Peter Kay: Live at the Top of the Tower (2000 Video) User Reviews

Its 16 years old now, you've probably heard the jokes countless times over the years, yet it has stood the test of time and is still a very watchable stand-up comedy.

[MUFCOK · 8/10 · 19 February 2016]

Filmed in front of a very small audience at the top of Blackpool Tower, Peter Kay makes his stand-up debut in style. Compared to his later shows, this one isn't as funny, it has a different feel to it and Peter Kay doesn't deliver as strongly as his later tours. This isn't a criticism of Top of the Tower but more of a compliment to how well he progressed and improved over the years. It is very common for comedians to start strong and slowly get worse over time, in my opinion; Peter Kay is an exception to this. Many of his well-known jokes are told here, 'Its spitting', 'Garlic Bread', 'Rola Cola' and many more are all on this.

Although over done over the years it still gets laughs from me every time I watch it. Peter Kay has the ability to come across charming and a very likable person, from a working class background telling jokes which almost every person watching can relate to.

Peter Kay has gone on to be incredibly successful, this is where his stand up days all began and seeing him looking so young really makes me feel old!

8/10

This man is going to be huge!

[CharltonBoy · 8/10 · 4 November 2002]

Peter Kay is Britains most up and coming comic and Live from the Top Of The Tower just proves it. He is well known in Britain for his fantastic Phoenix Nights and John Smiths adverts and this is the first time i have seen him in stand up. In the show he starts of telling jokes which spoils his act a little and the rest of the show he is brilliant with his observational comedy that Eddie Izzard or Billy Connolly would be proud of. He apeals to all ages and is not blue like some comics although a couple of gags were a bit risky. This man is going places. 8 out of 10.

Magnificent sums it up...

[steve_with_a_k · 23 April 2002]

Peter Kay: Live from the Top of the Tower is possibly the greatest stand up show ever. Peter Kay's observational humour is so spot on that your sides will hurt from laughing. Everything from dinner ladies that can smell rain, thus preventing the children from playing out, to finding a holiday on teletext (368 pages to go through until your page comes back around). The stories usually focus around Kay's childhood, growing up in Bolton in the 1980's. His mother, who cleans the house BEFORE going on holiday to the father who won't touch foreign foods when abroad ('Garlic...And bread? Garlic bread?'). Peter Kay explains exactly why people talk with their hands, even the old woman who complains about the heat is there, 'I like it hot but not this hot'.

The characters are familiar to everyone and that's what makes the stand up show so special. We've all met the people Kay talks about. What Peter Kay has done here is present life as we know it, but in such a way that you'll no doubt be crying with laughter with the jokes and characters featured in the show. This show is absolutely spectactular that I would reccomend it to everyone. It is funny without being rude or offensive and that's something which isn't very common in the wacky world of MTV. And remember, as the dinner lady always says; 'It's the fine rain that gets you wet.'

Quality

[bigchiefmullet · 10/10 · 3 September 2002]

This is without doubt one of the best stand up shows ever done in the history of comedy.Everything from people speaking with their hands to "Garlic......Bread" and Rola Cola is just brilliant.Also about when people go on holiday the first thing they do is phone home and your parents cleaning the house so that it is nice and clean for the robbers.

10/10

If you like Peter Kay in Phoenix Nights youll love this.

It's Spitting! It's Spitting! Get Them In, Get Them In!

[BigBadaBruce · 10/10 · 27 July 2005]

2 years on from when I first saw it and I'm still shouting that when it rains or going "Garlic Bread" and "Cheeeese-caaake?" at meals and for that, I lay thanks to Mister. Phoenix Knights, Peter "Packed It, Booked It, F***ed Off" Kay.

This is one of the funniest stand-ups I have seen in my whole life. I've seen Jim Davidson, Jack Dee, Ricky Gervais and Johnny Vegas but none were laugh-out loud, balls-out funny like the guy of real life. Peter Kay is brilliant in that he uses true life for his comedy. Everything he speaks about, you can see happening to you and your family. His stuff here is so f****** brilliant that any time he goes on stage now, he get's ovation just for saying "Garlic Bread!" or "It's Spitting! It's Spitting". Miss this at your peril.

"GARLIC BREAD! That's gorgeous!"

The best video ever!!

[mark-kelly05 · 10/10 · 16 January 2003]

This video is for everyone!!! It is just so funny from the very start! Peter Kay talks about holidays like when you ring home you always ask what is the wheather like at home! He also talks about school dinnerladies! School trips and also booking a hoilday on cefax!! 10/10 Excellent

Every budding stand-up take note

[johnpearce48 · 10/10 · 12 December 2002]

As an example in how to create the perfect stand-up routine this stands supreme. No smut, no racism, no offensive material whatsoever just a beautifully crafted stage act.

The observational humour is outstanding and the fact that many of the people he discusses, his wife, his mother and his (not my real) auntie, sit watching is quite remarkable. Comedy is often based on innuendo and insults, the target of Peter Kays humour sit and join in the laughter. How many comedians could have the target of their humour sitting and laughing with them?

