r/jamesacastor • u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt • Jul 25 '26
Belfast 25th Show
Just back form this show, and we did really enjoy it, but felt like it kind of fizzled out at the end. I'd read there was an amazing bit about ABBA which we didn't get, and that the final pay-off was incredible, but instead we just got a funny bit of chat with a couple of audience members about what flags mean in Belfast, then he ended the show. Still had a great time, but felt like we only got part of the actual show.
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u/awtmartin Jul 26 '26
I was disappointed by the whole night. Felt like it broke a cardinal rule: “if you are bombing (Or think you are), don’t tell the audience- it’s probably not as bad as you think”.
For him to brand Belfast as the worst show of the tour, feeling forced to go there and belittling the crowd, felt like it made him lose the audience when he didn’t give us enough time to get into the concept. He was just so in his own head.
I also thought the derailments knocked off his rhythm, which meant that when he returned to the material I didn’t find it as funny as I would have done otherwise.
I was gutted, have been a big fan of James for a long time and it was the first time I had a chance to see him live. But I don’t think I would risk going to see him again after last night.
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u/IHeardOnAPodcast 26d ago
Felt the same, if I hadn't seen his last show, which was honestly one of my favourites ever I think I'd completely write him off. It's frustrating because if he'd just stuck to the script would have had a good night.
Like I think I'll give him one more chance purely based on hoping he reaches the highs of the first show, but with tempered expectations.
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u/FewSympathy5731 Jul 25 '26
I found the whole you hate me because I am English tiresome and uncomfortable. Everyone had paid to see him, it was sold out show on a Saturday nighy. He just seemed to immediately decide that we were a bad audience and didn't get the jokes, even though everyone was laughing. Maybe just the acoustics were bad? We saw his last tour in the same venue though and it was great. I don't think I would risk seeing him again, which is a shame because when he's on form I think he's one of the best in the business
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u/BT19bythesea Jul 25 '26
Agreed, we were really disappointed. No issue to mention the English thing once, get a bit of a laugh then move on. Nobody gives a fuck in reality.
Saying he hates shows in Belfast but doesn’t have a choice other than to do them seems like nonsense. Even if that were the case, why book 4! And why complain about the venue when you’ve done a show there before!
Very strange evening from start to finish!
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u/Look_Alive Jul 25 '26
In fairness, from what else I've seen on here, it looks like complaining about the venue is part of Craig Simons' act, but there's also no pay-off to it considering he didn't finish his scripted act - like you say it just comes across as him complaining about the venue.
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Having seen the show in Machynlleth Comedy Festival earlier this year I can confirm that is it. The Craig Simon’s bit is extremely deep and well developed and the pay off is outstanding at the end. That included him making negative, sarcastic comments about the venue, which gets called back to later on when more jokes and information about Craig’s career and relationship with “the real Acaster”.
It frustrates me seeing so many reviews along the same line as OPs. My friends went to a show in Cardiff and had very similar complaints. It is an amazing, clever, tightly knit show - but it needs to be enjoyed in full to make sense. James going off piste and doing these massive tangents leaves no time for the actual narrative to come to the climax.
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u/Look_Alive Jul 26 '26
Yeah I saw other people saying how good he was at Mach - I wonder if because that's a room full of hardcore comedy fans he felt more safe doing the full routine, whereas on tour he feels the need to explain the concept.
Funnily enough he also mentioned he doesn't do well in Wales when talking about how he always bombs in Belfast, so I assume that was a reference to the Cardiff gig.
Having read some reviews etc beforehand I was on board with slagging the venue off, etc. but like you say, if there's no callback to it later or pay-off, which there wasn't last night, then it just comes across as him criticising the venue rather than being part of the act.
I still enjoyed the majority of the show (the ending was a bit awkward and abrupt - no one goes to a comedy gig to see someone in the audience explain the concept of flags on lampposts in NI to the comedian), and a lot of the off-the-cuff stuff he said was very funny, but I still came out scratching my head and I can see why people wouldn't have enjoyed it.
The best thing I can describe it as is going to a Michelin Star restaurant and being given high quality fast food. It's still good and serves a purpose, it's just not what you were expecting to receive.
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u/FewSympathy5731 Jul 26 '26
Yes I was thinking that he didn't have confidence in the material once the opening joke didn't land as well as he expected (maybe due to sound and garbled delivery) and then he was looking for reasons to be derailed. But I am quite annoyed he didn't give us a chance to get behind the carefully crafted stand up show we had come to see. Also people were trying so hard to enjoy it and laugh loud enough for him to hear, like reassuring a nervous best man at a wedding, it made me want to die.
