GUD Articles/Reviews

[Munchkin]

Looking at that picture, I wonder if Mick can see out the other side

[Beckslee]

hey cameron's wearing those sunnies that anthony gave him

And mick probably can't, mainly because cam's scruffy hair would be covering his ears :p

[pixieDAAS]

Paul needs a razor

second thoughts, nah

i can't decide, my hands are cold and my brain's about to freeze

[Munchkin]

And now I have songs from the Sound of Music in my head.

[Munchkin]

on the road again
By Ben Groundwater
Brisbane News 26/06/2003

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 that 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 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 toward 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.
GUD plays the Brisbane Powerhouse from 15 to 18 July. For tickets phone 3358 8600.

[Beckslee]

Originally Posted by Munchkin

Despite being in charge of a motor vehicle hurtling up the Pacific Highway,

am I the only one who is scared by that prospect?

Dont do it Paul you're putting Cameron at risk

*boggles*

He was DRIVING?

That's a terrifying thought, McDermott on the roads...

The movie sounds funny though *G*

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by Beckslee

am I the only one who is scared by that prospect?

Especially given that while you can hurtle up the F3 most of the Pacific Highway is now residential roads with pesky school zones.

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by Alisso (at work)

*boggles*

He was DRIVING?

I'm gonna go with my first instinct of the writer not having a clue.

[Munchkin]

Paul McDermott, or "the angry one"formerly associated with
Australia's legendary comedic trio,The Doug Anthony All-Stars,toured his solo performance,GUD, in Launceston recently.

Nick Bishop and David Quinn,the presenters of City Park Radio's comedy programme,The Comedians,interviewed Paul via telephone a couple of weeks before his Tasmanian appearence.Prodigy thanks Nick,David,
and City Park Radio for making this interview available to us for publication.It originally aired in its entirety on The Comedians programme,City Park Radio (FM 103.7),Thursday,February 27.

DQ:Paul,what do you think is the secret of really good comedy?
PM:Ahh...I don't think there is a secret to it.It's just what you do.It's very individualistic,like anything real-
ly.You set your mind to it and try and achieve the goals that you set yourself.
DQ:Okay.
PM:Oh,I don't know!I haven't looked into it that deeply!(laughter)Don't have any other skills!
DQlaughter)Right!
PM:I didn't even wanna do this type of thing!You know,you look back on your life and you think what on
earth did you do?You got up there and you sang songs,you made jokes,made people happy.But were you
ever happy?You know?You sometimes start thinking about yourself.
DQ:Well,that's a good question,Paul:are you happy?
PM:Yes!
DQ:You are?That's okay then!
PMlaugher)Ecstatic!Tomorrow could be another one of those hellish wells of depression that I fall into.
DQ:They happen regularly?
PM:Yeah!
DQ:Oh,I'm sorry to hear that.
PM:No,it's fine,don't worry about it.
(laughter)
DQ:Okay,we won't.
PMlaughter)I'm self-administering,sort of … chemical substances to try and equalise..
DQ:Right … okay..
NB:So,do you hang out much with Greg Fleet?(note:Greg Fleet is another of Australia's foremost comedic
talents -Ed.)
PMlaughter)I have!In the past … in our trainspotting days..
(laughter)
NB:Ah,he's a good guy,Greg.
PM:He's a great guy,and he's doing wonderful things on Sydney Radio at the moment.
NB:You do stand-up comedy.You sing songs …
PM:Yeah …
NB:Have you ever thought of doing the musical comedy,the Kevin "Bloody"Wilson type of stuff?
PM:Well,I suppose I do in a number of ways.Not that I've got anything against Kevin's fine body of work
(laughter)it's just a slightly different sort of material.Certainly I write comical songs and have done so for a
long time,like from the All-Stars.
NB:What was the reason for The Doug Anthony All-Stars breakup?
PM:Oh..it was a mad sexual thing.There was tension in the group about someone's partner and what had
been happening … things like that..We don't like to talk about it.If you can't hold your woman …!(laughter)
They're not down there are they?
DQ:Yes,we've got Tim sitting next to me,and Richard's in the other studio.
PM:They might have a different story,I'm not quite sure.
DQ:Well,I've heard stories.
PM:What have you heard?
DQ:I've heard that somebody came up to you after a gig on your final farewell tour and said to you,"Look,are
you guys breaking up?"I think he was a reporter who originally started by asking Richard about his guitar …
PM:About his poor playing?
DQlaughter)…about how good he was,so therefore …
PM:Oh,right!
DQ:…so,therefore he was right in with Richard.So he said,off the record,"Why are you guys breaking up?"
and he said,"well,basically,we hate Tim."
PM:Who said that?
DQ:This is the story that I've heard …
NB:The story goes,as both you and Richard were asked,"Why is it breaking up?"and the response was,to sum it
up:"Tim's a c*nt."
PM:Oh really!
DQ:And then upon asking Tim the exact same question,he said,"I've got no fuckin'idea."
PM:Oh right,I see.There could've been a little bit of tension at the time (laughter).
DQ:Can you debunk this story for us …?

Originally Posted by the article

Paul McDermott, or "the angry one"formerly associated with
Australia's legendary comedic trio,The Doug Anthony All-Stars,toured his solo performance,GUD, in Launceston recently.

I BEG your pardon? Solo?? I think Mick and Cam might have something to say about that...

Originally Posted by the article

PMlaughter)I'm self-administering,sort of … chemical substances to try and equalise..
DQ:Right … okay..
NB:So,do you hang out much with Greg Fleet?(note:Greg Fleet is another of Australia's foremost comedic
talents -Ed.)

