Alex Williamson has over three million social media followers. Half an hour before his show on at the Old Museum was due to start all the seats were beginning to fill.
There was a boisterous party mood in the air as the lights finally flickered down to darkness 15 minutes past the allotted time and Alex strutted up on stage.
The crowd went wild and within the first minute of speaking the C-word must have been said at least five times but not to offend, not to drive home a point, just because that’s how some people speak. The audience in attendance couldn’t have cared less how many swear words were said unless of course perhaps if none were said at all. They were lively throughout, maybe laughing a little less in the last 20 minutes finally running out of energy or booze. Williamson for his part never let up with his energy, full of swagger moving from joke to joke. He has the confidence and authority of a great comedian who knows his audience and keeps them with him throughout the show.
There were plenty of stories involving sexcapades, taking of illegal drugs and thumbing it to the cops... Maybe fantasies for some audience members to vicariously live through him and maybe for some others all too familiar to their own lives. A pattern quickly emerged, wherever the joke started it would end in the most offensive way possible. Wanking in public toilets, became wanking in disabled public toilets which became raping disabled people in disabled toilets.
There was very little insight into human behaviour, very little satire of our society or it’s contradictions and very little in the way of truths that you could recognise and connect to unless you had done ecstasy or had sex in a night club toilet. There was a little bit though, Alex poked fun at himself and spoke a little on the plight current generations face. It is worth noting that no matter how outrageous he got, you could tell it was all in service to getting the audience to laugh with him not to hate or mock others. And laugh they did. Maybe in a society rife with political correctness young audiences are thrilled to just see a comedian who says whatever he wants.
Afterwards, he stood outside the Museum and posed for photos with fans, happy to meet and engage with them and thank them for their support. To say he’s created a community seems like a quaint word for such an unapologetic comedian but the bulk of the audience there on the night knew what they were getting and got it from him.
They laughed, they thought it was funny and maybe there are others out there who will too but it isn't for everyone.
