Fielding back at Albert Hall

Noel Fielding is to headline this year’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig at the Royal Albert Hall – two years after a being heckled off at the same venue.

The Mighty Boosh star shares top billing at this year’s event with Russell Brand, who collectively call themselves The Goth Detectives.

Yet at the same fundraiser in 2005, he was humiliated on stage after being heckled from the audience who had packed out the 5,200–capacity venue to see their hero Peter Kay, who hosted the event.

Kay made matters worse by failing to back his fellow comic, instead telling the crowd that Fielding’s surreal humour had gone over his head, too.

His lack of support sparked something of a feud between the two comedians, who pointedly ignored each other backstage. And Fielding later dismissed Kay’s comedy in a magazine interview by saying: ‘There are some people who like that sort of thing. We [him and Boosh co-star Julian Barrtt] hate that shit really.’

But Fielding will put that night behind him by co-hosting the March 28 event with Russell Brand.

Fielding and Brand were recently teammates on Jimmy Carr’s Big Fat Quiz Of The Year on Channel 4, where they coined the phrase ‘The Goth Detectives’ and joked about how they would start a show together.

The rest of the line-up for the comedy night has not yet been announced, but music stars appearing in the week-long run of gigs include Noel Gallagher for two nights, Kasabian and The Who.

The Who’s Roger Daltrey, who puts together the gigs, said: ‘Over the years these shows have really made a massive difference to the money available to build Teenage Cancer Trust units in NHS hospitals. They also give our teenagers the moral support to help fight this terrible disease.’

Tickets for the gigs went on sale yesterday. The Noel Gallagher and Who nights sold out immediately, and only a few seats remain for the comedy night. Click here to buy.

Published: 3 Feb 2007