What the Folk!

“FOTC Soundcheck in Hamilton, NZ”

Conchords remain classic Kiwi lads

As Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords took to the stage with cut-out cardboard boxes on their heads, yelling, "Hamilton, make some noooise", I knew we were in for a good night.

Now that McKenzie is an Oscarwinning songwriter and Clement has been nominated for an Emmy, I was expecting them to be a bit up themselves. But they are classic, Kiwi boys and thankfully their laidback accents have not a hint of the foreign lands where they've been living.

Last time they were in Hamilton, there was a fight in the crowd. "People in the audience started fighting over whether the joke was funny or not," said Jemaine. "Let's see what happens tonight."

The audience was very well behaved, if a little quiet, but there was an eruption of applause at the end of each song.

I enjoyed the moments in between each act, where the pair told jokes and talked out to the crowd. At one point, they suggested someone request a song.

A few people yelled out, and McKenzie answered, "Nah", to each one of them.

"Bad idea to open up to you, you guys. You haven't even nominated a spokesperson. Amateurs."

It was their dry humour and ability to mock themselves, and mock us, that made the night so full of laughter.

I find their comedy, hilarious as it is, a little hard to stomach for long periods of time. It becomes a bit same-same, so after an hour or so I was ready to go. But I think I was the only one. They played for well over two hours and comments heard when leaving were, "I needed my own booth, because I was laughing so loud" and "I want to go to the next show"; a few people complained about sore stomach muscles.

At the end McKenzie told us we'd been a good audience. "‘You're just not great."

Judging by the loads of people who jumped to their feet to give them a standing ovation, the boys are still going strong on Kiwi soil.