The Garden of Unearthly Delights. 28 Feb 2012
Sammy J (aka musical comedy writer Sam McMillan) weighs in at 58kg but punches a whole lot bigger as a musical comedian. How do we know he weighs that much? Because he told us just before proving it by stripping down to his Speedos for his last sketch - more on that later.
Sammy J, and his Marty Feldman-esque eyes, is of course well known for his guest spots on TV shows like Good News Week, Spicks and Specks, and Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation.
His show comprises exceedingly silly songs that he has written himself which he sings at break neck speed. They are more like extended jokes than songs, but some of them go on and on and on and on....and that can be a weakness in his act. His jokes, however deliberately appeal to concentration spans of about thirty seconds - if you missed that gag, another one is on its way pronto!
Having said that, McMillan is very clever and his command of language – which is not all that common amongst stand-up comedians these days – makes his songs all the more interesting. Lyrically they are far more exciting than musically - the melody lines generally have a very jagged contour and are based mostly on broken chords and arpeggiated scales, but it suits the pace of his delivery. Did I already say that he sings at break neck speed? Oh yes, and his diction is crystal clear.
His song written for the Australian Conservation Foundation about Planet Earth, and what we are doing to it, was a highlight of the show. McMillan wrote it in the form of a bitter love song (of sorts) with one lover being humanity and the other the Earth. The relationship between the two lovers is fractious to say the least (‘throw another tectonic plate at me’ etc) and the message is poignant.
He finished the show with “Please Don’t Get a Boner” which is reminiscence for every testosterone loaded school boy who finds himself in his Speedos at the swimming pool surrounded by gorgeous girls!
This show was a one-night-only. If you missed it, then you missed it!
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Bookings: Closed
