James Acaster - Hecklers Welcome tour

[Small Potatoes]

Me and Mrs Potatoes off to see this in Cardiff this evening. Haven't seen any reviews yet (think it's only the third show of the tour tonight?) so going in completely blind but we both love Acaster so looking forward to it.

[Glyn]

Thought it was great. The first half was a little slower than the first and it's clearly a 'well, I've had therapy' type show (which he references a lot) but thoroughly enjoyed it.

That encore could have gone either way but ending on one of his better Classic Scrapes stories was a good result.

[Small Potatoes]

Thought it was great. The first half was a little slower than the first and it's clearly a 'well, I've had therapy' type show (which he references a lot) but thoroughly enjoyed it.

That encore could have gone either way but ending on one of his better Classic Scrapes stories was a good result.

Yeah, we loved it too. Obviously the South Wales crowd was impeccably behaved throughout, with no heckling/wandering around/phone use etc so it was pretty much a standard show but the man knows how to work a room. I've read Classic Scrapes but couldn't remember the story he told tonight - was howling by the end of it. The little bits with the drums were fun too.

[cakeinmilk]

Glad there was no heckling so he was able to get the material out. I've seen a couple of WIPs of the show. Does he still end on a story about

Spoiler alert

being terrorised on a train by some teens?

[close]

[Small Potatoes]

Glad there was no heckling so he was able to get the material out. I've seen a couple of WIPs of the show. Does he still end on a story about

Spoiler alert

being terrorised on a train by some teens?

[close]

Yep. Brilliantly anxiety-inducing.

[Icehaven]

I had the biggest change of mind over Acaster. His episode of Adam Buxton's podcast was the only one I didn't get all the way through because I had a weird aversion to his voice, plus I'd never heard of him so wasn't overly bothered anyway. Then Buxton was on Off Menu and I wanted to listen to his episode so made myself get past the voice thing, found I really liked the whole OM format so listened to a few others with guests I liked, now I'm working my way through the rest, I've read a few of his books and his Netflix specials are the only full-length stand up I've watched in it's entirety in years and would probably go and see live. He completely won me over, which I'm sure means the world to him.

[non capisco]

.

[non capisco]

Yep. Brilliantly anxiety-inducing.

Is that the same as the

Spoiler alert

Classic Alistair!

[close]

story?

[BritishHobo]

Is that the same as the

Spoiler alert

Classic Alistair!

[close]

story?

I saw the show in May, and unless it's changed, I don't think it's that one. At first I expected it to be,

Spoiler alert

as they are pretty similar scenarios - but this one goes in the opposite direction to the foolish bravado of that story.

[close]

[madhair60]

when was it that he slagged off stewart lee fans? and why?

[Tiggles]

On Perfect Sounds Forever, comparing them to fans of Radiohead who don't think they need to listen to any other music because they're already listening to the best music:

https://twitter.com/perfectsoundpod/status/1412697037632675842?s=20

[madhair60]

ah, i see. thanks. Acaster has been misquoted, what he actually says there is different by one word and consequently much less unkind

[tribalfusion]

On Perfect Sounds Forever, comparing them to fans of Radiohead who don't think they need to listen to any other music because they're already listening to the best music:

https://twitter.com/perfectsoundpod/status/1412697037632675842?s=20

I recall that but it always struck me as nonsense. Lee fans typically like Lee precisely because they've had to endure so much terrible comedy. A lot of his act presupposed that in fact

[Blinder Data]

he was very very good tonight. with the title I was expecting a riot but it went almost heckle-free until the second half. but even with all the audience's pish callbacks to podcasts and TV shows that came (and were welcomed), i didn't mind - it's a good-natured well-structured show with a lovely atmosphere and message

I would almost urge any prospective attendees to heckle something interesting to counteract the basic bitches who shout about taskmaster! I made a suggestion myself towards the end that went about as well as expected...

[privatefriend]

I was there tonight also, really struggled with the heckling aspect of the show to be honest. Too cringy for me although obviously it depends what night you go on. As the audience got more comfortable with shouting out random pish in the second half it disrupted any momentum in his prepared material.

