decoded_ Something for your mind… Something for your mind…

Jeremy Hotz

Joanne and I have been laughing till we had tears in our eyes and pains in our side! We’ve been seeing some comedians perform during the…

Sydney Comedy Festival 2009 (27th April – 17th May 2009)

http://www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

So far we’ve seen the very chirpy, Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy, with lots of funny stories about his travels and adventures around Australia, perform at the Enmore Theatre. The next night we saw the hilarious Canadian comedian Jeremy Hotz, with his fantastic, miserable, self loathing, whinging and complaining style, perform at the Factory Theatre. I would have to say he’s probably now my favourite comedian, pushing Arj Barker out of my number one spot.

Coming up, we’re going to see UK/USA comedian Reginald D. Hunter and if there’s time afterwards, we might see what Australian/Chinese comedian Nick Sun is up to.

More data:

http://www.dannybhoy.com
http://www.jeremyhotz.com
http://www.reginalddhunter.co.uk
http://www.nicksun.com

We went and saw British stand up comedian Stephen K Amos tonight.

Awesome laughs, very funny. My face aches from laughing so much. Great gig!

http://www.myspace.com/85665609

Arj Barker was really, really, very, very funny! A great show, great laughs! Once again I hurt afterwards from laughing too much.

Thanks Arjy Barky! ;P His ocker Australian impersonations are spot on!

http://www.enmoretheatre.com.au/events/2008/04/30/arj-barker
http://www.arjbarker.com
http://www.myspace.com/arjbarker

I went and saw Irish comedic talent Dylan Moran performing live stand-up comedy last night at the Enmore Theatre (my first visit to this venue), his first performance of a handful of shows here in Sydney. If you’re asking “who?” check out his website via the link below. He stars in UK Channel 4 comedy TV show Black Books, which is aired on ABC TV here in Australia.

Great laughs, he was very funny, but I didn’t reach that tears in my eyes, and pains in my side from laughing too much point, like at Arj Barker, although that’s probably a good thing considering all the Thai food I ate across the road at Banks Thai prior. Great Thai food at that restaurant.

Dylan Moran mentioned this was his first gig in 6 months. I liked the vibe that he was just coming up with it all on the spot, and it not being a well rehearsed, pre-planned scripted performance. Very clever guy, very funny. It did feel like he lost his way a few times during his performance though. A few nasty coughing fits didn’t help either, he really should cut back on those cigarettes, he must have smoked about 10 during his hour and half on stage.

I like his style of stand-up comedy, he’s like an outspoken, dark, bitter, witty, intellectual who is sodden drunk at a party, drawing you in with his Irish charm, telling random quotes/thoughts and stories covering a wide range of topics, and verbally meandering off in all sorts of directions. For those who have tickets, enjoy! All his Sydney dates actually sold out months ago.

http://www.dylanmoranrules.com

More laughs in Sydney…

It’s all happening at the moment, lots of comedy on! There are 2 comedy festivals on at the same time here in Sydney over March/April!

http://www.biglaughcomedyfestival.com.au
http://www.crackercomedy.com/2007

I think I might go see Nick Sun @ The Boiler Room – The Factory, this Thursday, he’s performing as part of the Cracker Comedy Festival 2007. Nick Sun was fantastic on ‘Stand Up Australia’ on the Comedy Channel (FOXTEL) last year.

More details…

http://www.crackercomedy.com/2007/acts/act_nicksundanieltownes.htm

Speaking of comedy. One of my favourite TV shows The Chaser’s War On Everything returns to ABC TV this Wednesday 28th March, at 9pm. There’s an article about them in the SHM today here.

If you miss it, you can always grab a video podcast of it afterwards…

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/vodcast/

My face hurt from laughing so much. Very funny guy!

http://www.arjbarker.com
http://www.myspace.com/arjbarker

I love seeing live comedy. Little Britain Live last w/end was fantastic. I’m off to see American stand-up comedian Arj Barker at The Sydney Opera House this w/end, and in March I’m seeing Irish/UK actor/stand-up comedian Dylan Moran at the Enmore Theatre.

Ben Elton and his ‘Get A Grip’ show at The Capitol Theatre was awesome last year, as was The Goodies ‘Still Alive On Stage’ show at the State Theatre the year before that. I wish we got this stuff more often. I’d love to have the chance to see John Cleese live sometime in the future, I hope he tours a show to Sydney, he cancelled the last one I think. Yeah, I’m a big fan of UK comedy.