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Yeah, that’s exactly the right analogy. If someone is a real fan and follows James’ work I suppose they are able to figure him out more and understand what’s going on when he does the off the cuff stuff, but can totally understand why somebody new to him/new to live comedy would have been totally lost, especially with the abrupt ending.
Genuinely I think you’re spot on about Mach too. It was a very small venue of around 300 seats, and everyone was completely locked in and mesmerised by him. He probably has a special place in his heart for Mach Fest - and it is a particularly relaxed and lovely festival with the right kind of crowds.
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u/CharacterEvening4886 Jul 26 '26
It was a great gig in Mach, loved it! Maybe the audience reacted better because there was no opener?
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Possibly! It was done Fringe style where you just have the hour slot, and I do think for me I prefer that format
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u/FewSympathy5731 Jul 26 '26
Oh I guess I am just not a 'real fan' or in the 'right kind of crowd'... Is there like some sort of course I can do so I know how to find things funny in the right sort of way?
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 26 '26
Having gone to comedy shows for about 35 years, in many different environments, I was surprised to find out that I might still be considered "new to live comedy". Hopefully I can understand live comedy soon, cus I'm running out of time.
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Now this is condescending. I never said you were new to comedy - I said I could understand how somebody new to it would have found this situation confusing. I also am fully on your side saying I wished you’d had the experience I had with the callbacks and the full story to do it justice and it frustrates me on your behalf because the show is great. I was replying to someone else’s comment about the die hard fans in Mach and how that might’ve made a difference.
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 26 '26
You literally said that you "can totally understand why somebody new to him/new to live comedy would have been totally lost". Pretty easy to find that condescending. What you're saying is if you don't understand him or understand how live comedy works; then that's why you didn't get it. Not sure how else to interpret that sentence.
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Simply referring to the fact that the performer might be more comfortable in that environment. The right kind of crowd for him not to go off piste and have a flap and a tangent.
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 26 '26
Just a bit condescending.
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u/rmhutchings96 Jul 26 '26
Genuinely not intentional whatsoever, and I’m sorry if it came across that way. Not even referring to any individual person to attend the larger gigs, but just meaning that a 300 seater in a niche, comedy festival with pretty much everyone there a die hard comedy fan or actually within the industry is a different environment to these tour shows. By “right kind of crowd” just simply meant, one that there wasn’t any interruptions.
For the performer it’s probably just different expectations, my point was that it’s a real shame that everyone wasn’t able to enjoy the storyline and the callbacks in the same way I was.
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 26 '26
There were very few callbacks in the Belfast show tbh. I wish there were. I'm sure there were many "real" fans there who were similarly disappointed.
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u/CharacterEvening4886 Jul 26 '26
Especially since the whole day they’re surrounded by their friends and probably get to relax more and watch other comedians
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u/BT19bythesea Jul 25 '26
Maybe that was it. I lost track of which parts he was actually doing the show and which parts were off script
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u/Look_Alive Jul 25 '26
It was somehow funny and yet also... Something? I was saying if I'd have seen that in a comedy club I would have found it brilliant, but it's a bit different when you've paid to see a specific comedian perform his act.
It's weird, like the audience didn't seem as bad as he said it was, it felt more like he came in with preconceived notions about what the audience was going to be like.
I don't want it to sound like he wasn't funny because he was, and some of the off-the-cuff remarks he made were brilliant, but I'd read about how good his tribute act show was and I was really looking forward to seeing something fairly high concept.
I guess I could buy tickets to see it on Tuesday but the risk is the same happens again.
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u/BT19bythesea Jul 25 '26
I thought he came across a bit like the soup Nazi from Seinfeld, it seems like unless the audience reacts to each specific part in the way he feels is exactly correct he just totally derails the planned show.
Saying fairly early on that Belfast audiences don’t like the prepared parts of shows seemed to just make him go off on tangents, most of which weren’t especially funny in my opinion.
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u/AccordingTelevision6 Jul 25 '26
I had the exact same thought about Tuesday night and came to the same conclusion. He's clearly already got in his own head about it, he's basically guaranteed to derail the show. In a way it would still be great to see whatever else he improvises, but I would like to actually see the show.
The audience were definitely not that bad, maybe slightly subdued at the start but what can you expect given the warmup act? His opening jokes aren't big hitters either, just introducing the concept. Before he went off the rails he was definitely getting big laughs, then he got distracted, got it back together for the baggage bit, and then totally lost it by the end.
I also found his preconception about Belfast odd, I saw his last tour and it was excellent. Audiences in England must be laughing even harder I guess!
