[03-04-2005] 2005 MICF Gala on Channel 10

[Mythor]

I've only watched up till the first ad break so far, but wanted to say how good it was to have the Umbilical Brothers on TV again.

Was also good to see Gud on TV performing something other than Jeans.

[Laney]

i only watched bits and pieces of it and i still love bill bailey

bit dodgey of chris addison to do a serious oxfam announcement asking for a steep contribution of $50...

[unfrufru]

i would have to say that with a couple of minor exceptions (lines not full pieces) that that was the worst gala i have ever seen.

apart from adam hills.

tripod were bullshit and so was hughesy

[VAxwell]

I still have a crush on Jason Byrne. *blushes*

'Cept his box didn't do him justice. Poor little thing looked awful, badly jetlagged and sick. I enjoyed his gig at the festival club and his show much more than I enjoyed his gala appearance - cept i knew what was happening, so I laughed my head off at the way he treated the guy in the box anyway. hehehe

They should have done some sort of finale... It just ended really really quickly. That sucks.

I love Eddie Perfect, but I'm over his juice bar song, and I don't think the song and the room's accoustics did his voice justice...

Did Jeff Green just do recycled material?

I liked Dimitris, but I don't think I could hack a full show of one liners to gentle guitar music.

Mike Wilmot is a crude bastard, isn't he? Hehehe... I'm going to his show just to hear him say 'I can smell your arse. I'm losing my erection because I can smell your arse. I'm trying to think of my mum just to get a semi...'

I'd like to see some of the lesser known acts (Tim Minchkin, for example) get a bit of tv time... Overall, though, I probably wouldn't go to many shows based on the gala performance. I'm with fru - A little disappointing.

[louie]

the problem I have with the Gala is that it's always the same acts. I wish they'd bring more internationals and have some lesser known australians on.

[Mythor]

Originally Posted by hails

i want to marry adam hills. eeeeeexcellent.

I GET THAT NOW.

Originally Posted by louie

I wish they'd bring more internationals and have some lesser known australians on.

I think it's because they're trying to raise money. Big names = more money.
They seemed to have some more not-quite-as-well-known acts this year compared to last, but then I also thought they had more acts that just weren't funny this year too.

Originally Posted by VAxwell

They should have done some sort of finale

Whilst I did enjoy Bill Bailey's German (?) techno version of the Hokey Pokey, it didn't really seem like a finale. I was worried my recording was going to cut out early because I didn't think that could be the last thing on?
I enjoyed GUD's opening number (not great, but fun) and it seemed to be much more of a big bang finish? Perhaps they just wanted something a little "different" this time. *shrug*

I was going to make notes while I was watching but then I couldn't be arsed... so, randomly:

- Kransky Sisters? They're on a comedy show, so I assume they're meant to be funny? I think I missed the joke.

- Juice Bar Girl by Eddie Perfect is amusing. I only just saw it on ABC Broadband the other day so I skipped most of his Gala performance. =d

- Tripod's bit was amusing, but most of it was taken up by Yon singing the same thing over and over? I'd've taken yet another repeat of one of their other songs, personally. Although the "Fear of Shorts" mini-song was good.

- Thought "Mike Wilmot *barf*" was good.

- While I think Dave Hughes is funny, I'm not sure he's well suited to MC'ing the Gala. He doesn't do a good impersonation of being excited by the next act.

- Why does Demetri Martin play the guitar during his 'set'? He doesn't sing that I could see? I ended up skipping most of his bit because he wasn't funny.

- Jimeoin's gag with exiting stage left then "reappearing" stage right was funny, even if rather obvious.

- Arj Barker? Skipped after about 15secs. Yes, I know I'm about the only person in the world who thinks he's crap.

- And now for my impersonation of Denise Scott, "Oooh, I'm so old. I'm so out of touch. I'm so uncool. Aren't young people strange? And hey, aren't I old? Hey, I have kids! Fiona O'Loughlin has kids too! And she's funny! Hey, did I say I'm old?" -_-

- Liked Wil Anderson's bit, even if it seemed a bit familiar. The "improv'd" bit about his performance being brought to us by Telstra was funny, though I don't know if it was deliberate or not?

- Though that does remind me of Jimeoin's bit about having a lapel mike which made me laugh a lot even though it wasn't really all that funny.

Overall I enjoyed the show. Some bad bits, some good bits, about what you can expect from a Gala really because they do seem to try and get a bit of variety in.
Hoping they stick to the later timeslot from now on. Some people still swear poorly, but it would've been a shame for Danny Bhoy to have to cut his obscene chicken impersonation.

[Leishpod]

Demetri is adorable and damn funny - you obviously didn't give him enough of a chance to get to the good stuff. and Vax - he doesn't do that for the whole show, he basically does that little bit (slightly longer) with a guitar and the rest just normal stand-up. sad that you think that's what his whole show will be, and hoping that's not what EVERYONE thought. I'm also sad that more people didn't enjoy it. don't not go to his show because of it, he's honestly up there with Jason Byrne as the best shows of the fest for me. and those are the only 2 I'm going to see twice. (if I have time.)

and no, he doesn't sing - he just plays guitar to make it more interesting.

I was sad that Jason Byrne didn't do something better than his guy in a box routine - he's so much fucking better than that.

so over the juice bar girl song, Eddie. it was funny for a while but....yeah... umm... MY COW IS DEAD!!!

Bill Bailey was brilliant but they clearly cut him down a bit too much and wouldn't it have been spiffier if he'd done his portishead version of zippedy-doo-da? fuck yeah.

