Some Crazy Shit

Who likes a really big mouse cursor?

No to mention some unnervingly sophistocated Russian Cakes.

And very, very, very early Southpark...

Comedy Festival - The Damage So Far

Hey all, here's a list of things I've seen (or plan to see) at the Comedy Festival, all of which I can highly recommend!

Corinne Grant - Have My Stuff
Corinne is a horder, as am I! She's trying to get over it by giving away her stuff at the Comedy Festival. Also saves Wahwah. I scored a Fleetwood Mac tape from 1988! Bonus!

The Comedy Showbag - at some bar in QV
Janet A McLeod organises another comedy night. For $15 bucks you get four random comedians. Not bad! Also funny.

Men Of Steel
Easily the messiest show I've ever seen. The first few rows are at serious risk of being splattered with food, juice, popcorn... Basically puppetry done with kitchen items, and very damn clever they are with toasters, blenders, biscuit shapes etc. etc.

Dave Thornton - Euromission
One drunk Aussie attempts to visit all the countries in Europe who have won the Eurovision song contest. Now, there's a worthy goal. Some of the Eurovision footage he has is fucking scary. And very damn funny.

Tim Minchin - So Fucking Rock
What can I say? the guy is a genius. It's no wonder he's playing the second biggest (possibly the biggest) venue in the festival. The first song, which I won't spoil by going into to much detail, requires a level of slip second timing that is beyond mere mortals. I'd heard a lot about him, often mentioned in the same sentance as my favourite performer of the last few years, Eddie Perfect, so I thought I'd better go along. Well worth it - even though we had a frighteningly loud Laugher a couple of seats away, hurting my right ear drum....

The Muppets - Puppet Up!
Theatre Sports with the Muppets. Very very funny, the whole thing is unscripted, and got quite weird in parts. I think this might have finished for the festival, unfortunately.

Things I am off to see:
Second Golden Guy Fawkes Awards
Saw the first of these last year. Very funny search for the comedian most likely to blow up parliament. There seems to be a lot of them out there! The venue is also freaky - the Old Melbourne Goal, with the stage a few metres from where Ned Kelly was hung!!! Hopefully it'll be as scandalous this year as it was in 2006.

Josh Earl is a Librarian
My Dad got all excited when he heard about this show - especially when I told him Josh Earl really is a librarian. As was my dad - now he teaches them. Josh is one half of the very silly Renegades of Folk, with Justin "Bedroom Philosopher" Heazlwood. They were mighty funny last year, so Josh sounds like a good bet. Positive reviews all around as well. Apparently he sings silly songs about... being a librarian!

[Edit]
Damn I'm slow - forgot to include my Highlight of the whole festival!
Keating!
I don't know what originally possessed the guys from the Drowsy Drivers to write a musical about our last Labor prime minister - most probably because of his marvelous turn of phrase. Most the songs from this "musical we had to have" are constructed from quotes from the era.

This first premiered at the comedy festival back in 2005, in a 70 seat venue at Trades Hall. This production has been given a revamp at a theatre in Sydney, which includes at least six new songs, and the handing over of a number of roles from the original cast to various performers. Casey Bennetto, the writer of the thing, played Howard and Hawke previously (and possibly also Downer and Hewson - this thing has Everyone!) Eddie Perfect now takes on Hewson and Downer - he looks great in a pair of fishnets - and another actor who I am less familiar with does a great turn as Hawke and a frightening Howard. One of the new songs get stuck in my head - "Mateship", sung by "Howard". Oddly, Eddie must have joined late in the piece, because he's missing from the cast recording. Pity, he's good.

This is easily the best thing I've seen on stage in years and years. It's so damn clever and so damn funny. Go and see it. Looks like it's turned into a veritable hit, there was a full page ad in the Age last week for the extra two weeks they've tacked onto the season. I await the DVD.

Fark.... No wonder I'm tired and broke!

Enrol To Vote Now!

This is a bit of a "public service" announcement, if you like.

The federal government in its wisdom has just changed the rules governing electoral rolls. Previously, changes to enrollments were allowed for at least a couple of weeks after a federal election is called.

Now, the electoral rolls will close at 8PM on the day the election is called. This means if you've moved house or need to update your enrollment in any way, you'll have at best half a day to do so, otherwise you won't be allowed to vote.

This is expected to exclude up to 400,000 people across the country - more than enough to swing the election in fact.

A federal election can be called from any time after the middle of July - although November is more likely. My advice is get in early, enroll now, over at Australian Electoral Commission, or give them a call on 13 23 26. Post offices will also have the forms...

(BTW, if you think, like me, that this change is anti-democratic and just a bit on the nose, sign this petition at Getup! or hassle your local federal member.)

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