Billy Connolly

[Toma_BullyWee]

He's not dead. 

Over the last few days I've been watching clips on youtube and that's me just properly appreciating the man. 

I remember watching videos when I was wee with my mum, dad, granny and granda and everyone would be laughing. I would be buckled as well despite a lot of the jokes going way over my head but the physical comedy always got me. It never mattered how long I went between rewatching videos and DVD's because I would always end up in a state with tears running down my face. 

Not many comedians do that to me.

Now that I've exhausted all the clips on youtube they keep showing me recent clips where he's showing his age and it's all a bit sad. One where he was getting an awards at the NTA's and you could see him struggling to control his hands. His speech is slower but his delivery is still bang on. 

Cancel culture never really seemed to catch up with him, although I do remember one joke getting him in a lot of bother around 2004. Something to do with a decapitated British army boy, cannae really remember.

So feel free to post any favourite clips here and hopefully I'll see a few that have passed me by. 

 

[ICTChris]

He's retired from performing now as he can't do it with the Parkinson's, very sad.

The joke he made in 2004 was about Ken Bigley, who had been taken hostage in Iraq.  He said that when he saw him in the videos on the news he wished that al-Queda would just get on with it and behead him and apparently made a joke about Bigley having a much younger Thai wife.

One thing I've always thought about Billy COnnolly is that I've never met someone who has said they don't like him or find him funny but for many years the press in Scotland was rammed with people who hated him and would take any opportunity to slate him.  You also get people on here and on Twitter etc who don't like him because he wasn't supportive of Scottish indepdence (although he seems to have softened that in recent years) or that he was friends with the Royal family now etc.  I've never actually met anyone who says anything like that about him, he must be one of the most universally liked people in Scotland.

 

[Jacksgranda]

2 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

He's retired from performing now as he can't do it with the Parkinson's, very sad.

The joke he made in 2004 was about Ken Bigley, who had been taken hostage in Iraq.  He said that when he saw him in the videos on the news he wished that al-Queda would just get on with it and behead him and apparently made a joke about Bigley having a much younger Thai wife.

One thing I've always thought about Billy COnnolly is that I've never met someone who has said they don't like him or find him funny but for many years the press in Scotland was rammed with people who hated him and would take any opportunity to slate him.  You also get people on here and on Twitter etc who don't like him because he wasn't supportive of Scottish indepdence (although he seems to have softened that in recent years) or that he was friends with the Royal family now etc.  I've never actually met anyone who says anything like that about him, he must be one of the most universally liked people in Scotland.

 

Few are, tbh

[Jacksgranda]

I saw him at the Riverside Theatre, Coleraine, must have been 1983. Absolutely hilarious.

[John Lambies Doos]

I saw him at the Riverside Theatre, Coleraine, must have been 1983. Absolutely hilarious.

I actually saw him at the National Concert hall in Dublin in 2008. Day after Nadal beat Fed in Wimbledon thriller if correct.
Anyway he was doing all the Glasgow terrorist attack skits at the time. My belly was actually aching the next day as I laughed so much.

[Savage Henry]

8 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

I actually saw him at the National Concert hall in Dublin in 2008. Day after Nadal beat Fed in Wimbledon thriller if correct.
Anyway he was doing all the Glasgow terrorist attack skits at the time. My belly was actually aching the next day as I laughed so much.

I read that as “the day after Nadal beat him in Wimbledon....” Not exactly a fair match.

[Toma_BullyWee]

1 hour ago, ICTChris said:

You also get people on here and on Twitter etc who don't like him because he wasn't supportive of Scottish indepdence

I'll try not to rant but this does my tits in.

"He doesn't like what I like so he's a b*****d".

When did we become so pathetic? It's like OF fans who refuse to interact with their rival fans because they are "wan a them".  

[vikingTON]

Connolly wasn't just putting his personal opinion out on social media though, he was also roped into doing a broadcast in support of the Scottish Labour Party (which he expresses reget for in the most recent documentary). I don't see the independence issue being the source of disdain for Connolly anyway as much as the weirdo obsession that people have with Scots  'changing their accent' to be successful, as Connolly has done to fit the profile of Hollywood films for years.  

[Shandon Par]

2 hours ago, Toma_BullyWee said:

He's not dead. 

Over the last few days I've been watching clips on youtube and that's me just properly appreciating the man. 

I remember watching videos when I was wee with my mum, dad, granny and granda and everyone would be laughing. I would be buckled as well despite a lot of the jokes going way over my head but the physical comedy always got me. It never mattered how long I went between rewatching videos and DVD's because I would always end up in a state with tears running down my face. 

Not many comedians do that to me.

Now that I've exhausted all the clips on youtube they keep showing me recent clips where he's showing his age and it's all a bit sad. One where he was getting an awards at the NTA's and you could see him struggling to control his hands. His speech is slower but his delivery is still bang on. 

Cancel culture never really seemed to catch up with him, although I do remember one joke getting him in a lot of bother around 2004. Something to do with a decapitated British army boy, cannae really remember.