Tripod - I don't get it.. they had 4 new songs for the spinning wheel but they went years back in time for the gala??? whaattt theeeee?? I love my boys, but they really need someone on the outside to choose what they do when they go on TV - 'prostitutes' is funny when it's abrupt in the middle of a show, but not for a one off performance.

the show wasn't overly spectacular, but still.. it's a gala. i thought it was better than last years - mainly because I found last years to be complete crap... *shrugs*

I love Jimeoin's 'half of you are laughing and half of you are going aaaHHhh' about the mic stand thing... I was just thinking. no, Jim, half of them are saying. 'I've heard this about 20 times you twat.' does the guy ever come up with new stuff?

I want more Jason Byrne!!!! arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh *grabby hands*

[Mythor]

Originally Posted by Leishpod

he just plays guitar to make it more interesting

So you admit without the guitar he's not very interesting?
I did give him a chance, but you're right, not that much of a chance. Got bored, moved on.

I couldn't remember what Jason Byrne did, but now that you reminded me, that was kinda amusing in a silly way. But I always find people getting donged on the head with a mike kinda funny.

[Duhkha]

Yeah, the gala was alllllright... not the best. Did Dave Hughes even know the names of the acts? It seemed that he just kept saying 'lets get on with it' or words to that effect? And everyone just seemed to be using old material...

Gud were good, but I agree, would have been better as a finale.
I liked Maria Bamford, she is a cracker!
Danny Bhoy was ok but not up to his usual standard.
Jason Byrne's show is heaps better than that cardboard box stunt (even though I thought that was funny too).
Wil Anderson was good.
Jimeoin was disappointing.
Bob Downe was entertaining as was Mike Wilmot (but for different reasons).
Liked Demetri Martin but think his show would be better.
Adam Hills was great.
Everyone else was forgettable...

...except Eddie Perfect, he was bloody awesome! I've heard that song a million time but i still fricken love it!! Plus he is a great performer! Definitely the most enjoyable act along with Gud, Maria and Adam.

[Playm8]

Originally Posted by hails

i want to marry adam hills. eeeeeexcellent.

Couldn't agree more. Adam Hills was fucking awesome!!!

[cam]

Originally Posted by Duhkha

Did Dave Hughes even know the names of the acts? It seemed that he just kept saying 'lets get on with it' or words to that effect? And everyone just seemed to be using old material...

The mc doesn't announce the names of the acts in case they get cut from the broadcast. If Dave finished his spot then said "and here's Mike Wilmot" and his spot was cut then it would make the mc spot unusable.

Also, everyone uses old rope so they don't burn any of their new festival gear. There is no point in doing something that will be in your show if it gets people to come along and see you but they don't laugh because they have seen your stuff already.

[Belleza]

I probably wouldnt go and see any of those commedian's shows based on watching the gala performances....Sounds a bit harsh i know, but....just my opinion....

I did like the stage though, and how the promo photos were used in the backdrop - that was intelligent...

I know it's been said but Tripod - there are plenty of new songs!!!! Two dis-jointed pieces just didnt do it for me...they're better than that!

[Didymus]

I don't know about anybody else, but Jason Byrne is what I think would be a punters' worst nightmare. He seemed even more threateningly aggressive than Johnny Vegas, and that's saying something. Do you think the guy in the box will ever go see anything ever again? I'm not saying a very aggressive four minute spot whilst jetlagged and only being in the country for an hour is at all evenly indicative of who he is as a performer, but I was so petrified for the guy in the box! It wouldn't neccessarily deter me from seeing his show, but I would make it a priority to sit at the very, VERY back.

[unfrufru]

i thought gud were beyond average. although it was good to see the attention on cam not the midget for once (and i did have the urge to go "rock n roll!!! in a high pitch voice).

my sisters and i have the theory that after the brilliant spot tripod did last year (that actually made my sister come out of her bedroom to hear it cause she wasn't watching it) that the only way for them was down.

bob downe was a bit flat even, not as much stuck in your head insane singing as per usual with bob.

jimeoin was flat. and he did that mic stand on the gala a couple of years back.

maria bamford - went for a smoke break so don;t know

jason byrne, came back in halfway through his so will have to rewatch at some point. but did make me want feel like 'ahhh something a bit different for a change'

umbies were rather flat.

jeff green, heard a bit of it before but i too shall be saying hil-arious all the time.

adam hills - was a bit more preachy than stand up but he got the girls on his side. my sister doesn't like him and when he did the simpsons line she squealed like a teenybopper and i said ' and THAT's why we all love hillsy"

chris addison was rather amusing. can't remember much

rich hall - the man is a god. case closed.

wil - i thought i heard someone say that he did new material?? i've heard that bollocks about 6 times already.

akmal - never get tired of the man.

eddie perfect - as my sister said, he wasn't overly funny, but he was nice to look at. i would have liked to have heard something other than juice bar girl. john howards bitches would have been great.

i was wondering what was missing from the gala this year, why it wasn't doing it for me and i realised NO FLEETY!!!

mike wilmot *barf* nuff said

stephen amos looks familiar. it's going to bug the crap out of me.

danny bhoy and demetri were not hysterical but good. and pretty to look at,

[brunswickfi]

Originally Posted by cam

Also, everyone uses old rope so they don't burn any of their new festival gear. There is no point in doing something that will be in your show if it gets people to come along and see you but they don't laugh because they have seen your stuff already.

I can understand that they might not want to use stuff that's in their show - but you'd think that they'd be able to create variant tight fives for these kind of events - this is their job afterall. In most cases it's all they do. You shouldn't have to rely on material going back years. Disappointing when big names do this.