Uncaged Monkeys @ Hammersmith Apollo
By: Date: May 19, 2011 Categories: Events,Other

I went to see Brian Cox, Robin Ince et al at Hammersmith Apollo on Monday night, doing the show they call “Uncaged Monkeys”.

The show takes its name from the Radio 4 Show “Infinite Monkey Cage” which Cox and Ince co-present with a variety of guests. The radio show and the live show are based around a mixture of science, rationalism, comedy and music.

For a far better and “detail heavy” review of the gig, go here. I’m not really attempting to review it, but just comment on my own experience watching it.

I like Robin Ince, I like Brian Cox, I like Simon Singh, I like Ben Goldacre, I like Richard Wiseman, I like Helen Arney, I like Matt Parker. I like those I’ve not been thorough enough to remember to mention……

I do not like Hammersmith….. At all.

I do not like Hammersmith Apollo…………    At all.

Possibly the hottest, sweatiest gig I have ever been to in my life. I almost fell asleep during proceedings. So, firstly, a massive thumbs down to the venue. Poor show Apollo. Have you heard of air conditioning? We paid almost 30 quid a ticket, is it too much to ask?

Secondly, I think I’ve profoundly realised that one can have too much of a good thing. Feeling slightly like a man who tells his friends that he tires of eating caviar, …. here goes.

I’ve now seen Brian Cox live something like 3-4 times in the last 6 months (ish). And, however amazing his talk is (it really is), once you’ve seen virtually the same talk, including jokes, more than a couple of times, you tend to start to pre-empt them. I almost feel guilty writing that. His talks are brilliant. But… Meh. There it is!

Same with Robin Ince. I’ve heard the same ‘set’ several times now. It’s a good set, very funny. But once you’ve seen it a few times, it does lose its appeal.

So to turn this whole thing around into a positive….

If you missed Uncaged Monkeys, BUT did manage to get to 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People, don’t be sad! You probably saw most of it already.

If you haven’t seen one or more of the speakers before go and see it. It is a truly brilliant bunch of contributors, absolutely at the top of their game. No doubt a fantastic night out, if you don’t feel you’ve seen it a few times before. Special mentions for Matt Parker (stand up mathematician) and Ben Goldacre who were awesome.

Once again, I feel slightly embarrassed at the contents of this post.

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