An-nun-ci-ate!

My flatmate managed to get tickets for the first night of recordings for Jack Dee's Live at the Apollo - or as it's now called, Live at the Apollo as Jack's only hosting the first edition.

We took our seats in the circle and waited for the show to begin, and it took us just a few seconds to realise that the speakers in the circle hadn't been switched on. My flatmate went to investigate and was treated with utter indifference by the staff, as was I when I left the theatre and asked who the other acts were that night, only to be told by the grunt on the door that he couldn't possibly give that kind of information out. I felt the need to tell him that it didn't matter as we wouldn't be able to understand a fucking word they were saying anyway.

This coupled with a rude little hoodie who tried to push us out of the way as he walked down the street - which provoked me to punch him full-on in the back once I regained my balance - and it wasn't a good night all in all.

Anyway, as a preview for the broadcast of tonight's show on BBC1 this coming Friday, here's Russell Howard. See if you can understand him, because we couldn't.



We might have stayed to see the second episode, hosted with Jimmy Carr - at least he annunciates when he speaks. But his main act was possibly Alan Carr (he of the grating voice from Channel 4) and frankly, everyone so far that night had already sounded like a bee trapped in a jam-jar.

I'd like to dedicate this entry to everyone who was unfortunate enough to endure the rudeness of the staff on the door at the Apollo Hammersmith.