So feel free to post any favourite clips here and hopefully I'll see a few that have passed me by. 

 

There was a thread about him on here recently ^^

Enjoyed this interview with him that he did last year. You can hear the Parkinson's has impacted him a bit but he's still a good listen. Adam Buxton hadn't really been a fan or known much about him but had just started to get into him when researching for the interview and it's a good dynamic as you can hear how genuinely funny Buxton is finding Connolly.

 

[throbber]

He is very popular in Scotland but there are plenty of people who criticise him for “abandoning his routes” after he got famous. I certainly can’t fathom why he’d not want to go back to welding on the shipyards upon discovering fame and fortune and think he owes every working class man woman and child in Scotland an apology for becoming successful. 

[Savage Henry]

1 minute ago, throbber said:

He is very popular in Scotland but there are plenty of people who criticise him for “abandoning his routes” after he got famous. I certainly can’t fathom why he’d not want to go back to welding on the shipyards upon discovering fame and fortune and think he owes every working class man woman and child in Scotland an apology for becoming successful. 

“Never rise above your station” indeed.  Rank rotten inverse snobbery.

[ICTJohnboy]

2 hours ago, Toma_BullyWee said:

He's not dead. 

Over the last few days I've been watching clips on youtube and that's me just properly appreciating the man. 

I remember watching videos when I was wee with my mum, dad, granny and granda and everyone would be laughing. I would be buckled as well despite a lot of the jokes going way over my head but the physical comedy always got me. It never mattered how long I went between rewatching videos and DVD's because I would always end up in a state with tears running down my face. 

Not many comedians do that to me.

Now that I've exhausted all the clips on youtube they keep showing me recent clips where he's showing his age and it's all a bit sad. One where he was getting an awards at the NTA's and you could see him struggling to control his hands. His speech is slower but his delivery is still bang on. 

Cancel culture never really seemed to catch up with him, although I do remember one joke getting him in a lot of bother around 2004. Something to do with a decapitated British army boy, cannae really remember.

So feel free to post any favourite clips here and hopefully I'll see a few that have passed me by. 

 

 

I was a big fan of the late Kenny Everett - some of the sketches he did with Billy C were priceless. Found two here, but there must be more out there, somewhere..

 

 

[IainMorton]

b*****d. Don’t do that to me  

[Fratelli]

In terms of entertainment, he's one of the most talented folk this country has ever produced. As others have said, the near enough unanimous admiration for him amongst the general public tells it's own story.  The amount of comedians here and in the states who cite him as being the reason they got into it speaks volumes too. 

He done a recent interview with Sky News where he spoke about politics a fair bit, and it does seem like he isn't really against independence now, but i don't think him being on a certain side of an issue which pretty much split the country down the middle should ever have detracted from how good he is.  I'm not sure a chap in his 70's being against independence should've been that much of a shock at the time anyway. 

Still think the dinner party routine about differences in social class is up there with his best ever stuff. 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Fratelli

[The Moonster]

28 minutes ago, throbber said:

He is very popular in Scotland but there are plenty of people who criticise him for “abandoning his routes” after he got famous. I certainly can’t fathom why he’d not want to go back to welding on the shipyards upon discovering fame and fortune and think he owes every working class man woman and child in Scotland an apology for becoming successful. 

If he's stopped touring he won't need any routes.

[Mr Waldo]

 

3 hours ago, Toma_BullyWee said:

Cancel culture never really seemed to catch up with him.

I think Pastor Jack Glass's campaign against The Crucifiction routine was the original 'cancel culture' !  I think he got away with stuff because (a) it was funny (b) he knew how to swear properly.

I've always said that the funniest programme I have ever seen on TV was an Audience with Billy Connolly.  You only see a shortened version now, but it still makes me laugh and I probably know every line.

 

[Toma_BullyWee]

1 hour ago, Shandon Par said:

There was a thread about him on here recently ^^

Enjoyed this interview with him that he did last year. You can hear the Parkinson's has impacted him a bit but he's still a good listen. Adam Buxton hadn't really been a fan or known much about him but had just started to get into him when researching for the interview and it's a good dynamic as you can hear how genuinely funny Buxton is finding Connolly.

 

Ah right. Been away for a number of years so wasn't sure. I'll let the mods get this to buggery.  Thanks for that link though. That will see me through the walk home

[Derry Alli]

I see this "post your favourite clips of Billy Connolly" thread started well then descended into the usual fucking nonsense. 

[Dunfermline Don]

We should become independent, ditch Betty and make him the first President of Scotland.
I could just see him welcoming foreign dignitaries to Holyrood Palace or knowing The Big Yin he would insist on The Saracens Head in Glasgow or similar!

[invergowrie arab]

1 hour ago, Toma_BullyWee said:

Ah right. Been away for a number of years so wasn't sure. I'll let the mods get this to buggery.  Thanks for that link though. That will see me through the walk home

It's alright we were all just waiting on you. Very few new topics were posted.