Watching Peter Kay live, just last night, it was incredible how many of the audience were sitting desperate to create the atmosphere of this video and Peter Kay is aware of this, and promises he will "not let us down"

Watch this video and enjoy not only an outstandingly funny video but also marvel at how a comic genius has created images that will remain in your mind for a very long time.

And then you can return to t'internet.

Your entire Life in 90 minutes

[baleric_ian · 10/10 · 14 December 2002]

Peter Kay delivers experience from his life in this excellent stand-up routine, performed at Blackpool's Tower. His comedy style is experience from his life, which most people living in England can identify with.... i know i do! Everything from making rose perfume to booking holidays off teletext make for 90 minutes of non-stop laughs!! I hope he decides to make more stand up Videos/DVD's, but i hope there are different jokes in the next video, unlike other comedians (e.g. Lee Evans) who continue their jokes into each video they make! Well i've got to get going, so in the words of Peter Kay... Packed It, Booked It, F**ked Off!!

Peter Kay: Live at the Top of the Tower

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 18 December 2012]

Before he became the highly successful and popular comedian we know and love today the star of Phoenix Nights and the "Amarillo" song and video had early beginnings, but from that grew into the guy we know now, and this was his first ever well-known stand-up comedy show. Bolton based comic Peter Kay plays to an audience in the heart of the entertainment capital of the United Kingdom; they call it the Las Vegas of Britain, in Blackpool Tower with his likable style of comedy, in its early stages. He certainly became cleverer and more modern as time went by, but here he starts his career well with his observational and personal experience based comedy with a variety of subjects, with moments of physical stuff and some small strong language bits. Jokes include classic ones (the one with a party costume and the punch line "Michelle" for example), and we also hear about home life, America and Las Vegas, Stars in Their Eyes, dancing, the Bolton accent ("T'Egypt", "T'Internet"), hand signals, movements and gestures, Teletext holidays, getting up, travelling, holiday apartments (a mention of Holidays from Hell), his first use of his catchphrase "Garlic bread" (which was number 23 on 50 Greatest Comedy Catchphrases) when talking about familiar food in foreign places, water fights, drinks (such as crap pop, i.e. cola), board games, clothes and shoes, Alton Towers with rollercoasters Oblivion and Corkscrew, going home from holiday, airports and suitcases, being at home after a holiday, a late phone call (using a tape recorder), and much more. Kay has a great ability to charm the audience with his infectious personality, and even though his material was in the early stages there are some funny moments that will make you laugh a lot, a fun and worthwhile show. Peter Kay was number 22 on The Comedians' Comedian, he was number 12 on TV's 50 Greatest Stars, he was number 7 on Britain's Favourite Comedian, and he was number 2 on 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. Good!

Good observations mixed with imaginative writing and energetic delivery produce a good show

[bob the moo · 13 January 2005]

With his own unique humour Peter Kay performs in front of hundreds of his Northern brethren from the top of the Blackpool Tower. Drawing on his own childhood, Kay covers family holidays, ceefax, fathers, dinner ladies, the weather and so on. Despite this video coming out first, I had already seen him at the Bolton Albert Halls before I saw this video and I wasn't too impressed with that. However, I'm not sure why but I enjoyed this show a lot more.

Maybe because it is a longer show with a better mix of humour but it is better than his purely observational humour of the other show. Here he draws heavily on real life but he also does it with a real humour and energy that makes it stand out from the loads of comics who do the "isn't it funny when…" stuff. I'm not sure how well it will travel because it is not only very English but it is specifically very Northern observations that those not knowing people similar to his family and friends. However even without this knowledge the show is still funny because he has such energy and his delivery is much better than in the later video from Bolton.

Overall it helps if you can relate to the material but even without this you can still enjoy the fast paced and energetic delivery from Kay. An enjoyable show with plenty of good observation mixed with imaginative writing will produce enough laughs to justify watching this show.

Absolute Side-Splitting Gag Fest

[bigstubbs · 25 February 2003]

This is OFFICIALLY the best stand up comedian on the face of the planet. No, honestly, he is!!!!

Live at the top of the tower is quite simply the funniest thing you can see on a screen. Having seen him last night on his current Mum Needs A Bungalow tour, I cannot wait for more Peter Kay Live DVDs coming out.

Put simply, buy this video, then go see him live! But be warned, you might wet your pants laughing!

Garlic BREAD!!!!!!!

[gavintabineruk · 23 October 2002]

Fantastic. words cannot explain the supreme might of this young(i use that phrase very loosely) comedian. I had to have a liver operation because i laughed so hard, it was without a doubt the greatest comedy dvd i have ever seen(and now own). pure brilliance, this is a must for all you peter kay fans. i have said all i need to say, but, but wait, oh no, oh no oh no oh no.

ITS SPITTING!