Creed Bratton: Music and Comedy (Office USA)


 

 

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

“I’ve been involved in a number of cults, both as a leader and a follower. You have more fun as a follower. But you make more money as a leader.”

Creed Bratton

Creed Bratton is an American actor and musician. He is a former member of the band The Grass Roots, and is best known more recently for playing Creed Bratton on the NBC sitcom The Office. Creed may be best known for starring as a fictional version of himself on nine seasons of the award winning, critically acclaimed NBC series “The Office.” For nearly eight years fans worldwide grew to love him as Dunder Mifflin’s quality assurance director who unapologetically forgets the names of his own co-workers, and says bizarre confusing statements on a regular basis. If Creed was on-screen, laughs were sure to follow. And tonight 27/09/2019 here was the man himself, in Brighton, at Concorde 2.

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

A moment during the set Creed mentioned no one had ever reviewed his live show before, ok, well here’s one….

Creed Bratton: The Set

Creed took to the stage and was welcomed warmly by the assembled crowd. He gave us a wave and welcomed us all and thanked us for coming out to see him. He plugged in his guitar and slung it round his back as he chatted away before his first song. We were told about the song and how he had heard about Bubble and Squeak on the plane over. Only the Brits! He delivered the song and the first thing that hits you is just how damn good he sounds. His vocals are smooth and warming as he plays his guitar.

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

A quirky start, you could not have expected anything less from Creed Bratton I guess.  Creed chatted about latest crazes and focused on tattoos! He told us about how he had tried to get one done but the tattooist said it was like trying to draw on old parchment. A mention of his record label, Alien Chicken, and how he tried to have the graphic as a tattoo on his butt! Hilarious stuff. We then had a section on Service Animals on flights and how in the USA folk had discovered a loophole about getting their animals on a flight, leading us up to a snake with a very long Service Animal jacket, well as Creed said it was more of a tube really.

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed can be serious

I have to try not and give away any spoilers dear reader as others may be booked up to go see him play.Next the songs Is that You Shining and the wonderful Temptation Eyes were served up. This man clearly loves his music. He pulls in the crowd with his warmth and his humour and then delivers sublime guitar playing with some super vocals. Creed clearly cares about his material and performance. He genuinely seems to be offering up part of his heart and soul as he plays some of his songs. He just seems to capture deep human emotion as he sings of love and feelings, yes Creed can be serious. And when he does, he has his audience fixed to the spot.

Chemical Wings and The Office…

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The song Chemical Wings starts off slow but builds to a bit of a rock out session as Creed steps up the tempo for this one, pulling off some rather fancy rock guitar moves! As the evening progresses it was interesting to note the ages of the people in the crowd. This man clearly has a wide reach. I have to mention that it is noticeable that there are lots of fans of the The Office in the venue. Creed didn’t go down the route of just using many of his quotes from the show, instead he invited the crowd to hurl quotes at him!  “Come on Brighton give it your best shot!”. Brilliant, and Creed almost seemed overwhelmed by the amount of verbal content being hurled at him! He stood there with arms folded as quotes were bandied about, and sometimes he would join in.

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Scranton Strangler

Creed invited a member from the crowd to join him on stage, Amy, was her name. This was to primarily, after confirming she was over 18!, to hold the lyric sheet for the show’s theme. A brilliant moment as the crowd lapped up every name check from the show with a cheer. Creed had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand for this as the audience joined in with the chorus. The Scranton Strangler even got a mention!

During the set Creed was “chatting” with someone over a comms link coordinating the hidden cameras set up in Concorde 2 to film the show. This was hilarious and folk were looking for the cameras until realisation sunk in that this was part of the set. Perfectly executed Creed.

The cameras are where? Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The cameras are where? Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Heart of Darkness, a wonderful melodic number was up. Rubber Tree, after a memory shared about Angela speaking English only when she was saying her lines on set, got the crowd dancing along to this acoustic version.

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The set moved along and Creed said the end was near. The night had been full of sniggers, full on laughs and music, but what he did next was take us through an emotional and heartfelt run up leading to the final of The Office. He told us about the final song of the show, one of his songs, and how it got selected. This was a bit of an emotional roller coaster as Creed and his Crowd both laughed and maybe got a bit teary for this. He then delivered the song in question, All The Faces and it was a poignant and also an uplifting way to end his show.

Goodnight Brighton: Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Goodnight Brighton: Creed Bratton: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

And finally

A fairly short set, but I think Creed everything off. A masterclass. He left his audience wanting more, we had been hanging on his every word and note. We wanted more of this man and his gentle character and disposition. And those songs from his many album releases are as I say at times filled with a passion and gleaned from years of experience. If this extraordinary one man show is playing near you, this is a thoroughly recommended evening out, so go see Creed, he’d love to see you!

Need more Creed? His website is here.

Thank you Creed for letting me.

Thank you to MJR Promotions.

A huge thanks to the team at Sonic PR.

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All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2019.

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