JON RONSON | LIVE REVIEW
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 16 May
Acclaimed writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and more recently podcaster, Jon Ronson returned to his hometown of Cardiff with his latest tour, Tales From The Last Days Of August and The Butterfly Effect. Ronson cut his teeth as a documentary filmmaker on Channel Four, whilst also writing a string of books investigating a diverse range of people and concepts, from terrorist training camps to Twitter pile-ons.
For those who aren’t familiar with his style of journalism, an oft-used comparison is with Louis Theroux – a point that Ronson remarks upon during the performance. In his early days, he saw Theroux as a bitter rival: “We were like conjoined twins: for one of us to grow stronger, the other must die.”
His latest tour deals with his two most recent podcasts that document his experiences in the world of pornography. Situated in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County – considered the porn capital of the world – The Butterfly Effect explores the impact that free streaming has had on the adult industry, whilst The Last Days Of August delves into the circumstances surrounding the tragic suicide of porn actress August Ames.
The set is equal parts fascinating, sad, funny, and revealing. In a two-hour performance that breezes by – a compliment for a set that’s essentially just one man talking, with the occasional photo, video, or sound clip – Ronson intersperses discussions of the podcasts with references to his other works, alongside revelations of his own personal struggles. A Cardiff twang is still discernible in his softly spoken rhetoric, who despite the downplayed, placid demeanour, is vociferous and unflinching in his work. Later in the show, he tells of his time documenting real life superheroes, which resulted in a showdown with a gang of crackheads in Seattle; he’s quick to remind the audience that he was very much in agreement with the crackheads.
Split into two parts, one for each podcast, Ronson mixes readings from them with reflections on his experiences with people from this industry. It is porn’s stigma, and the attendant hypocrisy, that first got Ronson interested in documenting it. The idea first came to him when he was meeting a porn actress in a hotel lobby for a different project, he recalls, recounting the look of absolute disdain towards her from the hotel receptionist – a man who, undoubtedly, would have had less issue had he been looking at her completely naked on his laptop screen. Oh, and there’s also the odd bespoke porn clip thrown in, but it’s all very tame – no nudity.
Even as a fan of his work, the amount of humour and Ronson’s comedic timing was perhaps the most surprising aspect of the evening. Flitting between tragedy and hilarity without affecting the flow of the performance, his discussion of his own struggles with anxiety, and how exploring Ames’ death lead to him questioning his own morality, also offer insights into the wider reaching implications of investigative journalism. There’s enough detail from the podcasts that someone who had never listened to them could fully understand and enjoy the set, yet enough new content discussed to entertain avid fans.
words RHYS FISHER