You might say that he hasn’t really been anywhere what with Britain’s Got the Pop Factor… and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice and various appearances (let’s forget Doctor Who) and repeats of Phoenix Nights and That Peter Kay Thing, but in truth Peter Kay has been taking life easy over the past few years following his barnstorming tours in 2001 through to 2004 which resulted in the Live At The Top Of The Tower and Live At The Bolton Albert Halls DVDs in 2002 and 2003.
This all changed with The Tour that Doesn’t Tour Tour in which he played 20 dates in early 2010, a show that was so popular it lead to other more performances being added around the country, leading it to be renamed to The Tour that Doesn’t Tour Tour… Now On Tour.
And it is with this latest live show that we get a flavour of the new post-fatherhood Peter Kay live experience. Live – The Tour That Doesn’t Tour is out on November 7th and brings with it the opportunity for those 12 people that missed going to the original shows the chance to catch up on the new stories from the Kay family, and a souvenir for the rest of you.
It is easy to dismiss Peter Kay as being somewhat lightweight or perhaps “comfy”; after all, he has become a national institution over the years, a vital part of our comedy landscape. He doesn’t do “edgy”, but then he never really did. You’re unlikely to get satire from Peter Kay (although he gives it a good stab in this DVD) but what you will get is sweet nostalgia, evocative storytelling and plenty of running around. Which is fair enough as everyone likes to see a big man sweating on stage.
All in all this is an enjoyable return from Kay. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting this to be as funny as it was. Having missed the live show itself I based my expectations on what I had been told by people fortunate enough to see it, and it seems that some of the routine has changed since it first opened. This is only natural, and it is at least good to know that what we get on DVD is a polished version of the show rather than a potentially prickly first night.
Several stories stick out throughout that might remain memorable. While there is no serious replacement for “garlic bread?” or “cheese cake?”, Kay goes into some great observational moments recalling the time he blacked out from an abscess in his cheek while looking for his keys from under the at a tool booth and attending a school reunion which if true must have been a truly surreal experience for all involved.
There is also a chance for Kay to indulge in a massive musical finale that makes his previous encores seem quite pedestrian. You’ve simply never seen anything like this, which involves a rock legend, a garden implement and some video of Kay in costume. If you missed the show, I won’t spoil it for you.
Simply put, if you’re a Peter Kay fan you’re going to buy this disc anyway. If you’re not, there is little here that will attract you if you’ve seen his previous live DVDs, but if you’re entertaining guests it might be a good choice for a group of people to enjoy.
Charmingly northern, warm and at some times hilarious, if Live – The Tour That Doesn’t Tour isn’t at number one in the DVD charts permanently between now and Christmas I will be very surprised.
Released on November 7th for £13.99 on DVD and £17.99 on Blu-ray, Live – The Tour That Doesn’t Tour is available to order right now from Amazon