An interview with Andy Muirhead
What can audiences expect from “Andy Muirhead is…Perky?”
In a word, Claustrophobia. I am in the very smallest room in the town hall. In fact I am considering jamming the lift on my floor every night just so I can fit 4 extra seats in my venue. Actually I quite like the idea of a small venue. My shows are pretty audience friendly and I like the idea of having everyone right in front of me.
It’s a pretty happy, conversational show in which I tell stories about things that have happened to me in the last 12 months since quitting my job as a biologist and fronting a prime time national TV show with no experience what so ever. The theme of the show is basically the difference between the way we see ourselves and the way the world sees us. It was borne out of a review in the Australian last year that totally trashed “Collectors” my show on the ABC. Most of the attack was directed at the ABC as an institution, in fact the only sentence that referred to me personally, described me in one word… “Perky”. I spent days trying to work out wether I was insulted or flattered. I settled on flattered, which goes a long way to proving how “Perky” my outlook on life must be.
Think about it, if you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
You are currently facing the prospect of launching your first solo show in the Melbourne Comedy Festival. How does this compare with your experience as part of Comedy Zone in 2005?
Comedy Zone last year was just the best. I loved every minute of it. Big houses, great venue, lots of support from the Comedy festival and sharing the stage with 3 other fantastic new comics. There was absolutely no pressure. You do your best 15 minutes then someone else follows right behind and does theirs. The show is consistently great from start to finish. Thanks for coming, enjoy the veal.
Then came Adelaide. Going in to doing my first one hour show in a city I had never seen, with no profile, no producer, just me, my flyers and an 80 seat venue to fill every night. Add to that a reviewer from the Adelaide Advertiser who came on the very first night – the first time I had ever done a full hour of stand up in my life. Thanks for coming, enjoy the reality.
So going into Melbourne this year I am a cross between Catriona Rowntree and Jason Bourne. I am happy to be back and will no doubt walk around most of the time with a big grin on my face, but at the same time I know how hard I have to work. Plus I can also tell you the best place to find a gun is the cabin of the white pick-up out front.
Thanks for coming, enjoy the Treadstone.
Has your experience in TV (on the ABC’s Collectors) influenced your performance in any way?
Its funny, I tried to keep the two things separate for a long time. Not many people outside of the festival and the Local in St Kilda, realise that I’ve been doing comedy a few years now and the TV thing is fairly recent. I noticed in Adelaide, a few people who had come to my gigs solely from seeing me on Collectors. It freaked me out a bit at first because our audience tends to be an “older” demographic. But they loved the show and I didn’t change it much at all (although it is weird dropping the “C” word while 3 nannas in the front row roll about laughing).
The TV job has actually made me more at ease with the comedy. When we are doing Collectors, there is no live audience so no instant gratification of laughs or applause. Playing to a live audience is great, you pass or fail and the audience lets you know right away.
You hail from Tassie. How would you compare the comedy scene/audiences in Tasmania with those in Melbourne?
In my limited experience, you can never pre-judge and audience, no matter where you are. I’ve had great audiences and quiet audiences in both places. That said, I think the audiences that saw Comedy Zone last year are fairly typical of the audiences we attract for the Hobart comedy Festival in Janurary. There are just more people at the Hobart show because there are 8 acts instead of 4.
The people in Hobart really know good comedy. They have been brought up on a diet of live shows by the best touring acts in the country. In the last 6 months they have had Adam Hills, Danny Bhoy, Tom Gleeson, Lano and Woodley, Tim Minchin, Billy Connely, Corinne Grant and a bunch more. Basically we don’t get many new or emerging acts touring here so those of us that do make it through are competing with major names. I think that lifts the standard a lot.
Melbourne audiences have a lot broader spectrum of comics to see, so I’m always appreciative if my stuff goes down well when I’m in town.
What aspects of last year’s festival were the most enjoyable for you?
Easter lunch at Mickey’s hotel. No doubt, a stand out memory. After flyering for a few hours, MPD shuffles up and says “boys, we’re putting on a bit of a spread if you want to come up”. Next thing we’re sitting on comfy couches enjoying plates of home (hotel) made Easter treats. Good people and a nice couple of hours away from the street.
Sitting in the front of the Hi-fi with the other Comedy Zone kids and watching Bec stand up to a barrage from Mike Wilmont that would have had me in tears.
My best memory of MICF 2005 however,...two words…Hank Ruby.
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