Edinburgh Review: Brendon Burns - Y'know Love 'n' God 'n' Metaphysics 'n' Shit
27 August, 2010
by: Hollyw
Holly Williams reviews the hard-hitting Australian's new Fringe show.
Brendon Burns can seem a little brash – he likes to shout, he's pretty blunt about what he does and doesn't like, he's accompanied by and shares rather raucous in-jokes with a "half man, half wombat" fellow Aussie who joins him on stage and acts like a rock god despite only wielding an acoustic guitar. But Burns' latest show also reveals a big, beating heart.
As the 'Y'Know - Love 'n' God 'n' Metaphysics 'n' Shit' title would suggest, Burns isn't about to get too dogmatic on us, but his show does break down into a series of themed sections – taking on, for example, true love, atheism and paedophilia – topics which he explores with both caustic humour and a genuine, almost vulnerable, fervour. His unembarrassed and unsentimental revelations of how much he loved his ex-girlfriend, or his belief in some kind of God, provide a satisfyingly solid core to a show that could seem like a lot of bravado. But he's also happy to talk crudely and rudely, keeping the laughs coming in a steady stream, whether it's identifying the phenomenon of the "cock-sucker laugh" – his aunt's got one apparently – or comparing, brilliantly, a female Scottish accent to a "cat trying to bark".
The show is backed with acoustic strummings from his mate David Eastgate, a constant musical accompaniment, who while quite unnecessary, doesn't detract from the show. Maybe he wanted a fellow countryman to back up his cultural comparison sections, or maybe it was just a laugh – the two seem to enjoy bouncing off each other, even if it can leave the audience in the cold. And while he may bill his shows as "talking shit", Burns does ask the audience to engage their brains; controversial subjects are not merely mocked, but allowed a degree of ambiguity, ultimately making this shit worth listening to.
Brendon Burns: Y'Know - Love 'n' God 'n' Metaphysics 'n' Shit is at the Underbelly until the 30th August.
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