There are certain things that are traditionally associated with the English. A certain stiff-upper-lippedness, a preponderance for tutting and an apology being some sort of default opening statement (when, oftentimes, apology is certainly not intended by the words “I’m sorry but..”). There a few things that are indelibly associated with those of an English persuasion which completely pass me by; a fact that has sometimes lead those of a non-English descent to ponder, “Are you even really English?” Allow me to elucidate….
Football
Football is an ever present part of English life. Even in the off-season, there is still usually some form of football to be watched. Case in point as I type this, we are currently in the midst of the quadrannual all-consuming parade of football that is the World Cup (even as a non-football type, you can't fail to be aware of this). It is a time when even those who typically shun the great game seem to be drawn into the ludicrous levels of fervour that surround it. Even then, however, I still just don’t get it. I have tried at various points over the years to muster some enthusiasm for it, what with coming from a whole family of football fanatics but it just doesn’t grab me. Here’s what I see when I’m watching football:-
Men run back and forth kicking roundy thing.
Some men kick it into the bit where it’s supposed to be more than the other men do.
Well done, men. End.
It’s just an utterly foreign thing to me. Not my cup of tea. Oh, and speaking of which…
Drinking Tea
Horrible stuff. It’s bitter leaves in boiling hot water. And people drink it in summer too, when it’s really hot. I’m definitely not buying the whole “drinking a hot drink when it’s hot actually cools you down, don’t you know” thing. If ice, cold water and fans don’t cool me down when it’s hot, what chance has boiling bloody water got??
If you need to add milk, sugar and a biscuit in order to make it even remotely palatable then that doesn’t strike me as something inherently tasty.
Queueing
No, don’t be soft, of course I bloody well queue. I’m not some sort of mannerless heathen. Do be sensible, there's a good chap.
There was something that instantly clicked for me about Flight Of The Conchords when I first saw their HBO special on BBC4 back in about 2007. I’ve always been a fan of musical comedy and things of a deadpan nature so the combination of the two was a winner for me. The subsequent two series were, and still are, a firm favourite so I was excited to see that they were touring the UK after a long-ish period of working on separate projects. I was then disappointed that the shows at Hammersmith sold out quickly and only expensive tickets at the O2 Arena were left. Emotions were turned back around with the announcement of an extra date at Hammersmith and my grabbing of two tickets for said show. All of which is to say that I went to see Flight Of The Conchords last night and was very pleased about that state of affairs.
The Show
This was definitely the venue more suited to a two piece - it would have been overwhelmed by somewhere the size of the O2. That deadpan interaction between the two of them was still there but perhaps a little bit more relaxed and jovial. The scale of the venue also allowed for some improv interaction with the audience from time to time which added to the more intimate feel of the whole thing. They of course cracked out a number of old favourites (although surprisingly no Business Time or Hiphopopotamos Vs Rhymenoceros) but the biggest surprise of the night was the quantity and quality of the new material.
The New Stuff
More than half of the songs in total were new - here’s a quick breakdown of some of them (titles my own from memory):-
Father And Son
A tender back and forth between father and son which is, naturally, punctured at several points in true Conchords style.
Deanna From HR and Ian From Accounting
For me, I think this was probably the standout of the new stuff - the raunchy yet utterly mundane tale of an office romance which properly made me laugh.
Seagull
A “spread your wings and fly” style metaphorical song from Bret with commentary from Jemanine.
The Summer of 1353
Any medieval-themed song about wooing which features rock-style dual recorder solos has got to be worth it.
The Ballad Of Stana
This one contained a nice moment in which they accidentally repeated the same verse twice, leading to mock recriminations and some fun ad-libbing.
Back On The Road
Never has a song featured so many different types of fish and words for backside.
Worth It?
Oh, absolutely. An hour and forty five minutes of deadpan musical joy and, given their working schedules and New Zealand base, one that’s unlikely to be repeated frequently. I’m still sticking my name down on the list for the next tour, mind….