Maybe in a smaller venue it would work better to be more in dialogue with the audience? Todd Barry did a crowdwork only tour which makes more sense if you want that kind of thing from a comedian.

[Purple Toupee]

I was there on Tuesday and there were barely any heckles during the main part of the show, just two or three in the second half which all added to the show to be honest. Acaster in excellent form, I think this is better and much less uneven than Cold Lasagne.

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

Saw this in Salford last night, absolutely blown away. Got lucky in that there were no real heckles (a couple of catchphrases at the end when invited) to derail the gig. Only audience interaction, he managed to work gold from a woman repeatedly leaving to feed her 4 month old baby in the foyer. By far his best show and that's an already high bar.

[Icehaven]

Only audience interaction, he managed to work gold from a woman repeatedly leaving to feed her 4 month old baby in the foyer. By far his best show and that's an already high bar.

Was the baby with her in the auditorium between feeds? If so I disagree there were no real heckles, that's next level.

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

Was the baby with her in the auditorium between feeds? If so I disagree there were no real heckles, that's next level.

No, the woman brought her babysitter along with her to sit in the foyer and left the theatre when messaged to feed the baby.

She initially left during quite a heavy story about

Spoiler alert

a heckler really laying into Acaster at a previous gig

[close]

Once he found out the reason she left, he conceded it was pretty much perfect comic timing from her to do that and improvised a golden 5 mins or so off the back of it.

[Icehaven]

No, the woman brought her babysitter along with her to sit in the foyer and left the theatre when messaged to feed the baby.

Fair doos. I was having flashbacks to the time I went to the cinema and someone sat right behind us with a baby so small it must have been born during the trailers, and the damn thing didn't stop gurgling so we had to move seats.

[Tiggles]

That was incredible.

No heckles, just an affectionate tease at the start of the encore that was used to good effect. Agree that it's the most coherent thing he's done to date, a real work of beauty. At times I was finding it extremely funny while also being blown away by the tightness of the language, the perfect pacing and the intricacies of the structure.

Glad he's back.

[paddy72]

If anybody finds themselves with spares for Leeds, please do let me know.

Thanks!

[ozziechef]

Saw this on Saturday in Birmingham. I agree with people saying this is the strongest show from Acaster that I've seen.

He acknowledges himself the heckling stuff hasn't quite gone as expected (as very little heckling happens), but there were a few nice call outs.

I was across the aisle from Joe Lycett who had a very good time judging by how hard and loud he laughed.

It sounds like the ending changed since some people's earlier post - the train story is now before the encore.

I'm assuming in every show, someone asks for a singalong at the end?

[BritishHobo]

Not in either of the ones I've seen! What did they ask for?

[ozziechef]

Not in either of the ones I've seen! What did they ask for?

The encore talked about a performance of

Spoiler alert

La La La Humpty (think Humpty Dumpty to the tune of La Bamba)

[close]

The heckle is to ask for a rendition all together. I assumed this was the regular ending as it involved James Acaster

Spoiler alert

playing it on the drum kit - linking in the random drum playing

[close]

[BritishHobo]

Aw, I'm gutted! To be fair, the first one I saw was an early WiP and the second saw James genuinely struggling in a sweltering room, so it may well be a part of the show and he just hadn't incorporated it yet/was sweating so much that he jacked in the encore so he could get off stage. Sounds great fun though.

[Blinder Data]

our Glasgow show ended with a rendition of the Taskmaster theme tune on the wee drumkit. my suggestion of Superstition was rather rudely - and wrongly - shot down by Mr Acaster.

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

Not in either of the ones I've seen! What did they ask for?

Salford show ended with a request for the Kettering Town FC song, which he valiantly attempted

[cakeinmilk]

No encore drum performance in either WIP I saw or at the Roundhouse in Camden!

[TheDreamIsOver]

I'm sure someone asked for the Kettering song in Birmingham too, but he politely said he can't remember it anymore.