Speaking of UK comedy, I’ve been enjoying the strange and amusing conversations between The Office and Extras stars, writers, producers: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington on their video-podcasts, podcasts and audiobooks from iTunes, listening to/watching them on my iPod.

Listening to comedy takes me back to my young teenage years of escapism, laughing and listening to comedy vinyl LPs and cassette tapes (often borrowed from the library) in my bedroom. Stuff like Monty Python, Not The Nine O’Clock News, The Goon Show and releases from old-school Australian comedians Vince Sorrenti and Austen Tayshus. I was probably too young to get a lot of the jokes at the time. I guess that’s where my perverted sense of humour comes from.

Through work over the last 6 months, I was able to be part of the studio audience for the filming of many Stand Up Australia episodes for The Comedy Channel on FOXTEL. The show featured many known and up and coming local and OS guest stand up comedians performing live. I really enjoyed Australian comedians Brad Oakes and Nick Sun, and sick, twisted American comedians Eddie Ifft and Tom Rhodes, great laughs.

I’ve also been downloading the new Tom Green – Live show. He now hosts a nightly talk show with guests, and broadcasts live every night from his home lounge room in LA to ‘The Channel’ which is his website, with podcasts made available afterwards via iTunes. You can phone in, or Skype call live during the show. Check it out, here: http://www.tomgreen.com. Not as crazy as his original show, but still entertaining in that strange Tom Green way.

The Young Ones I can’t mention comedy without mentioning these guys. I bought DVDs of series 1 & 2 a couple of years ago, and watching them now I still laugh as much as I did when I watched them over and over in the 80’s on TV and video tape. Related to this, I’m on the hunt for DVDs of the Alexi Sayle show, let me know if you come across any…

EDIT (12th Feb 2007) : Look what I just found!

Alexei Sayle’s Stuff – Series 1 : DVD (791740)
Coming Soon! Pre-Order Now – Available Wednesday, 07 March 2007
$AU19.83
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/791740

Alexei Sayle’s Stuff – Series 2 : DVD (791741)
Coming Soon! Pre-Order Now – Available Wednesday, 07 March 2007
$AU19.83
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/791741

Last Saturday 3rd February I went and saw Little Britain Live @ The Hordern Pavilion, the live stage show of the hit UK comedy TV series Little Britain.

I’ll try not to give too much away with my little review. I thought the show was fantastic, entertaining, hilarious! It made me laugh until I had tears in my eyes. It’s a fast paced and extremely well put together show, very impressive. Just about every character from the TV series made an appearance. I would have loved to have seen “Bitty…” though.

There were a couple of scenes/skits where Matt & David fell out of character and got into some bizarre banter as themselves for a few minutes, which was possibly planned, but was very funny anyway. There were big laughs during one scene/skit when Matt & David in character began doing imitations of other characters from Little Britain that the opposite person usually plays. There were quite a few references to Sydney and Australia added to the show too which was very funny.

They made clever use of computer generated backgrounds/sets, images of different rooms/walls projected onto a big white wall, with doors to enter/exit from set back of stage, setting the location for each scene/skit. Actual furniture and set pieces rolled on/off stage on tracks with super fast precision. At the end of each scene/skit lights dim, the stage is cleared, and the projected computer graphics come to life, zooming into an object, door or window, and transporting you off across Britain to the location for the next scene/skit, all while enjoying the sounds of Tom Baker’s very funny in-between skit banter as happens in the TV show. The cast must be doing some super fast costume changes back stage during these transitions. I loved the way your interest and excitement never had a chance to drop with the fast pace of the show. The show was presented in two 40-50 minute halves, with a 30 minute intermission.

It was fantastic to see Anthony Stewart Head out here in Australia doing his Prime Minister role, and Paul Putner and Samantha Power who feature as various characters in the TV show also playing support characters with the touring live show.

There are quite a few audience participation bits, with a few people being dragged up on stage to be humiliated by Des Kaye and Marjorie Dawes, awesome!

If you’ve seen the Little Britain Live DVD you may be a little disappointed with the live show touring Australia, as I’m told it’s very similar. I’ve been holding off watching the DVD until after I’d seen the live show. But… If you’re a real Little Britain fan I highly recommend seeing the live show anyway, it really brings the characters to life, great laughs!

Eh! Eh! Ehhhhh!

More info on Little Britain…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Britain_Live
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Britain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebritain/

Here’s a review of one of the first shows in Melbourne…
http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts-reviews/little-britain-live/2007/01/30/1169919321184.html

And, a review of a Sydney show…
http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts-reviews/little-britain/2007/01/24/1169594351070.html