Comfest recommendations and reviews

[Mythor]

Originally Posted by op shop girl

Courtney Hacking: A little average. More of a love story than a comedy show.

Is that Courteney Hocking or a freaky coincedence? Doesn't sound like a love story.

[op shop girl]

Originally Posted by Mythor

Is that Courteney Hocking or a freaky coincedence? Doesn't sound like a love story.

Yup (I've fixed the spelling mistake).

It doesn't sound like a love story, but her bases for researching crackpot inventions was a crush on a guy. She spends more time discussing her love life (and lack thereof) than she does on the actual inventions. I came along expecting a nice geeky little show and ended up seeing a dodgy powerpoint presentation.

It's not a terrible show...just not what I was after.

[Alisso]

Originally Posted by op shop girl

Laughapoolooza: The shows was saved by Tim, Eddie and the Renegades of Folk. I'd probably have enjoyed it more if I wasn't freezing my arse off. Lovely seats though. Courtesy of Alisso and co. moving to the front row, leaving the cushy seats empty.

Always happy to help other people get good seats Last Friday's was a great line-up, too *G*

[louie]

Originally Posted by op shop girl

Nick Sun: You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll beg for a hole to open up and swallow him. Nick takes self deprecation to a whole new level. You have to when four out of the only six people in the room are heckling you. The Wee Room is the perfect venue for his style. Catch him there before he suicides.

i saw his show last saturday. lol so good. like nothing you'll ever see again.

[Leishpod]

I'd have to recommend every show i managed to see while I was sneakily in Melbourne over easter.

Tim Minchin = yayyyyyy *grabby hands* and love. 10/10

Tripod = new stuff! woohooooooo! best show i've seen in a while (lady robots excluded because they did it a second time round. 9/10

Jason Byrne = madcap and gorgeous, an absolute must see. not as fun as last year, but possibly just because i had my hopes so high. 9/10

Demetri Martin (dr.earnest parrot presents...) = gorgeous, sweet and a major giggle-fest. 9/10

Ross Noble = Good, as always, but I think he's gotten a little cocky about himself now and just writes NO material, then goes on and just starts a story, and ends up just crapping on with the crowd the entire time. this used to be funny, it was funny, for a while. but for 2 hours? arrrrrrrrgh. if he'd had some actual real material, I would've enjoyed the show more. not saying I didn't have a ball, just saying, you know, Ross. Write something, ffs. You used to make me leave your show in pain from laughing so hard! 7/10

Justin Hamilton = another sweet show, and very, very funny. really, really good.
9/10

[Danshep]

I saw Damian Callinan last night and thought he was friggin brilliant. I just did a review for The Groggy Squirrel. I wasn't originally planning to go see it, but one of the other reviewers pulled out - I'm sooo glad they did.

Also caught Jason Byrne, who I thought was great. Probably would've enjoyed it more if there wasn't so many complete dicks in the audience talking loudly to each other (I threw some old tickets at them in an attempt to shut them up, but I'm a terrible throw and it just landed at their feet). Dicks.

Also saw Adam Vincent's show last night, which was pretty good - I would've preferred to be seeing the show he had planned with Dave Bloustien, but it was good none-the-less.

[hails]

Originally Posted by op shop girl

Adam Hills: I second the recomendations to see him on a Sunday afternoon. I now know how the sign the word clitoris.

oh god. you have to show me how to do that! post photos!

[Cherryish]

Micheal Chamberlin's show is fantastic. (And I'm pretty sure I just spelt his name wrong. Meh, I'll find out later).
And I'll second whoever said The Sunshine Factory 2. Awesome show.

[circus_kid]

ElbowSkin are BRILLIANT. I laughed so much it hurt.

Also agree with everything said about Kent's show. Fantastic.

Sammy J - again, brilliant.

Charlie and Tim, also great!


Not seen that many shows, sadly, been far too busy. But favourite so far, would have to be ElbowSkin, closely followed by Kent.

[Danshep]

Originally Posted by Danshep

Tim Minchin - I don't think it was quite as good as his Dark Side show, but he's still great.

I'd just like to revise that. After picking up and listening to the Dark Side CD and remembering how good it actually was, this year's show isn't even half as good. It was still enjoyable, but nowhere NEAR as good as Dark Side. This year's show is so much more forgottable, and isn't as playful.

[awaywithfairies]

Originally Posted by hails

oh god. you have to show me how to do that! post photos!

I'm sure there's an Australian website that shows you how to do signs (complete with video footage). I've got it bookmarked on my computer at home but won't be back for a couple of weeks yet...

[lily]

Originally Posted by Danshep

I'd just like to revise that. After picking up and listening to the Dark Side CD and remembering how good it actually was, this year's show isn't even half as good. It was still enjoyable, but nowhere NEAR as good as Dark Side. This year's show is so much more forgottable, and isn't as playful.

Oooh! Controversial! Is this the beginning of a tall poppy backlash thing?

I don't think it's less playful, I think it's just that some of the other material is so dark that instead of throwing the lighter material into sharper relief (as I'd expect) it just tends to bring the whole experience down a bit. I say that from seeing him for the first time and kind'f thinking, "Jeez, you're working a bit bleak, son!", and it wasn't until second time round that I was really able to appreciate the sweeter, playful bits. I loved Dark Side but for mine, the fact that the style and delivery is no longer new is the reason for a less dynamic response.


Oooh. Is it really obvious how little sleep I've had? Did that rant even make sense? Two hours a night does not a cogent lily make.

Anyway, since my last post my picks are:

Richard McKenzie;
Geraldine Hickey;
Justin Kennedy.

Go see 'em. You know, do yourself a favour and all that.

[Leishpod]

Originally Posted by Danshep

I'd just like to revise that. After picking up and listening to the Dark Side CD and remembering how good it actually was, this year's show isn't even half as good. It was still enjoyable, but nowhere NEAR as good as Dark Side. This year's show is so much more forgottable, and isn't as playful.

I'd agree a little bit and say that it wasn't quite as good as dark side, but i still found it fantastic in a different way, I liked that he did more 'stand up' inbetween songs, and i LOVED his intro "i am so fucking rock", his song to the parents who let their kids get fat (i am a victim of this, myself.) , perinium millenium (i got more enjoyment out of it due to the fact someone next to me had to have what a perinium was explained to them)

I think the reason you might not have enjoyed the show so much could have been the high expectations? I mean, I had mine set wayyy up there, and i thought it was only slightly less brilliant than dark side - but the rest of the crowd (some of which, i assume, hadn't seen him before) were lapping it up, and he got a second encore.. so yeah. i liked it. great stuff. can't wait to see dark side again next month though, yay yay yay

[unfrufru]

i would have to recommend spymonkey, fully cracked me up (provided u don't mind naked dancing men).

very absurd, actually directed by the person who directed the boosh's 2 shows here.

though i was a tad concerned when a woman brought her 5 small children and sat them in the front row and then got all uppity when there was swearing and nudity. just because its a matinee show doesn't mean it will be cleaner.

[epod]

judith lucy was brilliant as always

went to the big laugh out yesterday and some bloke called just insane was great. very entertaining for the kids and adults. he said he was doing a show somewhere but i couldnt find it on the comedy festival site so i may have his name wrong?

also went to the midnight to dawn festival club. what a bargain for $25. daniel kitson was brilliant and the show could have quite easily fallen apart without having him as mc. highlight for me so far though from that was freestyle love supreme. they were on at around 4am they were great.

i will be writing these up as full reviews for my website hopefully by tomorrow and am seeing a stack more shows in the next few days i am here.

epod