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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for The Brand New Tour
Cover image credit: via TMDB

The Brand New Tour

Kevin Bridges

Netflix · 2018 · 85 min

Big arena comedy with the easy charm of a local pub.

Kevin Bridges manages to make a 13,000-seat arena feel like a local pub, mostly because his material operates on the level of sharp, down-to-earth gossip. He turns his eye to the exhausting nature of modern life, translating high-level anxieties into deeply relatable, working-class scenarios. He compares the intrusive nature of Facebook to a real-world pub where random strangers scream their breakfast choices at you, and translates Donald Trump’s rhetoric into the rants of a taxi driver in Glasgow. His strongest narrative routine reimagines Joseph the carpenter coming back to a busy Scottish construction site and trying to convince his skeptical, hard-nosed coworkers of the immaculate conception.

The performance was recorded in 2018 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, marking the peak of a massive 19-night home-turf residency. Bridges had taken a brief hiatus from stand-up prior to this run, battling burnout and questioning if he wanted to continue with live comedy at all. He returned with a more matured perspective, dealing with themes of aging, domesticity, and the awkward transition of wealth, such as trying to ask his kitchen contractor out on a platonic friend date.

The special became the biggest-selling UK stand-up release of the year. Critics praised his ability to broach potentially divisive political subjects, including Brexit and Trump, without turning the show into a lecture, retaining the loose, easygoing charm that made him a favorite in Scotland.

The set list

6 bits

  1. The Biblical Joseph trying to explain the immaculate conception to his mates

    Reimagined as a Glasgow building site worker naively explaining the virgin birth to skeptical co-workers, drawing comparisons to Billy Connolly's classic Crucifixion routine.

  2. Childhood exam panic and pressure

    Describes becoming so overwhelmed by anxiety during a school exam that he completely forgot how to spell the word 'who', spiraling into mental cul-de-sacs.

  3. Courtship and takeout food before smartphones

    Laments that youth miss out on character-building moments like asking a girl out directly or waiting in suspense for a Chinese takeaway with no app tracking.

  4. A schoolyard oddball riding an imaginary motorbike

    Presents a cautionary fable on how an eccentric, happily unfettered playground oddball would be treated and mocked on modern social media.

  5. Donald Trump as an opinionated local character

    Portrays Trump as a pub bore or taxi driver spouting conspiracy theories, using a putdown that serves as a callback later in the set.

  6. Having Barack Obama as a support act

    Humorous reflection on performing standup at an Edinburgh charity dinner attended by former US President Barack Obama.

How it plays

Tone
Nostalgic, observational, self-deprecating, and satirical.
On stage
Down-to-earth, unpretentious working-class Scotsman celebrating direct human interaction and unrefined 'Ned Talk' roots.
Pace
Conversational, well-paced club comic cadence adapted to large arena crowds, featuring lively impressions and accents.
About
Nostalgia for pre-internet youth, Modern technology and social media, Childhood anxiety and schooling, Social mobility and working-class identity, Religion, Current affairs, Brexit, and Donald Trump

What the critics said

Hailed as a masterclass in observational stand-up, praised for its tight, joke-packed delivery, resonant nostalgia, and finely honed storytelling instincts.

In the room: Rapturous hometown arena reception from over 10,000 attendees per night at the SSE Hydro, creating a boisterous, matey atmosphere.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, tv.apple.com, themoviedb.org, glasgowlive.co.uk, chortle.co.uk, on-magazine.co.uk, glasgowtimes.co.uk, bbc.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, thescottishsun.co.uk.

Backstory

Disillusioned with touring and television fame after a 145-date tour in 2015, Bridges took time out to live in Madrid and learn Spanish after a heart-to-heart with his father, before regaining his appetite for comedy in unannounced club gigs.

Details

Released
Taped
SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Runtime
85 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Chris Howe
Honors
Ticketmaster UK Ticket of the Year (2018)Scottish Event Campus 'Gie it Laldy' Award
Topics
Before
A Whole Different Story... (2015)

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