After the Melbourne International Comedy Festival juggernaut leaves town, the comedy punters of that town often go into hibernation. Unfortunately this coincides with the regular comedy rooms getting back to business as usual, resulting in some very quiet nights. Over the coming weeks, I will be exploring all the comedy rooms of Melbourne in an effort to show the punters that comedy thrives outside the festival and that there are plenty of reasons to brave the elements to see some live comedy. To kick things off, I visited one of the new kids on the block, The Death Star Canteen.
Happening every Wednesday at Caz Reitop’s Dirty Little Secret in Collingwood, the Canteen holds court downstairs in the room affectionately known as “The Vault”. With its stone walls, wood paneling and low ceiling, this room fits in with the Prohibition theme of the bar and creates a very intimate performance venue. Ottomans and couches are arranged into cozy booths and the small, low stage (which suits stand up perfectly) ensures that everyone is close to the action. There is the odd issue with sight lines if you sit up the back, but it is a very comfortable venue.
The bar is located upstairs and is a bit of a hike from the entertainment. There is an extensive menu of cocktails, long shelves of assorted spirits and lots of boutique beers on offer. The narrow width of the building, the fact that people tend to congregate here and its location between the entrance and the staircase downstairs can make it a little crowded at busy times.
According to head honcho Dan Brader, the mission statement of the Canteen is to encourage new and emerging performers. Dan encourages newbies to approach him (he’s usually at the front controlling the Ipod) to inquire about getting some stage time at the Canteen. He also offers Emcee roles to comics who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity at other rooms, those who don’t have huge profiles but have worked up enough material to handle extended periods on stage. This fostering of new talent is highly commendable and ensures an interesting show consisting of performers whose jokes you haven’t heard a million times before. In addition, the odd big name will drop in to muck around and try out some new gear.
Kicking off at about 8pm, the show is arranged in the traditional two brackets of three to four performers in each. There doesn’t appear to be any strict timekeeping with the spots, each comic seems to determine when their time is up. This can play havoc with the exit music as the “tech guy” is often caught off guard, but this adds to the relaxed vibe of the evening. The interesting name of the room also gives performers the opportunity to work in some geeky references if they wish.
The Death Star Canteen is great night of entertainment featuring plethora of new talent and a cozy atmosphere. It’s perfect for a jaded comedy fan such as myself.
The Death Star Canteen runs every Wednesday at Caz Reitop’s Dirty Little Secret (80 Smith St, Collingwood Vic) and starts at 8pm. Check our gig guide for line ups.