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The Mormon Song
Aug. 16th, 2008 01:39 amFrom "Australia, You're Standing In It":
Saw Rod Quantock tonight at Trades Hall. Seems he's been performing for forty years. The man is a national treasure. He had an easy time during the Kennett years, when said premier provided so much material!
Which caused me to go find this:
He went over some of his history of performing, curiously not mentioning "Australia, You're Standing In It", a mighty funny show in its day....
Which caused me to go find this:
He went over some of his history of performing, curiously not mentioning "Australia, You're Standing In It", a mighty funny show in its day....
More Comedy
Apr. 13th, 2008 10:37 amHey all,
Haven't sat down and LJed for a few days, which is not to say I haven't been up to Stuff, far from it!
Thursday night, Deb and I dragged ourselves to more of the Comedy Festival. Deb really wanted to see How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You, and I really wanted to see Josh Earl (who is a librarian... ). The first show was on at Trades Hall at 8.30, the second was on at the Town Hall at 9.45PM. Could we make it to both??? Damn it, we wouldn't be from the most over-festivaled city in the world if we didn't try! We didn't even have tickets to "How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You", but we rocked up at Trades Hall anyway, and as luck would have it, there were tickets left and I even had time to eat some "Dinner" at the Trades hall bar.
"How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You" was really good value, really funny and surprising informative, I mean, if you were single and looking to attract attention, she had advice that might actually have helped.
That show ran a smidgen late, because so had the one before, so we were left with seven minutes to get from Trades Hall to the Town hall! We rushed to the tram stop, cursed it's every pause, and rushed into the Town Hall, up several flights of stairs, and made it only about five minutes late.
Josh is a funny guy. His show was about Tasmania and growing up in Burnie, complete with pictures. He did a really funny song which he used last year called "Bored Mum", a song about getting a long pointless phone call from your mother. Funny.
Haven't sat down and LJed for a few days, which is not to say I haven't been up to Stuff, far from it!
Thursday night, Deb and I dragged ourselves to more of the Comedy Festival. Deb really wanted to see How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You, and I really wanted to see Josh Earl (who is a librarian... ). The first show was on at Trades Hall at 8.30, the second was on at the Town Hall at 9.45PM. Could we make it to both??? Damn it, we wouldn't be from the most over-festivaled city in the world if we didn't try! We didn't even have tickets to "How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You", but we rocked up at Trades Hall anyway, and as luck would have it, there were tickets left and I even had time to eat some "Dinner" at the Trades hall bar.
"How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You" was really good value, really funny and surprising informative, I mean, if you were single and looking to attract attention, she had advice that might actually have helped.
That show ran a smidgen late, because so had the one before, so we were left with seven minutes to get from Trades Hall to the Town hall! We rushed to the tram stop, cursed it's every pause, and rushed into the Town Hall, up several flights of stairs, and made it only about five minutes late.
Josh is a funny guy. His show was about Tasmania and growing up in Burnie, complete with pictures. He did a really funny song which he used last year called "Bored Mum", a song about getting a long pointless phone call from your mother. Funny.
Comedy and Curry
Apr. 9th, 2008 09:40 amGot dragged to more comedy last night - I make it sound like such a pain :-)
Once and future Housemate Barbara had tickets to Greatness Thrust Upon Them, which wasn't bad, quite a clever little idea and good use of Jelly Beans.
Then we we popped in to see Andrew McClelland's Guide to Being a Modern Gentleman, which was a real crack up. The dude's a funny man. Anyone who can get a huge laugh by saying "BROADBANDY!!!!!" in a funny voice knows how to run a funny show. Deft use of a tea towel too. Not to mention the free cravat we all received.
Barbara also took me out for Curry (burp - good curry), but of course I didn't put our for her :-P
I did feed her for the better part of two years when she was unemployed and we shared a house, so I guess she owes me.
Once and future Housemate Barbara had tickets to Greatness Thrust Upon Them, which wasn't bad, quite a clever little idea and good use of Jelly Beans.
Then we we popped in to see Andrew McClelland's Guide to Being a Modern Gentleman, which was a real crack up. The dude's a funny man. Anyone who can get a huge laugh by saying "BROADBANDY!!!!!" in a funny voice knows how to run a funny show. Deft use of a tea towel too. Not to mention the free cravat we all received.
