Paul McDermott Articles/Reviews

[Munchkin]

Yet again the award went to Toby Allen
http://www.moawards.com.au/

[Rock Angel]

Awww,

I wish i had seen it now, Toby must have been fantastic, as a couple of people on here have said so, and i thought Paul was (all bias aside) absolutely brilliant.

[Munchkin]

I think it's playing in Adelaide if you're desperate.

[Alka]

Is Toby still in it though? If he is, he wont be for long.

[pixieDAAS]

Originally Posted by Alka

Is Toby still in it though? If he is, he wont be for long.

no, i think he got replaced after the Brisbane season, like Lisa did for Rachael Beck

[majordag]

Originally Posted by Munchkin

I think it's playing in Adelaide if you're desperate.

It is playing in Adelaide but Toby has been replaced by Todd McKenny because Toby had prior commitments

[*J_e_s_i_k_a*]

On the Road Again

Funnyman Paul McDermott is back fronting a new musical comedy trio and, just like the old days, nothing is sacred, writes Ben Groundwater.

I assume Paul McDermott has a hands-free mobile phone kit, otherwise he’s breaking the law right now.
The comedian, singer and television presenter is chatting to me while driving from Sydney to Newcastle, where he’s headed to perform with his three-piece musical comedy trio, GUD. The phone drops out every once in while, but as I don’t hear any loud thuds, screams or police sirens, I have to assume the trip is going well.
Despite being in charge of a motor vehicle hurtling up the pacific Highway, Paul is more than happy to talk about GUD, a project that first took shape for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival last year, and will be visiting Brisbane next month. GUD consists of Paul, keyboardist Cameron Bruce and guitarist Mick Moriarty (of Gadflys fame), and Paul says the trio is having an easy time writing comedy in the current political climate.
“It’s fantastic – There’s been a recession, a war, the Anglican church,” says Paul, 41. “Poor old Rene Rivkin, though – he’s just been diagnosed with a benign brain tumour that he’s going to have removed. We were doing a lot of humour about him, but now public sympathy could be swinging back Rene’s way.
“It’s a fine line. I think we might put the boot in anyway.”
As you’ve probably just figured out, Paul’s humour, and subsequently GUD’s, isn’t exactly politically correct. This is a man who once led hundreds of Canadians through the streets of Montreal chanting “F--- the police” – whether out of hatred for the force or for the pure comedy of the moment is unclear.
As performers, the guys from GUD are frequently described as irreverent, although Paul would argue that point.
“Irreverent is a word that people have used – only the critics though. I’d call it insightful. It’s just a matter of perspective.”
GUD isn’t the first musical trio Paul has been a part of. He grew up in Canberra, and it was there he met Tim Ferguson and Richard Fidler, with whom he would go on to form ground-breaking trio the Doug Anthony All Stars.
The All Stars were a musical comedy group that boosted Paul, Tim and Richard to further fame – Tim to the ill-fated Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, Richard as host of the ABC’s Race Around the World, and Paul to cult favourite television series like The Big Gig and Good News Week.
By anyone’s standards he had a highly successful television career, but don’t expect Paul to gush about his experiences.
“It is an evil medium, and I certainly felt my time in television was like being in some satanic cult,” Paul says. “I feel great now to be on the road to recovery, back in love with God and so on.”
It’s been said that old comedians never die, they just go on to television. Paul has done the opposite. He won’t rule out any future television appearances, but he’s happy to stay a stage performer.
He’s got plenty of other projects to keep him busy as it is. As well as GUD, Paul is finishing a short film that he’s written, directed and starred in, is a published author, and has a small role in the upcoming feature film The Night We Called It A Day, starring Dennis Hopper and Melanie Griffith.
Paul didn’t get to meet either of the big stars, although he did get a nice present from Melanie.
“When I arrived on the set there was a bottle of champagne for me with a little tag on it saying, ‘With love, from Melanie’. I thought, man, I feel so incredibly special, I’ve been here for one day and Melanie’s given me this.
“I spoke to one of the assistants there later, and apparently all Melanie did was buy the champagne, or rather give someone money to buy the champagne, and then her secretary did all of the cards.”
Paul plays a Seventies band manager in the film, and says the best part of his role was his “sharpie” haircut. He also enjoyed meeting Australian actor Joel Edgerton, whom Paul describes as “an amazing performer”.
As our conversation turns towards Paul’s life outside work, it’s surprising to find he is quite guarded for someone who has made a career out of being funny at other people’s expense.
Maybe he’s just concentrating on his driving, but asking him about his family, and in particular his twin sister, draws a rather limited response.
Me: “So Paul, I understand you have a twin sister?”
Paul: “Yes”.
Me: “Do you still see her often?”
Paul: “Yes”.
Me: “Uh, so what do you do in your spare time?”
Paul: “I don’t have a lot of spare time.”
I also ask Paul about painting, which is a little-known hobby of his, but he quickly steers the conversation back to his professional life.
It turns out, GUD is playing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe later this year, and Paul says the current Australian tour is like a warm-up for those shows.
“You need to be in top physical condition I believe. Every day we’re doing sit-ups and weights, getting our minds in the right place.
“We’re getting motivational speakers in from around the world. We’re getting up to speed, reading a lot of stock market reports, getting a good cross-view of everything.”
Sounds like comedy can be a serious business.

[Munchkin]

http://mosh.server101.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3167

[*J_e_s_i_k_a*]

Eek! Sorry, my bad...

[Munchkin]

I just hope you didn't go to the effort of typing it up

So can someone tell me what the difference between a "sharpie" and a "mullet" hairdo is?

And does anyone else find this scary?

"Despite being in charge of a motor vehicle hurtling up the pacific Highway, Paul is more than happy to talk about GUD,"

Hmm with any luck Mick was operating the peddles and Cameron was steering. :lookarou:

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by 'bundy of course

And does anyone else find this scary?

"Despite being in charge of a motor vehicle hurtling up the pacific Highway, Paul is more than happy to talk about GUD,"

Hmm with any luck Mick was operating the peddles and Cameron was steering. :lookarou:

Some people found it a point of concern
http://mosh.server101.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3167

[unfrufru]

i wanna know since when has he been driving? how scary would he be!

[Sam]

How come it seems so obvious to mois? Reporter "Where are you?" PM "Driving between blah and blah for a gig." Doesn't mean he was actually driving.

[pixieDAAS]

he could be sitting in the back, with bad reception?