See, the sound at the gig was veeeeery bad. I seriously hardly picked up anything from the first half :( Second half, not quite so bad, but still not great.

I tried to be positive about it and stuff, cos it was great going there and everything, and seeing Eddie and stuff, even if it was either a teeeeeeny little person on the stage, or a huge Eddie on the screen (but it's a screen. You might as well watch the DVD, with really bad sound...). And stuff.

So, after coming home, and realising that I wouldn't choose to pay that much to go to Birmingham to watch Eddie on a screen, see a teeny Eddie on the stage, and hardly hear what he was saying.. I emailed the NIA to complain..

They didn't reply for ages, so after a while I half forgot about it and just accepted that they probably wouldn't do anything about it.

Then one day when mum was out, I got a phonecall from someone from the NIA.. Because mum had written as well, and they put the two together. She called to say that the sound was down to the promoter (fair enough) and they are sending all complaints about that to them. So, that was that. I let mum know, and then didn't think any more of it.

Last week, checking my emails, as I do, there was one with the subject line "EDDIE IZZARD: SEXIE: Birmingham NIA 4th December 2003" .. Oohhhh.. open that. Blah blah blah, sorry for your experience, blah blah, no other venue had that problem (um, yes I think it did..! but still..) blah blah, problem was solved after the interval (um.. I wouldn't say 'solved' but yes, improved, maybe), blah..

By way of compensation for the problems you experienced we are arranging for you to receive a refund of your ticket value directly from the venue and we would like to send you a DVD of the show that Eddie has personally signed. Please will you reply with a postal address that we can send the DVD to.

Blah blah,

Yours sincerely,

Blah blah."

!!

Refund! DVD! .. Personally signed.

!

So, that's pretty cool ;)

I gave them my address, and said that there were three of us, and that mum had written too, on behalf of all of us.. and we were wondering if we would all get a refund and dvd.... Funnily enough, they didn't respond to that bit..!

Anyhoo, they sent the dvd! woo! I'm not a huge autograph freak.. I mean, would you care if I wrote my name on a bit of paper? (I'd say DVD, but .. I don't have my own DVD.) No.. I'm not famous! Eddie is. I dunno.. I'd rather meet him and have a chat, and learn stuff. But I'm not complaining ;) *cue other, more obsessive me* Eddie touched that bit of paper that is in the DVD cover! *faints* .. ;) yes...

So, before you say "but now you have two Sexie DVDs!", I'm sending the one I already got, to Cara. It's only fair.. ;)

So, yes.. The first couple of times I watched the DVD, I wasn't too impressed.. He didn't seem as proffessional as he was in other shows, and because he developed the whole show as the tour progressed, and every night is slightly different, he missed out a few things I do remember from Birmingham, and some of the jokes just weren't as funny as the few I could actually hear.

Oh well..

Also, I think cos I was kinda disappointed at the sound quality at the actual gig, it wasn't like a really good memory.. So maybe seeing it sorta reminded me I was disappointed.... Or something..!

Anyway, I've been watching it again yesterday and today, and because of the way Eddie works, you have to actually listen, and concentrate on what he's saying, otherwise you'll miss something, and won't find it funny because you won't have a clue what he's on about! So I made sure I was concentrating, and went back a bit if I thought I'd missed something, and I love it now ;) Still not as good as the others, but good ;)

And today I watched it again with the comentry track on.. Kinda weird, Eddie talking random stuff over his comedy.. "This bit's actually true!" and explaining stuff a bit.. "this bit is total rubbish.. Ad-libbing is great! but a load of rubbish really does come out.." or something ;) and stuff, all through the show, and if you're bored with nothing better to do, it's good.. And because it's Eddie, and he's just funny anyway, some bits are funny, but it's not comedy.

And he admits he was tired and stuff and messed up some of the jokes.. Which, um, shows. And anyway, saying the same joke over and over again for what, 4 months? Can't be easy! But I do think they should record each show, and put a DVD together of the best bits from each.. Cos, the flies! Will only exist in our memorys :( poor classy musical flies. And only me and anyone who went to see it live will know what I'm on about! bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... oooooOOooooohhhh....... laaaaaaaaa...

*sigh* poor flies.

BUT, I heard they had cameras at wembley..... So who knows?

So yes, if you have Sexie, or are thinking of getting it, do! and watch it a few times, somehow you pick up new things each time you watch it, and things get better.

But don't watch it yet if you haven't seen Eddie before... Watch GLORIOUS! damnit! and unrepeatable and definite article and dress to kill and circle!

THEN Sexie. Because at least you know he IS a genius, and anything about Sexie you might not like, you will forgive him.

La la la.. I'm going now ;)