Barbara also took me out for Curry (burp - good curry), but of course I didn't put our for her :-P
I did feed her for the better part of two years when she was unemployed and we shared a house, so I guess she owes me.
Comedy Festival - The Damage So Far
Apr. 21st, 2007 09:48 pmHey 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!
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!
Weird Al @ Hamer Hall
Apr. 8th, 2007 10:32 pmDamn, did I mention I sooooooooooooo behind in my bloggin'???
As mentioned,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
evildoom_bunny and, in another section, stillbeing, saw Weird Al Yankovic in the decidedly unrock venue of Hamer Hall in the Arts Centre. (Hamer Hall having been until recently the Concert Hall.) Any inclination we might have had to mosh would have been extremely constrained by all the friggin chairs!
I warnedevildoom_bunny that it was likely to be a Den Of Nerds, but even I was surprised by just how damn nerdy the crowd was! Young nerds, old nerds, groups of nerds in Hawaiian shirts, groups of nerds who'd obviously dragged themselves away from an intensive roll-playing game, families of nerds with nerdlettes, and teenage nerds with their mothers there to keep an eye on them! Did I mention it was nerdy? evildoom_bunny often accuses me of being one, but damn, I was outclassed!
There was a support act, of sorts, an Aussie comedian lady who's name now escapes me. She wasn't bad, but would probably find that gig easier with some Star Wars material... There was supposed to be a 20 minute break before Weird Al, but twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then nearly an hour - something was obviously seriously screwy behind the scenes. We saw roadies and technicians crawling all over the place. Eventually, they made an announcement that things were broken, and to bear with 'em.
So we wandered out to get a drink - it'd got kinda festive by this stage. Then we wandered down the front to wave atstillbeing up in the balcony. I played with my Nerdphone, and someone randomly sent me a short porn film! Odd. I was inspired by this to turn on the Nerdphone's bluetooth. It found sixteen other phones in the area... Did I mention nerdy???
Eventually Al showed up, much to our relief, it was getting a bit dull. Apparently their media server had a rough passage on the journey down from Newcastle. Let this be a lesson to you folks - always back up your data.... :-)
The show as fantastic, the guy has obviously been doing this a long long time. He changed outfits almost every song - as did the whole band - and while they where off stage they played "Interviews" that Al had conducted on the large video screens. Basically, footage of air-headed celebrities was spliced with Weird Al asking questions which somehow fitted. Damn. That Averal Lavine shouldn't be allowed near a mic. Nor that Kevin Ferderline guy... Sounded like at least some of these were from a TV show called, predictably, "The Weird Al Show" that ran for one season back in the 1990's. Should try and lay my hands on it... It was also the source of the Prodigy parody I posted earlier...
Al knows his audience, and made sure he did his two Star Wars related numbers - "Yoda" and that one to the tune of American Pie about Episode One. Some particularly sad boisterous nerds behind us sang along to that one... He also did all his hits, "Fat", "Eat It", etc. There was also some very clever localisation in one song, he's singing about marrying his cousin and changes a line to "We could move to Tasmania where that kinda thing is tolerated." That caused some actual whooping!
Seemed like most of the crowd hadn't absorbed "Straight Outta Lynwood" the way we had - they seemed a bit perplexed by some of the new stuff. Although "You're Pitiful" went down well, especially the series of t-shirts Al had on to go with it. My particular favourite being "Tom Is My Only Friend."
The dude is a professional - they were on stage for a good two, two and half hours. We certainly got our $89(!) worth. I was also surprised that he played at least three songs I'd never heard (I'm one of those sad completist - when I'm into a band I want all of their stuff. If there's a single out there with an alternative version or a B-Side, I gotta have it!) At least one was obviously a new song, since it was about Britney Spears recent hair-cutting. And one of them he's never going to be able to release - suggesting that Gilligan from Gilligan's Island is in love with the skipper is not going to go down well :-)
Anyway, next time he's out here, go see him, I certainly will.
