Heckler drives Billy Connolly off stage again
Billy Connolly walked off stage early, much to the disappointment of his fans. Picture: Getty
IT is the stand-up comic’s bête noire: the drunken abuser best put down with a quick quip, a torrent of verbal abuse, or, as the last resort of one comedian, now banned from the Edinburgh Fringe, the swift application of a head-butt.
However, Billy Connolly has adopted a new approach to dealing with hecklers: the swift retreat.
For the second time in a week the Scots comedian, recently voted the most influential British stand-up of all time, has walked off stage after being heckled, to the disappointment of the rest of the audience.
Members of the audience said Connolly, 69, walked off towards the end of his two-hour set in Blackpool on Saturday after receiving verbal abuse over a story about strokes,
Previously, he had cut short a gig in Scarborough by half an hour after being abused by members of the audience who appeared to have dallied too long at the bar.
Speaking in recent BBC documentary, Connolly explained his feelings about those who interrupt his shows.
“I loathe hecklers,” he said. “I haven’t got a good syllable to say about hecklers. When you come out of the club circuit and into the concert halls they should be gone.
“There’s an element of manners that should tell you that the ticket is dear and it’s a different venue. People have had a bath to come here, so sit down, shut up and listen!”
Unfortunately, his advice had not been adhered to, but his response disappointed fans.
Ffyona McKeating, 39, a solicitor who lives near Preston, who attended the Opera House gig in Blackpool with her husband, said: “It was terrible. I couldn’t believe it because I’ve got a 14-month-old child and I’m pregnant, so I don’t get out very much and wanted to see him.
“It was such an anti-climax and I felt he should have been used to hecklers. I’ve seen other comedians who shake off hecklers.”
Alan Wright, 50, a communications officer from Chorley, was also at the performance.
He added: “He was going on about strokes and it was quite a touchy subject, but he was trying to make light of a difficult situation, then someone shouted at him.
“It was a disappointing end to a really good night because he had been on form.
“A few people were shouting at the start and he told them how he dealt with hecklers at the start, but he walked out when he was shouted at.”
A Twitter user called MightyFallenOak said: “Billy Connolly was hilarious last night in Blackpool. Such a shame it ended so abruptly, felt a little let down.”
Another, called Aiden, added: “Fantastic show in Blackpool last night, but the heckler finished the show. She went, Connolly went, we all went. Pity.”
Just days before there had been problems at the comedian’s show in Scarborough’s Futurist Theatre, when the event was reportedly spoiled by drunken punters making disruptive trips to the bar and toilet.
An audience member Kevin Lye said: “The bar was left open and people were tripping in and out of almost the entire performance. The vast majority of people seemed to be going in and out in the most disruptive fashion possible. As Billy was just about to go into his final story, abuse was shouted and it was at this point he had clearly had enough and ended the show.
“The audience gave him a tremendous round of applause, but after he took his bow he didn’t return for an encore. This ending put a dampener on what had actually been a funny show and from what we observed, most people were leaving with miserable faces.”
The comedian’s management, Tickety-Boo, were unavailable for comment. Yesterday David Gore, Marketing Manager of the Blackpool Opera House said that Connolly had cut short his two-hour performance by almost 20 minutes. He added: “We do take appropriate action against hecklers as we can.”
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Comments
There are 85 comments to this article
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xwolaz
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 07:59 PMsome people ( me included ) love Big Billy C. others may choose to spend there time watching other artists. a friend of mine for example likes going to see these posh piano things. I cant stand them, ya know, guy in a nice suit playing some grand piano for an hour. I think id fall asleep because it would boar me. My point is simple. I dont like Piano thing, so I dont go, and I certaninly dont go and start shouting B.S. at the guy playing. So, what right does anyone else have to go and shout rubbish at the people I like watching. These sad people who think its so important to let the world know they dont like something. Im sorry, There the ones who need heckeling. and if I had been in that croud, I would have been happy to shuve my opinion down there throats. If you dont like something, dont worry about it. Ya can always try 1- not going to see it. 2- Not watching it on TV and 3- dont buy the DVDs Billy is Legend, he is also very class. he has alot of respect and alot of dignity. His pride on show at all times. and I think some snotty little brat, some tight little git, can realy hurt that pride just by sticking his her nasty little opinions in. As far as Im concerned Someone ows Billy a big apology. and once they have given it, they should take some go old Billy C advice and F - Off.
Tartancult
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 11:19 PM#83 The artist does a 1-2hr show and these idiots think a 1 or 2 min heckle makes them better than the artist. Clowns"------------------------------Like many who post here...
Dave scotland
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 08:20 PMCan never see why anyone goes and pays a lot of money for a ticket to see a show then ruins it by shouting abuse at the artist. This also ruins it for the rest of the audience. We do not go to listen to a loudmouth who thinks they are funny and witty. The artist does a 1-2hr show and these idiots think a 1 or 2 min heckle makes them better than the artist. Clowns.
Anagach
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 06:25 PM79 BigPete All you Connolly disparagers forgot to mention the most salient fact, that BILLY Connolly is, or, was a Catholic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So for you, the most salient thing about Connolly is or was his religion. Get over it, its not for most people. Thats he's Scotish, that his humour is Glasgow, thats hes had a survivor, or the fear that he is past his best, and his best was excellent. But only you have brought religion into it.
fourbyfour
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 01:04 PMWee Billy takes himself far too seriously these days....
MunroBill
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 09:32 AMThe sooner he is heckled into permanent retirement the better.
Ben_Gunn
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 06:49 AMTime for the big_yin to hang up his 'wellies'. Hecklers, many are drunken idiots, can easily be handled by a good comedian. Perhaps the Auld_Yin no longer has the right_stuff. As for religion, Connolly appears to have no time for it. Good for him. If you want fairytales read The Brothers Grimm.
Boab1
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 06:14 AMBigPete, lose the chip off your shoulder and just accept some people don't like the guy. This is to do with personal taste, not religion. Or do you just nurse this grievance and use it as an excuse for every failing in your life rather than realise it might be your own shortcoming? If you read my earlier post you'll see exactly why I've no time for him. Just like I've no time for his wife who, like Yoko Ono, has used her husband to get herself noticed.
Brit-free
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:03 PMComment removed by moderator
BigPete
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 07:17 PMAll you Connolly disparagers forgot to mention the most salient fact, that BILLY Connolly is, or, was a Catholic. Your sectarian qualifications are showing, as usual: you just can't help yourself. God help Scotland if you lot ever got control. Let's hope that Salmond's referendum fails, the intolerance of you lot would be, well intolerable. The UN would be called in within a year!
Vote 'NO'
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 05:35 PMI agree with Connolly. What kind of fool enters such an arena and heckles? Why buy a ticket in the first place? This individual must have something seriously lacking upstairs. Either that or to much money.
Cruixer
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 05:26 PMI thnk the big yin is getting a wee bit grumpy in his old age. There was a time when he would have taken a heckler in his stride and made a joke out of it. Might soon be time to bow out for good, or make some more travel shows...
saltpeter
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 02:43 PMFrankie Boyle is heading the same way
saltpeter
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 02:39 PMwid the lord the gift tae gie us to see oorsells as ithers see us mock not the aflicted if you cant stand the heat stay out of the kitchen maybe Billy should think on these sayings and some of you contributors as well . Billy went downhil when he started the foulmouthing he didnt need to
Sawney Has-Been
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 09:24 AMCanton-eze....'does your keyboard have a shortcut to 'Glasgow-Irish Catholic'? Not sure what that has to do with anything on this story but your immediate linkage of his cultural lineage to his behaviour may be diagnostic.
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