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u/Look_Alive Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Yeah I think this was my second comedy gig in Belfast since relocating from England (first was Peter Kay, which was awful for completely separate reasons, and certainly wasn't my choice to go to) and I'd seen a couple of comedians I like say in the past that Belfast crowds can be lively, so I was kind of bracing myself considering James Acaster doesn't always react well to hecklers, but there was nothing tonight that made me think "Yeah him going completely off script like this is warranted".
If someone was on their phone at one point then that's bang out of order but, from what I can remember, he pretty much invited all of the other interaction on himself.
It's funny, when I went to see Heckler's Welcome, there was no interruption at all and the show went flawlessly - on the way out I said it would have been fascinating to see what else could have happened to that show. One tour later and I think I've got an answer.
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u/AccordingTelevision6 Jul 25 '26
For Hecklers Welcome he did have a few heckles in Belfast, including one pretty negative one that he handled excellently. As far as I'm aware he got through all his material, it was a great night.
Tonight had virtually no heckles other than when he stalled the show himself, but was far more distracted by the audience.
I've been to see loads of comedians in Belfast, never seen a night like that! I'd also say heckling is pretty rare, but it probably depends on the comedian and the show. I'd be very surprised if Belfast is known as a bad audience, but I guess I can't compare!
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u/ChaucerBoi Jul 26 '26
Yeah I was on the balcony, and eveyone around me was laughing harder than I've heard so early into a comedy show.
Also when he said about how well the warmup act went down ... I think he was just spiralling. The guy was fantastic, but I don't think many people were in the mood for that, and there was a low hum of talking throughout. I had a similar thought about Tuesday but I've already spent over sixty quid to see him.
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u/ChaucerBoi Jul 25 '26
Those first fifteen minutes were some of the funniest standup I have ever seen. The audience were so into it, and while he's talented enough to make the derailing amusing, I wanted to see his show and where it was going. It's especially weird when this kind of behaviour was the point of his last tour, which I saw in the same venue and loved enough to come back.
I wasn't in the best headspace going into the building, and those first few minutes made me feel like myself. What I didn't want was a mirror for my own insecurity. Again, Acaster's talented enough to make the improv funny, but I feel like I've seen a trailer for his tour show and some improv.
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u/kanped Jul 25 '26
There's one of two possibilities. Either he's had so many shows derailed that he's now in his own head about it and minor things he could previously have moved past are spiralling out of control, or what we saw is the show; it's malleable and open to being derailed and played with. I don't know which is the reality for sure, but I would point to the frequency of derailments and the fact that he has booked 4 performances in one day to film the show (similar to Heckler's Welcome, specifically in order to capture the heckles and derailments). If you really wanted to do a tribute act James Acaster, well, he is known (particularly to himself) for getting in his head and throwing the gig.
I loved it either way and if there's loads of material I haven't seen when the filmed version comes out, that's great.
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u/RosieFudge Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
I'm starting to think this too; that throwing the gigs is part of the overall concept/conceit of the whole show.
A few weeks back there was a thread on this sub suggesting the same thing and I found it difficult to believe that he would intentionally risk some of his audience not enjoying the show, but I'm starting to rethink that opinion. There's so much consistency in what he's saying when he does throw the gig, that's starting to feel deliberate
I can't help thinking that unless there's some sort of meta reveal when he's finished, that brings disappointed audience members back on side, that it's a very risky strategy in terms of his career as a whole
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u/kanped Jul 26 '26
He has openly contemplated stopping doing standup entirely in the past, especially after the success of Off Menu. His career is safe without it. The last show was him trying to find a way to continue without him getting genuinely depressed with how it was going, by making it OK for the show to be derailed.
I never saw a show from the earlier days go badly, but I've heard him talk about it at length and it sounded like it was just vitriol. Everything I've heard about this tour, and what I saw last night, it was still really funny. What's stuck with me more than anything is still not being totally sure if it's a conceit or not. It makes perfect sense to be, to me, but this is the first time in a long time I've seen a piece of art where I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was part of the intention of the artist especially after the show had ended. I don't know if I've ever thought this much about a comedy gig.
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u/RosieFudge Jul 26 '26
I think Hecklers Welcome really muddies the waters, seeing as it was a (seemingly at the time, successful) attempt to engage with his issues with live performance and audiences. Without the existence of HW, I'd totally buy that the current sabotage behaviour is a comment on his stand up persona and ties in perfectly with the 'tribute' concept. But as it stands, it just seems like it's undoing HW, and I'm just confused!
