(Madman)

Another oddly gifted “musical comedian”

Now enjoying something of a ginger rock star status, Tim Minchin is another in the strange contemporary phenomena of comedians who sing … and who are funny! Joining the Conchords and the Boosh, Minchin has a surprising number of comedic numbers that are melodic, even showstopping, and hilarious. Like the new Flight Of The Conchords album, his latest DVD Ready For This? includes a lyric book with song chords. His deceptively stumblebum way with telling stories here blends with some decent tunes, including Prejudice with its winning refrain “Only a ginger can call another ginger ginger” and eco-anthem Canvas Bags. He’s one of those comedians for whom it’s often difficult to retell his jokes to mates – the gags sort of roll into each other, forming part of the show’s overall rhythm much like the songs themselves. Ready For This? (named after the question frequently posed by cheesy dance songs) is an ambitious performance, that rarely falters due to the Minchin’s skill both as a comic and a musician. Despite the wild-haired, eyeliner rocker look, his atheistic hymns more often resemble Elton John in their sound, the lyrics nearly always funny and simultaneously cute, touching, cringeworthy, surreal and dark in turn.

***½  

MATT THROWER

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