As mentioned,
evildoom_bunny and, in another section, stillbeing, saw Weird Al Yankovic in the decidedly unrock venue of Hamer Hall in the Arts Centre. (Hamer Hall having been until recently the Concert Hall.) Any inclination we might have had to mosh would have been extremely constrained by all the friggin chairs!I warned
evildoom_bunny that it was likely to be a Den Of Nerds, but even I was surprised by just how damn nerdy the crowd was! Young nerds, old nerds, groups of nerds in Hawaiian shirts, groups of nerds who'd obviously dragged themselves away from an intensive roll-playing game, families of nerds with nerdlettes, and teenage nerds with their mothers there to keep an eye on them! Did I mention it was nerdy? evildoom_bunny often accuses me of being one, but damn, I was outclassed!There was a support act, of sorts, an Aussie comedian lady who's name now escapes me. She wasn't bad, but would probably find that gig easier with some Star Wars material... There was supposed to be a 20 minute break before Weird Al, but twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then nearly an hour - something was obviously seriously screwy behind the scenes. We saw roadies and technicians crawling all over the place. Eventually, they made an announcement that things were broken, and to bear with 'em.
So we wandered out to get a drink - it'd got kinda festive by this stage. Then we wandered down the front to wave at
stillbeing up in the balcony. I played with my Nerdphone, and someone randomly sent me a short porn film! Odd. I was inspired by this to turn on the Nerdphone's bluetooth. It found sixteen other phones in the area... Did I mention nerdy???Eventually Al showed up, much to our relief, it was getting a bit dull. Apparently their media server had a rough passage on the journey down from Newcastle. Let this be a lesson to you folks - always back up your data.... :-)
The show as fantastic, the guy has obviously been doing this a long long time. He changed outfits almost every song - as did the whole band - and while they where off stage they played "Interviews" that Al had conducted on the large video screens. Basically, footage of air-headed celebrities was spliced with Weird Al asking questions which somehow fitted. Damn. That Averal Lavine shouldn't be allowed near a mic. Nor that Kevin Ferderline guy... Sounded like at least some of these were from a TV show called, predictably, "The Weird Al Show" that ran for one season back in the 1990's. Should try and lay my hands on it... It was also the source of the Prodigy parody I posted earlier...
Al knows his audience, and made sure he did his two Star Wars related numbers - "Yoda" and that one to the tune of American Pie about Episode One. Some particularly sad boisterous nerds behind us sang along to that one... He also did all his hits, "Fat", "Eat It", etc. There was also some very clever localisation in one song, he's singing about marrying his cousin and changes a line to "We could move to Tasmania where that kinda thing is tolerated." That caused some actual whooping!
Seemed like most of the crowd hadn't absorbed "Straight Outta Lynwood" the way we had - they seemed a bit perplexed by some of the new stuff. Although "You're Pitiful" went down well, especially the series of t-shirts Al had on to go with it. My particular favourite being "Tom Is My Only Friend."
The dude is a professional - they were on stage for a good two, two and half hours. We certainly got our $89(!) worth. I was also surprised that he played at least three songs I'd never heard (I'm one of those sad completist - when I'm into a band I want all of their stuff. If there's a single out there with an alternative version or a B-Side, I gotta have it!) At least one was obviously a new song, since it was about Britney Spears recent hair-cutting. And one of them he's never going to be able to release - suggesting that Gilligan from Gilligan's Island is in love with the skipper is not going to go down well :-)
Anyway, next time he's out here, go see him, I certainly will.
Corinne Grant's Tape
Apr. 7th, 2007 12:24 amThe madness... Begins...
Tonight was the first night of the Comedy Marathon (assuming one doesn't include Weird Al a couple of weeks ago.)
evildoom_bunny and I went and saw Corinne Grant's "Take My Stuff", where she confesses to being a hoarder and tries to give away some of her stuff to the audience. Very funny show. I got dragged into it when she was looking for hoarders in the audience. My eight computers qualified me! And later she did a "citizenship test". For each right answer, one got a bit of her stuff. A plastic tiger on a string, a supplement from a newspaper from New Zealand from 1998(!) and my prize for knowing the first prime minister of Australia... A Fleetwood Mac cassette from 1987! Bonza!
Anyway, these things have a way of expanding. My friend Barbara then dragged us along to something called the Comedy Show Bag at a bar in QV. It was rather good too - four comedians for $15, can't pass that up. And of course we scored a double pass to ANOTHER Show on the way out... Eep. Sleep? Bah.
I have three shows to get to next week...
