Although few people baulk at paying to see pop stars sing their greatest hits, there has been some negative feedback surrounding Tim Minchin’s decision to cherry pick songs from his last two Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) shows and bring them together in “So F**king Rock”.
As the owner of well-worn recordings of “Dark Side” and “So Rock”, I was aware before I saw Tim perform that I was like a sad old Elton John devotee who’s heard “Your Song” a million times.
Leaving aside that the freshness comedy thrives on was mainly absent from Tim’s act; he delivered an enjoyable and humorous concert thanks to his undoubted showmanship, songwriting talents and gorgeous would-be rock god persona.
Even if what’s considered the “best” is a subjective thing (where was “Nothing Can Stop Us Now”?), Tim chose well with “Rock N Roll Nerd” and “Dark Side” being especially entertaining, the latter partly because of the clever use of lighting.
If you’re after a brooding bloke make sure he uses red bulbs.
A fan played an integral role during the sing-a-long anthem “Canvas Bags”, although why the singer/comedian didn’t get blown away in the breeze is yet to be ascertained given his slim build.
Tim’s patter about his missus, his baby, his non-existent sex life, latecomers and other topics was funny and sharp.
Somewhat problematic is his rather evangelical commitment to the theory of evolution as expressed in such pieces as “Skepticism and Feet”.
While “Peace Anthem for Palestine” accurately suggests the bad religion can do, the belief in a deity has served purposes far worthier than negating the fear of death as he claimed in one tune.
In other words, Tim’s scientific proselytising was a tad heavy-handed.
“So F**king Rock” was good, but new material would’ve made it even better.
“So F**king Rock” is playing at MICF until the 29th of April. For booking details, check the MICF website