Brendon Burns: Comedy Good Yeah Silly Side C**t

Brendon Burns: Comedy Good Yeah Silly Side C**t

07 May, 2009
by: Emma

"I'm not a bigot in a racist, sexist way; just in a pre-judging way". Indeed Brendon Burns is not a bigot but the man certainly says what he thinks, no holds barred. The Soho Theatre is packed tonight which is pretty impressive considering it's mid-week and there have been no reviews so far of his new show, the charmingly named Comedy Good Yeah Silly Side C**t. He may not be a comedy superstar but the 'controversial' Aussie certainly has a big following. The show opens in typical Burnsy style; as rock n' roll blasts out of the speakers, he strides towards the mic with a huge grin on his face, his fists punching the air like Rocky. You wouldn't be totally ridiculed for thinking he might start belting out a song, but then the music stops, the lights go down and he launches into a tirade about how people from Melbourne are c**** ("Politically-correct Australians – who needs that?!"). It appears Burns has just returned from the Melbourne Comedy Festival where his material didn't quite get the response he was hoping for.

There is no particular format for this show and there's nothing out of the ordinary here – his favourite topics all get covered. You might remember having a good chortle over the ridiculous Newsnight interview a while back, with Paxman and Dizzy Rascal discussing Barack Obama's presidential election; but did any of us realise quite how racist it was? Like an anti-tourism advert Burns tells us: "In Australia, racism is blatant but in Britain, racism is latent. Which leading black pundits did they get on Newsnight? Dizzy fucking Rascal! It's as if they thought 'Barack's a black man, so let's get that other black man Dizzy down from his porch to tell us what he thinks!'" A fair point well made that none of us probably considered because we were too busy hooting over Jezza's address to 'Mr Rascal'.

And it wouldn't be a Burns gig without some controversial topical banter in there as well. Tonight it comes in the form of Jade Goody, which causes an intake of breath the minute he says her name followed by 'awwws' by some female members of the audience. "Shut up! Take it!" he yells, beating the simpering women into submission. "I know I'm not for everyone but do some fuckin' research!" Then there is his naughty streak: his struggle with drugs has been well-documented in the past and he briefly discusses his nadir - coming to having defecated over himself in bed. This might have been a sobering part of the show until he clocks the lack of Jade Goody-esque intakes of breath and laughs himself silly: "Only in Britain, do people not think that's a big deal – it's just a normal night out for you guys!"

It's a classic show and Burns fans won't be disappointed. There's a slightly out of date Barrymore bit but it doesn't matter a jot, it's a brilliant climactic finish that starts off getting a few chuckles and ends with loud booming laughter and cackles emanating from every part of the room. The title of the show suggests it's rude. Which it is, but nothing Burns says is actually offensive. There are plenty of smart sociopolitical observations there and all are true. Halfway through, Burns is quick to point out to the women in the audience that they shouldn't delude themselves that he's the only one who thinks these things, as he jabs his thumb into his chest and declares: "Ladies, THIS is men."

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Emma