Just got back from The Roundhouse in Camden where I saw Michael Moore Live. I know that I seem to be harping on about Michael Moore quite a lot at the moment, but you just can’t escape from the man right now. Bowling for Columbine opened properly this weekend, his book Stupid White Men is number one in the non-fiction paperback charts, and he’s doing a month long live gig.
So what’s it like? Well very good. First off, the show lasts about two and a half hours, including an interval – which surprised me, since it must be quite draining. The content is presented in a similar vain to the book, with rambling sections that cover a great deal of ground. Some of these are quite loose, and reflect what he’s been up to (yesterday he was at the North London derby, and delighted in the constant songs that are sung), while others are obviously run every night. The smart American v average Brit was an interesting exercise. The smart American turned out to have been in George W Bush’s class at Yale. The difference was that this is a man who can name ALL the countries that border Iraq.
The most powerful, and disturbing section was when Moore strutted across the stage with a boxcutter similar to that which the terrorists of September the 11th used, as he made the point that middle-class white Americans didn’t overpower the terrorists because normally other people do stuff for them. It was a strong point, not made with utter conviction, and it did cause at least one member of the audience to walk out, and others to try to shout out. The show ends on a tirade about the new Nectar card. I am amazed to learn that “loyalty” cards do not exist in the States. Really? Surely they’re a marketeer’s dream – they know everything about your spending patterns, in return for trivial rewards for points collected. Moore collected in cards from the audience and cut them up on stage. We did notice the woman a couple of rows in front promptly put her card back in her purse when she heard they would be cut up. �500 on BP petrol in return for a McDonald’s Happy Meal does seem a little poor value.
Catch it while you can!