I don’t know what I was expecting from a Dan And Phil live show, but a pathetic boxing match live on stage a la Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was one of the things I got.
Dan Howell and Phil Lester – better known as Dan And Phil – are a longstanding YouTube, light-entertainment duo. Don’t know them? What are you? Straight and free from social awkwardness?
The 2024-25 'Terrible Influence' Tour marks the titular duo's first tour together since 2018’s 'Interactive Introverts'.
What I experienced was a very queer, nerdy and theatrical comedy show that celebrated and interrogated Dan And Phil’s long career. It set out to answer the questions, were Dan And Phil a terrible influence on their infamously feral fanbase during the 2010s. . . And what is post-hiatus Dan And Phil even about anyway?
To titillate the audience ten minutes before the show officially kicked off, a robotic voice shared the show's content warnings (which included coarse language and homosexuality) and welcomed the audience to 'Dan And Phil: Twinks on Ice'. At 8pm, the duo came on stage in a cloud of smoke to thunderous applause. They began by yapping and ad-libbing about the straight boyfriends and mums and dads dragged along to the show by their fans. To fill this subset of the audience in, they performed a history of Dan And Phil with dolls in adorable handmade dioramas, made by their fellow YouTubers PJ and Sophie.
The show was deeply unhinged – not in a bad way but in an ironic, funny internet way. The night I attended in Brisbane (7 December) was the first stop on the Australian leg of Dan And Phil’s tour. Australian customs infuriatingly embargoed many of the set pieces and props, but Phil did some last-minute improvisations. For the dolls in Dan And Phil’s diorama, he bought action man figures of Goku (from 'Dragonball Z') and Obi-Wan Kenobi (from 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace') to play the duo. I think Phil’s recasting of himself as Goku was an excellent choice, as the character's figurine unintentionally emulated his 2010s haircut.
Another highlight of the show was the audience themselves. Before the show began, I greatly enjoyed watching the fine diners attending other, dull events at the convention centre look very, very confused at the nerdy rabble of 20–30-year-old queer nerds congregating in the lobby. The Dan And Phil show audience was a finely and boldly-dressed bunch – I saw classic Dan And Phil merchandise alongside other dark and funny graphic tees. I saw beautiful gothic gowns, Lolita dresses, bedazzled glasses on beaded chains, and at least four people dressed as Sister Daniel in cheap nun costumes.
The vibes were beyond ecstatic, excited and positive. As 'Hot to Go!' and 'Toxic' played on the pre-show playlist, many audience members got up from their seats and danced. Many people came with friends, while others went by themselves and simply vibed and immersed in the atmosphere (I was among the latter, and I felt very comfortable and accepted in the crowd).
The tour was reflective, and so was the audience. I heard others around me say it was heartwarming to see how the audience grew up and developed into more mature people, mirroring Dan And Phil’s growing pains over the last 15 years.
Even without many of the set pieces, the stage design still looked excellent. I would describe the vibe of it as techno meets industrial meets grunge. Projected images filled in the missing bars, lattice, and scaffolding held back in Brisbane Airport's customs room. The lighting design was bold and dynamic. Piercing blues, whites and purples, and of course rainbows every time either one said 'gay', boldly illuminated the audience.
While I enjoyed the show overall, I did have one bugbear. There was a QR code at the beginning of the show, which let the audience confess their funniest Phan (Dan And Phil fan) moments, which was much too small on the projector screen. I was on the lower part of elevated seating, two-thirds of the way down in the audience, and no one seated in my section could get their phones to scan the QR code. It felt like we didn’t have the same opportunity to participate as audience members seated closer – which was a shame.
Despite this, Dan And Phil were engrossing and hilarious and performed a high-quality show perfect for their audience. The only way I would enjoy it more is if they got out a gaming PC on stage and started playing their iconic 'Sims' series right then and there (if you haven’t wasted days of your life watching and rewatching the adventures of Sim Dil Howlter, what is wrong with you?).
If you are a fan of Dan And Phil or one of the 4 G’s (a gay, a girlie, a goth or a geek), the 'Terrible Influence' Tour is a fun ride you should strap in (or on) for.
Words: Lilian Martin
