Brian Butterfield Tour

[imitationleather]

ON THE TUBE FEELING HYPED RIGHT NOW NGL

[Marv Orange]

Was in the queue behind James Bachman of Mitchell and Webb and this forum.. Sure he was pleased to have an old bloke say hello and mention this place.

[imitationleather]

Just dropped my life savings on a signed copy of the book.

[Oosp]

Just dropped my life savings on a signed copy of the book.

Is there a merch stall??? Where?

[imitationleather]

Is there a merch stall??? Where?

Right at the entrance

[Marv Orange]

And rufus hound in the smoking area in a poncho

[Oosp]

Merch stand after if ye want meetup?

OR NOT, NO PRESSURE

[neveragain]

Can't wait for the book to be on general release.

[Crunk]

And rufus hound in the smoking area in a poncho

How I've always imagined he spends the entirety of his spare time tbqh

[McDead]

The results have been increbidle

[imitationleather]

Merch stand after if ye want meetup?

OR NOT, NO PRESSURE

Sorry I didn't see this until I was home and all tucked up in bed. Would've been up for meeting.

Did you get a tote? I sort of liked them but reckoned only about 100 people on the planet would've got it.

[checkoutgirl]

Possibly in a nod to a certain political figure the merchandise table included Buttcoins. For a man who has failed in every business venture, Brian certainly has many irons in the fire still.

I was mildly tempted to purchase a Buttcoin but common sense prevailed. Although I wouldn't discourage merch as the tickets were very reasonable at €30 and the guy had to endure a fat suit for that kind of money.

[imitationleather]

By the way, I thought the show was excellent. Really surpassed my idea of what a Brian Butterfield live performance could be. He just embodies that character completely. I kept forgetting it was actually Peter Serafinowicz in there. And the book is fucking funny, so much better than the programme shite you usually pay through the nose for on these big tours. (I'm looking at you here, Peter Kay.)

It was being filmed last night so VHS release incoming?

I couldn't make it all the way through Stratagem but it was really stark how tired Partridge in a live setting looked compared to this.

[imitationleather]

EDIT: Wrong thread

[checkoutgirl]

I couldn't make it all the way through Stratagem but it was really stark how tired Partridge in a live setting looked compared to this.

If Brian had done multiple series of TV shows, multiple tours, books, appearances, specials and a feature film over 30 years you'd probably be thinking the same thing about him. I'd never seen a Butterfield stage show in real life or on video. And he's only been on a few clips of a sketch show from 15 years ago. He's just a fresher character.

He's a less well know character (Madison Square Garden sell out show notwithstanding) .

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I saw this in London on Friday and it was fantastic. Whether it was worth the better part of 80 quid (including travel and hideously high London beer prices) I don't know, but I was too entertained during the show to think about it.

How good is the makeup? I was up in the back row, so he was just a grey shape to me.

[Rolf Lundgren]

Was also at Hammersmith and what a good night it was too. I got the signed book which was a reasonable £30 and is a proper, very funny book and far better a piece of merchandise than you ever expect for these gigs.

I really like how we don't know anything about Brian's home life or family. It's pure joke after joke and silliness throughout.

Spoiler alert

The Ian McKellen impression when Brian goes out to the toilet had me in hysterics.

[close]

[DrGreggles]

Saw it last night.
The

Spoiler alert

drawn out explanation of the 5 bees

[close]

had me in stitches.
Such a funny show.

[dharmashark]

Saw it on Friday, loved it. I was skeptical at first, because it's been so long since he's played Brian, but he's still got it! The audience interaction segments were surprisingly smooth too.

Just one thing I didn't like about it:

Spoiler alert

I really wish he hadn't used AI art for the graphics. I get that it's meant to look crappy, but I feel like bad Photoshop would've worked just as well.

[close]

[Former Problem]

By the way, I thought the show was excellent. Really surpassed my idea of what a Brian Butterfield live performance could be. He just embodies that character completely. I kept forgetting it was actually Peter Serafinowicz in there. And the book is fucking funny, so much better than the programme shite you usually pay through the nose for on these big tours. (I'm looking at you here, Peter Kay.)

It was being filmed last night so VHS release incoming?

I couldn't make it all the way through Stratagem but it was really stark how tired Partridge in a live setting looked compared to this.

Yes, when I interacted with him, I didn't feel I had met Serafinowicz. I had met Brian Butterfield. When I interacted with him, taking him by surprise, he still was noticeably surprised as Butterfield.

[dumpster]

I think Stratagem was the least funny live show I have seen.  I don't know why Steve Coogan makes all his theatre shows into song and dance numbers.  There was such a lot of effort in the interactions with the video screen and the big cast but ultimately it was really boring and not funny.  So strange because the recent TV work is so strong.

[damien]

There's a reason his funniest live video/DVD was the first one, the Perrier-winning show, which has five live characters, and none are Partridge.

[neveragain]

Spoiler alert

I really wish he hadn't used AI art for the graphics. I get that it's meant to look crappy, but I feel like bad Photoshop would've worked just as well.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Is it really AI or just mocked up to seem so for parody?

[close]

[Shaxberd]

Spoiler alert

Is it really AI or just mocked up to seem so for parody?

[close]

Spoiler alert

If it's mocked up they went to a lot of effort to do so, particularly for the images used during the interval slideshow where stock photography would have been perfectly adequate, and the AI didn't look wonky enough to be part of the joke.

[close]

[Huxleys Babkins]

Spoiler alert

I wasn't particularly impressed by the use of AI either. If there's one thing that defines Serafinowicz's work, it's laborious attention to detail, so to use AI felt like part of the act was missing. Some really bizarre choices of where to use it as well, like the food during the interval. It's not as if they couldn't photograph some actual chocolate buttons or popcorn.

[close]

[dharmashark]

Spoiler alert

I wasn't particularly impressed by the use of AI either. If there's one thing that defines Serafinowicz's work, it's laborious attention to detail, so to use AI felt like part of the act was missing. Some really bizarre choices of where to use it as well, like the food during the interval. It's not as if they couldn't photograph some actual chocolate buttons or popcorn.

[close]

Agreed. Again, loved the show, but that was definitely a dour note.

[The Mollusk]

I think it suits the character. Butterfield isn't someone who'd go out of his way to try and make an image himself when he can press a button and use cutting edge technology to make something equally as unrealistic and crappy.

[Oosp]

Brian is all in on

Spoiler alert

AI

...and hopes it will do his work for him.

[close]

This is made very clear in the show!

[Oosp]

By the way, this was the sign outside the London show. Excellent

[Huxleys Babkins]

I think it suits the character. Butterfield isn't someone who'd go out of his way to try and make an image himself when he can press a button and use cutting edge technology to make something equally as unrealistic and crappy.

Quite, but there's a distinction between AI images created by the character because he's a talentless hack, and AI images created by the talent because it's easier and cheaper than to get them done professionally.

For me, it slightly too often trod over the wrong side of that line. For instance

Spoiler alert

The picture of Brian looking fucked outside the tent

[close]

was supposed to be an earnest, genuine photo, yet it was just as obviously AI generated as the ones that "Brian" created.