Russell Brand No Longer Mourning Marriage to Katy Perry
Let’s just say Russell Brand, on the surface at least, has completed the mourning of his marriage to Katy Perry. On stage Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall he performed stand up comedy brilliantly–twice–for “The Secret Policemen’s Ball.” Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International, the two and a half hour show was heavy with British comics and the rock groups Mumford & Son and Coldplay. American comics from “Saturday Night Live” and some miscellaneous local actors seemed a little lost, and maybe not quite up to speed on Amnesty International. But the Brits–punctuated by taped segments from members of Monty Python–were very good. Brand and his comedy partner Noel Fielding reminded me of Dudley Moore and Peter Cook; Fielding–with Goth looks and black hair, big silver cross–is going to hit it big here now that he’s managed by Danny Bennett. I also really like Jimmy Carr.
But there’s something about “The Secret Policemen’s Ball” that is just very British. Americans have no sense of what it would be like to lose their freedoms or have to fight for them. It didn’t translate well. A comedian, of all things, from Burma, came out–he’d been in jail there for 11 years. Liam Neeson (who had a big bodyguard with him) introduced Zarganar, the audience didn’t really relate to his plight. But maybe it’s too hard to think of comedy clubs in Burma. He got out of jail, but it was a close shave. (Drum roll–Burma shave…)
Anyway, in the audience were Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Stanley Tucci, Matthew Rhys, and Jason Sudeikis’s girlfriend actress Olivia Wilde. (Jason is doing something right, that’s all I can say.)Someone said they saw Hugh Grant. Richard Branson, a long time Amnesty supporter, had a cameo. Jon Stewart opened the show and had a funny bit with Rex Lee from “Entourage.” You can watch the whole thing on EpixHD.com; it’s being edited down to a manageable 90 minutes. Eddie Izzard was the nominal emcee, and he was as good as he was at the McCartney MusiCares tribute–he did a whole routine riffing in fake and real Latin. This guy is really talented and should be bigger here. Someone do something.
There was said to be an after party, but people with jobs had to go home. I’m guessing Russell Brand had a great time. He deserved it.
Love Russell Brand and am so pleased he dumped Dumbette.
Roger, Actually Americans do have an idea of what it is like to have their rights stripped away from them and need to fight to get them back.
Today in america, there is stifling taxation on many levels, from rising utility costs, taxes, surcharges and more.
Also, people are losing their rights to privacy, freedoms guaranteed under the constitution, protections for Due Process, Habeaus corpus and posse comintatus (preventing federal troops being used domestically as police or worse) even coining money isn’t done constitutionally. All of this is happening right now. which sadly people are going to have to stand up to politcally fight the ever increasingly oppressive federal government.
This is happening right now. people need to pay attention. the NDAA and other things that make this relevant to the british ball. and sadly most americans are oblivious to it.