Review by Steve Bennett

Successful musical trio Tripod have built their reputation on theit Knockabout banter as much as their songs, with sharp, funny insults flowing freely between them. Odd, then, that is the very thing they’ve sacrificed for this concept show, which is too structured and contrived to afford them the freedom to really let rip.

The idea, not that you’d ever guess from the bizarre title, is that Scod, Yon and Gatesy are paying tribute to the musical comedy acts that have come before them. These fictional momedians, as they playfully refer to them, span from Thirties acts such as Muggy Driscoll and Vinnie Roosevelt III to Seventies band Slang.

Tripod establish their histories and re-enact some of their supposed hits, all with the earnestness you might expect from such a heartfelt homage. The gags are subtle as they stick to their priority of capturing the moods of the eras they’re spoofing, instead of trading cheap jibes. The aim may be for a richer, more substantial hour – but too much comedy is lost in the process.

These pieces are punctuated with archive film, such as mocked-up newsreels and deadly serious voiceovers. Again, it’s expertly done; but again the authenticity comes at the expense of laughs.

That’s not to say there’s nothing funny here. There are some deft touches and wryly witty asides that mainly stem from the fact that the characters are so well fleshed-out. And occasionally a flash of the stupid inanity that was their trademark does shine through: Yon’s wildly inaccurate pictorial description of a country music duo’s unbreakable cycle of heroin dependency is one such moment, a relentlessly filthy sea shanty another.

But it only serves as a reminder of how much their usual spirit of fun has been squashed under the weight of the faux-sincerity of the tribute. Perhaps, after seven years, Tripod felt the need to try something new, but they were better when they were daft.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Melbourne, April 2007

Review date: 1 Jan 2007
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett