THEY’RE the adorably clueless Kiwis with guitars and synthesisers who last night flapped into Perth for the first of three shows.
So how does the Flight of the Conchords live act compare to the HBO series that saw Bret with his distinctive woolly jumpers and Jemaine with striking facial features “too deep set to be considered classically handsome” try and drum-up fame in the Big Apple with the ‘help’ of manager Murray and stalker Mel?
Well, when it came to ‘business time’, they soared, much to the delight of a doting crowd that happily braced the cold to relish in “New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo.”
After San Franciscan heartthrob Arj Barker – also known as pawnshop Dave from the program – kicked off the laughs with a cracking set on gaming, pot and picking up, Wild Card (Bret) and Mad Dog (Jemaine) casually emerged with reversible cardboard boxes on their heads – and we knew we were in for a treat.
Between bouts of banter – stories like the time they received complimentary muffins on tour seven years ago – the couple strummed all their best songs: Inner City Pressure, Robots, The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room, Hurt Feelings and Too Many D*cks on the Dance Floor (described as “pavlov-ian” and “Mars Bar-ian” because of its many evocative layers).
A few newbies were added to the bill, including medieval marvel Woo a Lady set in the summer of 1353, and for a touch of class, Nigel from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra joined in, taking the band total to a whopping three (I wonder if manager Murray would have approved?)
Quite simply: if Perthians didn’t enjoy the show – possibly the kookiest rock concert we’re likely to see – they weren’t there.