MUSICAL SKILL MATCHED BY COMEDIC TALENT |
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) MRS PEACOCK: Nature’s Beast at Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington From 12 May 2010 to 15 May 2010 Reviewed by Helen Sims, 13 May 2010 |
Nature’s Beast is a comedy show slash New Zealand music 101. Jarrod Baker and Dave Smith, the duo who make up Mrs.Peacock, bring their trademark smutty humour to bear on an analysis of contemporary New Zealand music.
They approach their subject by deconstructing how our indigenous music varies between the provinces. Then they demonstrate how easy it is to recreate the stereotypical ‘sound’ of each area. The overall result is sharply observed, hilarious and induces pity for their girlfriends.
It’s clear that both Baker and Smith are musically talented – in order to pull off this kind of parody you have to be. They traverse sounds as diverse as Auckland indie pop-rock, Hamilton garage rock, Christchurch drum and bass and Wellington dub. A variety of instruments, both electronic and acoustic are used, including some awesome “farty bass”.
Their musical skill is matched by their comedic talent in a successful combination that garnered them the Billy T Award in 2007.
A quick perusal of their website reveals that Baker and Smith have been performing as Mrs.Peacock since 2000. Their experience and rapport as performers is evident, and although they make full use of their theme, the show hasn’t become too scripted. I found some of the funniest moments to be when one or both of them went ‘off-script’, or as they put it, when there were ‘fuck ups’. Their banter with the audience in these situations is unforced and witty.
Having been previously judged as the most offensive comedians of the 2006 International Comedy Festival, their Nature’s Beast is a slightly more toned down offering than previous shows. It’s the type of show in which you can just sit back, relax and laugh, although it might help to leave any politically correct tendencies at the door.
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Nik Smythe