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