Although they only claim to be New Zealand’s self-proclaimed “fourth most popular folk-parody duo”, Flight of the Conchords kept the Brisbane arena crowd in constant laughter with their ingenious formula of wit and musical mastery. It might be hard to gauge just how popular these guys are, as their last album release was in 2009 and many might say they’ve earned more of a cult-like following; but the duo of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have certainly outgrown their humble Kiwi origins – with a Grammy win, multiple spots in Triple J’s Hottest 100, and a near sold-out debut Australian tour.
Typical to a proper theatre production, a booming, bodiless voice welcomes the capacity crowd and tells them to prepare to be “plunged into the Barkness”. Out strolls the casually-dressed, little man known as Arj Barker. Not a stranger to Australian shores, the American joker retells a number of witty anecdotes of his time in the country, amongst Breaking Bad impressions and a whole lot of nothing else—as any good comedian would do. A long-time friend and guest star on the Flight of the Conchords TV show, Barker is the perfect introduction to the crazy yet to come.
The lights go down then return to illuminate two middle-aged men, with shiny, silver cardboard boxes on their heads – of course. The electronic beat kicks in, and it’s the twisted party anthem “Too Many Dicks (On The Dancefloor)”.
“So, uh, that was our first song…” McKenzie mutters in an unsure voice. It’s magnificent to think two ordinary guys from some small, isolated islands can sit on a couple of stools in front of an arena audience and effortlessly entertain for two hours. It’s not as if they don’t have the funding to deliver a more ‘epic’ stage production; it’s a clever technique which keeps the guys grounded and relatable, in spite of their great successes. It is also where much of their humour comes from.
McKenzie and Clement are professionals at being unprofessional. They cleverly play with the elements of stage production, and manipulate them to appear awkward and spontaneous. But that’s just the trick, much of their on-stage banter would be rehearsed, but the duo happily chat to each other and tell stories to the audience as if they’re just in a lounge room with a few friends.
“Business Time” is definitely a highlight and receives one of the loudest cheers, as McKenzie begins to play the familiar on-off muted, acoustic guitar chords. Clement adds his own dash of woodwind goodness before tossing the recorder behind him and picking up his own bass guitar. Despite their unassuming appearance and mannerisms, the pair are actually pretty damn good musicians and showcase a variety of live instruments, with the help of the so-called “New Zealand Sympathy Orchestra” (one guy with a cello). Oh, and not to mention they both possess a very decent set of lungs.
This talent obviously translates well into the many different musical and performance styles which they artfully parody. From the rapping in “Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenoceros” and “Hurt Feelings”, English-accented 80s synth in “Inner City Pressure”, the RnB/Soul harmonies in “The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)”, to the classic 70s heavy metal of their pre-encore song, “Demon Woman”. Flight of the Conchords seamlessly recreate and send-up each genre with wonderfully creative, comedic perfection.
But humour does often work on the notion that you have not in fact “heard this one before”; McKenzie and Clement wisely offer fresh takes on their well-known songs. With various twists on the original lyrics, by adding local slang (such as “tracky-dacks”), natural Aussie vs Kiwi jabs, and positively ridiculous on-stage antics and costumes; the duo manage to turn their standard three-and-a-half minute songs into extended, larger-than-life epics in the live setting.
They finish up their hilarious set with the ridiculous euphemisms of “Sugalumps”, ending a Saturday night with a whole lot of sexiness. With a new song played during the set and talks of a Flight of the Conchords movie, those of us on this side of the Tasman Sea can only hope this first Aussie tour is also not their last. Long live the Conchords.
– Jade Davis