Nasty little snide comment there about Fleety and the drug rumours resurfacing...

Originally Posted by the article

PMlaughter)I have!In the past … in our trainspotting days..
(laughter)
NB:Ah,he's a good guy,Greg.

Now there's a referece and a half...

And a disturbing mental image - can you picture Trainspotting re-cast with Australian comedians? *giggles*

Originally Posted by the article

NB:You do stand-up comedy.You sing songs …
PM:Yeah …
NB:Have you ever thought of doing the musical comedy,the Kevin "Bloody"Wilson type of stuff?
PM:Well,I suppose I do in a number of ways.Not that I've got anything against Kevin's fine body of work
(laughter)it's just a slightly different sort of material.Certainly I write comical songs and have done so for a
long time,like from the All-Stars.

Do you think these people have actually seen Gud?

Originally Posted by the article

NB:What was the reason for The Doug Anthony All-Stars breakup?
PM:Oh..it was a mad sexual thing.There was tension in the group about someone's partner and what had
been happening … things like that..We don't like to talk about it.If you can't hold your woman …!(laughter)
They're not down there are they?

*snickers* Sexual tension? I know that's always been a popular theory *larfs*

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by Alisso (at work)

Now there's a referece and a half...

And a disturbing mental image - can you picture Trainspotting re-cast with Australian comedians? *giggles*

why did my brain go straight to the scene in the hallway


there was supposed to be a copy of the whole interview on the website but cause the article's a few months old it's not there anymore.

[Munchkin]

GUD news WEEK
Sunday Mail 29/06/03
By Tracey Gibbons

PERENNIAL funny man Paul McDermott is returning to Brisbane to entertain audiences with a new dark but brilliant comedy show.
The former host of Good News Week, Triple-J breakfast and the Doug Anthony All Stars teams up with cohorts Cameron Bruce and Gladfly Mick Moriarty in Gud to play at Brisbane's Powerhouse Theatre.
Gud is disturbingly full of cheeky new songs and general comedy mayhem in which no topic is sacred.
"We will be targeting big business in Australia,'' McDermott said.
"Rene Rivkin is also in the new show as well as other things that have recently happened such as the war, certain incidents in the Anglican church and our political leaders.''
Gud showcases a peculiar blend of music and comedy with Bruce on keyboards, Moriarty on guitar and McDermott singing wicked lyrics.
While the trio formation could be likened to McDermott's Doug Anthony All Stars days, the material in Gud is both engaging and original.
The show is full of hilarious comedy improvisation, bickering and bantering between them and melodic songs.
Their irreverent chemistry has already won fans everywhere they have played and although the show has been described as not for the faint-hearted, McDermott disagrees.
"It's exploding, dynamic and a cavalcade of funnies and our music is performed to a lot of `oohs' and `aahs','' he said. "Come along and we promise to pump up your white blood cell count.''
The part-stand-up, part-cabaret and part-social-parody was written by McDermott and Moriarty. "After GNW in 2001 we thought about doing a show for the Melbourne Comedy Festival,'' he said.
"The name was born out of watching the Grammys and seeing everyone thank God in their American accents so we came up with Gud so we could take in all the glory.''
This year's festival saw Gud awarded the prestigious Age Critics Award for most outstanding Australian show at the festival.
"The award was completely unexpected,'' McDermott said.
Following the huge, sell-out Australian tour, the boys will take Gud to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
While Gud stretches the boundaries of comedy and music as only Paul McDermott can, he never dreamed he would become one of Australia's foremost and loved comedians.
"I think my comedy comes from growing up in Canberra because potentially there was not a lot else to do,'' he said.
"Comedy became a bit of a life for me.''
In addition to Gud's impressive body of work, McDermott is in discussions for his project to roll out a series of short films based on his hauntingly beautiful poetry.
He has also undertaken a small role in the upcoming film, The Night We Called it a Day, based on Frank Sinatra's disastrous trip to Australia in the 1970s.
* Powerhouse Theatre, July 15 to 18, at 8pm. Bookings 3358 8600

[pixieDAAS]

Originally Posted by Beckslee

Dont do it Paul you're putting Cameron at risk

Gee, i thought Cameron would be the sort of person, who'd love speeding the car!!

[Munchkin]

Comedian has fresh challenge
By Geoff Crockett
City News 03/07/2003

TAKING the live experience of Gud and converting it to a CD is one of the challenges ahead for Paul McDermott.
As the lead singer/comedian in the 18-month-old comedy trio, McDermott is back on the festival trail turning the day's events in to catchy tunes with a sharp satirical twist.
Helping him are Cameron Bruce and Mick Moriarty.
Moriarty (of Gadfly fame) and McDermott go way back but Bruce is a newcomer, spotted by the other two playing piano in a comedy bar house band in Sydney.
Of Bruce, McDermott is proud.
"Cambo had never done comedy before Melbourne last year,'' he said.
"Then he was described as the find of the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2002.''
The group's success continued this year when it picked up The Age Critic's Award for its sell-out shows and was invited to the Edinburgh Festival in August.
Asked how the group came to be, McDermott said it was a case of him sitting around the house with nothing to do when Good News Week finished and Moriarty dropping by with his guitar.
The festival has spawned a tour and Gud will perform at Brisbane Powerhouse from July 15 to 18 (bookings 3358 8600).
As for the record, McDermott would like something that is a step up from the group's only recording -- a bootleg of its Melbourne Comedy Festival show.