Marked down to $9 at JB Hi-Fi? And then another 20% off that for King Chuck’s birthday, making it $7 or thereabouts? Yes please.
It almost sounds medieval now, the fact that Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Idle, Jones and Palin stood together on a stage and did comedy to a loving audience, the final night of a four-week run. We’ve had attempts to recapture this glory in the 21st century, but the 2014 shows at the O2 were a much bigger affair, in a venue as big as an aircraft hangar. And it all felt a little grimy in retrospect, as they were doing it pay off their SPAMALOT legal bills. Here, they’re in the comparably humble environs of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, just a year before their star got even bigger on an international scale with the release of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL in 1975.
Being a fan of the Pythons isn’t the best in the 21st century. Terry J died in 2020, Terry G’s films have become more and more incomprehensible, and the rest of the time seems to be taken up by Eric Idle and John Cleese sniping at the rest of the group. Only Michael Palin seems to have been untouched by time, forever existing as the nice guy of the group, and sharing his endearing travel adventures around the world on television.
Beautiful to hear a nice rendition of Idiot Song on this by (also recently departed) Neil Innes, the song that Oasis borrowed more than a little of for their 1994 anthem Whatever, and funny to hear a namecheck for my hometown of Oldham in the Election Special sketch.
Hit: Parrot Sketch
Hidden Gem: Idiot Song
Vinyl Stylus 