Tonight was the first night of the Comedy Marathon (assuming one doesn't include Weird Al a couple of weeks ago.)
evildoom_bunny and I went and saw Corinne Grant's "Take My Stuff", where she confesses to being a hoarder and tries to give away some of her stuff to the audience. Very funny show. I got dragged into it when she was looking for hoarders in the audience. My eight computers qualified me! And later she did a "citizenship test". For each right answer, one got a bit of her stuff. A plastic tiger on a string, a supplement from a newspaper from New Zealand from 1998(!) and my prize for knowing the first prime minister of Australia... A Fleetwood Mac cassette from 1987! Bonza!Anyway, these things have a way of expanding. My friend Barbara then dragged us along to something called the Comedy Show Bag at a bar in QV. It was rather good too - four comedians for $15, can't pass that up. And of course we scored a double pass to ANOTHER Show on the way out... Eep. Sleep? Bah.
I have three shows to get to next week...
This is Where My Money Goes
Mar. 16th, 2007 12:13 pmWhat, I hear you ask, is Paul doing over the next month or so? I'm glad you asked. Here's a list:
P.S. Joinevildoom_bunny and I in this Madness.
- Friday 23rd of March: Weird Al
- Friday 6th of April, 7PM: Corrine Grant
- Tuesday 10 April, 7PM: Men of Steel
- Friday 13th April, 8PM: Keating!
- Saturday 14th April 8PM(?): Puppet Up (thank you stillbeing)
- Wednesday 18th April 7PM: Tim Minchin
- Monday 23rd April, 7.30PM: Golden Guy Fawkes (when tickets actually go on sale!)
- Tuesday 24th April, 9.30PM: Josh Earl is a Librarian
P.S. Join
evildoom_bunny and I in this Madness.Funny Ha HA
Mar. 2nd, 2007 10:47 pmUnless you've been hiding under a rock, you may have heard that the next in Melbourne's seemingly endless series of festivals (Jewish Gay Short Film Festival anyone?) is on soon. The Comedy festival! Cool.
I already have tickets to the return season of Keating!, the country Soul opera we had to have. Friday April 13th should you care to join us. Also have tickets to that rude Jim Henson's Puppet show, Puppet Up! on April 14th (busy weekend!)
And, outside the comedy fest but hopefully still painfully funny, Weird Al at Hamer Hall in late March. Looking at the tickets right now, bluetacked to my monitor :-)
Anyway, had a flick through the guide. When I get paid in a couple of weeks (yay!) I'm going to grab tickets to a couple of things which usually sell out:
Missing from this years festival, inexplicably: My man Justin "Bedroom Philosopher" Haezlwood. Performance poet Tug Dumbly. And Eddie Perfect. Although I hear rumours that Eddie might have a roll in Keating! Justin on the other hand is working on his second studio album and will be touring music venues later. As for Tug Dumbly, he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth - anyone heard any news?
I already have tickets to the return season of Keating!, the country Soul opera we had to have. Friday April 13th should you care to join us. Also have tickets to that rude Jim Henson's Puppet show, Puppet Up! on April 14th (busy weekend!)
And, outside the comedy fest but hopefully still painfully funny, Weird Al at Hamer Hall in late March. Looking at the tickets right now, bluetacked to my monitor :-)
Anyway, had a flick through the guide. When I get paid in a couple of weeks (yay!) I'm going to grab tickets to a couple of things which usually sell out:
- The Second Annual Golden Guy Fawkes Award. Saw the First Annual last year - it was Seditious.
- Tim Minchn, who I hear only good things about.
- Men of Steel - Puppetry done with kitchen utensils. Saw them at evildoom_bunny's graduation. Very funny!
- The Hound of the Baskervilles - Saw bits of an early version of this at a comedy night a few week
.s............................................... (thanks for thatschnitzelrug) ago - Josh Earl is a Librarian - half of the Renegades of Folk. He really is a librarian...
Missing from this years festival, inexplicably: My man Justin "Bedroom Philosopher" Haezlwood. Performance poet Tug Dumbly. And Eddie Perfect. Although I hear rumours that Eddie might have a roll in Keating! Justin on the other hand is working on his second studio album and will be touring music venues later. As for Tug Dumbly, he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth - anyone heard any news?
