Deep down, after all the MTV and BBC controversies, the celebrity marriage merry-go-round and movies of varying quality, Russell Brand is first and foremost a stand-up comedian. And a fine one at that, as he proved Friday evening at the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam, the first of two nights of brilliantly blue comedy in the Greater Vancouver Area, the second taking place in Richmond later tonight.
Although Brand has twice played a rock star on the big screen, and his grand entrance to Oasis' ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol' was suitably overstated, there's still something genuinely down to earth about him. Indeed, for a comic who has courted celebrity so openly, there still appears to be little difference between Russell Brand the performer and Russell Brand the human being. His comedy all stems from his experiences and his mistakes. Thankfully, there have been plenty of both.
And so, without giving away any punchlines for anyone attending this evening's show, Brand looks back on his two stints hosting the MTV Video Music Awards, his ill-fated love letter to Serena Williams and a plethora of outrageous bedroom incidents. All of which, naturally, took place before he met his wife, Katy Perry. It's all as brutally honest as it is hilarious.
This resolute honesty is one of the cornerstones of Brand's appeal. While fully accepting that he's become part of the entertainment establishment, he refuses to let it change his outlook on the world. He's comfortable riffing on the sins of Nestlé and consumer culture (while admitting that he is drinking their bottled water and performing in a casino theatre), explaining how all desire is merely an attempt to get closer to God and graphically detailing his own relationship with internet pornography. With the appropriate hand actions, naturally.
The potent combination of anti-capitalism, Eastern mysticism and xxx-rated high jinx is all part of what makes Brand so enthralling. But it's his lightning quick mind that's really made him a comedy superstar. Every shout from the crowd gets a sparkling reply. Tangents are eagerly explored. An on-stage browse through the day's newspaper's classified section swiftly evolves into a mischievous prank phone call to the finder of a presumably missing pair of spectacles.
"I would describe them," he points out, "but I can't see too well since I lost my glasses."
Admittedly, the majority of Brand's material is based on the misadventures of his single life. A latecomer to the serious relationship business, Brand has learnt quickly that if he wants to keep Katy Perry happy, it makes sense to leave her out of his act. We can only hope that he gets up to some serious naughtiness with her soon. And that he's willing to talk about it. Russell Brand's life is too interesting, and too funny, to not be made public.
Russell Brand plays the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond tonight.
