonSays

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on May 10, 2022, 08:50:41 AMAgree with lots of the criticism here, but still find all his stuff to be less lazy, inane and smug than acaster and gamble talking about their favourite snacks inbetween ASMR crunching and water pouring sounds with their DAVE pals

Hahaha, I actually agree with you on that one too, very much not for me.