This is a music blog. So reviewing comedy is a bit weird. We wouldn’t usually do this, but both Brian and Andrew’s comedy is very much based in the world of music, specifically metal, so we’ll make an exception.
But just this once.
Andrew O’Neil is a heavy metal fan and cross dresser. He is quick to point out that he is not a goth, but I do not believe him, as his cross dressing involves a pair of those black and white stripy tights that can only be worn by goths. I hear you need a special license issued by Robert Smith to even buy them. He’s a goth. But we won’t hold that against him.
His comedy seems to draw on alt type culture observations, bizzare flights of fancy and puns so bad/good the front page of the Sun would be embarrassed. He may be a little too clever for his own good, a few jokes despite their merits fly rirectly overe the heads of many of the audience. His delivery is also a little unsure, he doesn’t seem to have the confidence to back up his humor. But hey, this is a guy I’ve only just heard of, so I’m fairly sure he’s finding his own way of doing things. He certainly has the material, and a nicely targeted audience, so he’s pretty much on his way – just needs a bit more oomph.
Brian on the other hand is a man made of good natured oomph. It’s hand not look at him without smiling, he looks like a muppet – albiet one that smokes a shitload of pot and listens to Entombed. And he knows this. He’s wonderfully self depricating – describing himself as ‘farts wearing a man costume’
His comedy fuses really, REALLY low brow humour (”Fart and Dick Jokes” is his new CD after all) with wordplay and observations. He may be telling a story about wanking, actually most of his stories are about wanking, but it never feels like gross-out humour or shock for the sake of it.
He really nails a sort of slacker mindset. People who are clever, but lazy and they know it. (Clearly he’s not lazy, but hey, y’know what I mean.) Finding the humour in the ridiculousness that is modern life for a functioning nerd.
Plus the man is so damn likeable that even when you’ve heard the joke before, or it doesn’t quite work, hey, we’ll let it slide, because goddamn, you’re just so nice!