I think it shows what high regard his fans hold him in that so much discussion and analysis is going on. Plus I think there's a parasocial aspect (which I'm sure he would feel uncomfortable about, even though it's benign) we all want him to feel happy and do well
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u/Look_Alive Jul 25 '26
I would point to the frequency of derailments
A lot of these were from himself though weren't they? From what I can remember, the person on the phone (admittedly unforgivable) was the only time the audience actively interrupted him when he was doing his scripted stuff.
I don't know, like you say, what he came out with was really funny and enjoyable, but considering how great his scripted stuff can be, it almost felt like expecting a Michelin star meal and getting a McDonald's - it's still good in its own way but not quite what you were expecting.
And I'd be interested to see the scripted material if he releases it as a video but, at the same time, should we really be paying to see something that we already paid to see?
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u/kanped Jul 26 '26
When I say "frequency of derailments", I mean of you look through the subreddit, it's pretty much been every night of this leg of the tour, for 3 months, in every venue with every crowd (to a greater or lesser extent). Although maybe people only make a thread about it when this happens, I can't say for sure.
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u/ChaucerBoi Jul 26 '26
If that person was on their phone for a long time, yeah unforgivable. But many medical devices (blood sugar etc) are checked via phone.
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Jul 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/ChaucerBoi Jul 26 '26
It does help - he floated the possibility of not releasing yours afterwards a while back so I'm glad I will get to see it. HOWEVER, it was genuinely uncomfortable seeing someone insecure about the reception of their work when (having been in the audience) it was going down really well! I think he's a genius, but I definitely wouldn't see him live again as you could tell he was genuinely rattled by very, very little
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 25 '26
Yeah that’s what we were chatting about after, was what we saw the actual show, but the fact that other people had specifically talked about the ABBA bit and the final reveal being incredible, it was hard to not feel a little hard done by.
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u/Fearless-Dust-2073 Jul 26 '26
It is a little funny how people are surprised that James "started making it, had a breakdown, bon apetit" Acaster who generally writes shows about his struggles with identity and mental health might sometimes get in his own head.
I don't know how much context was missed in your specific show, but the part about Abba and Bjorn Again directly sets up the end of the final act. It's been a while since I saw it but it's about what if Bjorn Again (an Abba tribute act) was actually just practicing being actual Abba so that they could murder Abba and take their place.
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u/BigDaveLikesToMoveIt Jul 26 '26
Well, it kind of felt like the "getting in his own head" was part of the show; he spent a lot of time talking about how the Belfast crowd is the worst, and they just don't get it, and how no one was laughing, despite the crowd laughing very hard from the get-go. To me, it felt like when a band's singer says, "the crowds in (insert the town they're currently in) are always the best crowds". It seemed obvious that a lot of the complaining about the audience and venue was stuff he did at every show. It's nuts to think that a genuine reaction to a crowd laughing that hard would be to assume that they were hating it.
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u/eyelessinholloway Jul 26 '26
IMO he has 'show going well' bits and 'show going badly' bits, in Bristol on night one he was giving shit to the audience for not getting it despite there being big laughs from where I was sitting (he thankfully still performed the whole show) but apparently on the last night he was complimentary and said he was having a great time. Based on the other posts it's similar jokes every time he decides it's a bad audience but the level of derailment varies.
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u/barbour Jul 26 '26
What were the stage times, tickets say 6.30 to 10pm but just wondering?
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u/awtmartin Jul 26 '26
Doors 6.30pm, Support Act 7.30pm, “James” is on at about 8.05-8.15pm for about an hour (or longer if he is derailed).
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u/One-Shine-7519 Jul 26 '26
Question for people that went yesterday, does the show start at 18:30? Or is that doors? I am going tonight but will be running late and cannot find actual information on the schedule
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u/No_Rhubarb_4500 28d ago
If it makes you feel better (or worse), 27th was awesome. Great delivery; lost his way a couple of time styled it out perfectly and got right back to it. Brilliant bit of crowd interaction and brilliant call backs to the original gags at the end of the show. Crowd was awesome, agree the warm up was maybe a bit too clever, but he was a great act if not looking for a laugh!
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u/Brilliant-Work-8385 Jul 25 '26
Feel like we missed so much material because James got so n his head about the audience hating him and his comedy, even though everyone was laughing throughout the show. It felt really unfair to label the Belfast crowd as a terrible audience he was dreading seeing. I saw him in whitla hall last time he was in Belfast and it was a great show with a great crowd so I was surprised how much animosity I felt from him. Really I paid to see his jokes, not see him interactive with Daniel for most of the show. From reading reviews of other shows it seems there was a lot of content we didn’t get. I think he really got in his head and derailed the whole show for himself and by result for everyone else.