This was another case of not reading the promotional material close enough. I, along with a number of the black clad metal fraternity, were in the mood for a comedic celebration of metal but the reality of this show was something different. As clearly spelled out in the blurb, Heavy Metal Comedy was an hour of intellectual material with the odd mention of
The opening stages of the show gave us a nice overview of Steve, his tastes in music, character flaws/strengths and his view of the world, before he began tackling all of the big issues. The War on Terror, Palestine, colonialism, religion and the evilness of the media were topics that Steve visited repeatedly. Not very cheery subjects but he had plenty of interesting and humourous viewpoints to kept us entertained and laughing.
Being an Aussie expat living in England, Steve was able to provide an objective outsiders view of our country. While calling us out on some woeful behaviour so that we could laugh at ourselves (particularly the clueless morons around us) he also made comparisons of world issues that brought the Australian state of mind in to the mix. This form of juxtaposition added strength to his ideas and increased our empathy, which was much more effective than just pointing these things out.
Steve was clearly passionate about his material and it showed in his delivery. He often broke into mini rants with wild eyed rage as he clearly demonstrated the ridiculousness of the world that gave us plenty of laugh and think about. Some subtle mimicry of various stereotypical people helped to drive the point home and heighten the absurdity of the situations.
Metal fans are definitely a passionate bunch. Steve clearly showed us this and hopefully in the process passed on that attitude. Whether you are a fan of hard hitting political and social commentary or not, Steve Hughes is sure to ruffle some feathers and make you think as you laugh.
For booking details visit the Comedy Festival website