Life On The Road premiere: Ricky Gervais’ David Brent sings about Slough as he gigs with Foregone Conclusion

Ricky Gervais got into character as his awkward alter ego David Brent to perform live at the premiere of Life On The Road.

Brent joined his band Foregone Conclusion for a performance in London’s Leicester Square and reminisced about his days as an office middle manager for Wernham Hogg Paper Company by singing a song about Slough.

The band were introduced by Ewan Macintosh, who played Keith Bishop in The Office, before entertaining the crowd with a string of hits including Free Love Freeway which was met with huge cheers.

They were later joined by Ben Bailey Smith – AKA rapper Doc Brown – for their single Equality Street, before Gervais whipped out his party trick and shot T-shirts out of a cannon into the crowd.

Before getting into character Gervais worked the red carpet and mingled with fans sporting Brent masks.

He was joined by his long term partner Jane Fallon who posed for photos alongside Gervais in a black dress and nude heels.

Fellow comic James Buckley stepped out to support Gervais and attended with his wife Clair Meek. Ralf Little tweeted his disappointment at being unable to make the event, posting: "Setting up a show in Kuala Lumpur - amazing. Downside is missing the #LifeOnTheRoad premiere. #BrentsBack #someofthecomplaintswillbefalse."

Gervais was also joined by his co-stars Mandeep Dhillon (Kaz), Rebecca Gethings (Miriam Clarke), Abbie Murphy (Serena Wilson) and Jo Hartley (Pauline).

Other attendees included Katie Piper, Emily Atack and Anna Williamson who showed off her baby bump in a black dress.

Life on the Road is set 12 years after The Office and follows Brent as he funds a UK tour with Foregone Conclusion in a bid to wave goodbye to his job as a travelling salesman for Lavichem.

Speaking at the premiere about why he reprised his role as Brent, he told BBC: "It was an evolution. I did a sketch on Comic Relief and I got hooked.

"It was about David Brent being a local Simon Cowell managing a rapper and he worms his way in, and I thought 'that's what he'd be doing in the age of X Factor and Britain's Got Talent'. That's where the idea came."

He finished: "It's different enough to the office it's a 55-year-old sales rep trying to be a rock-star, it's already sad and funny."

Life on the Road is set for UK cinema release on August 19.

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