I am often late to the party when it comes to television, I end up watching things on DVD or whatever, but no one could have prepared me for Flight of the Conchords.
The series is about two musicians from New Zealand who live in New york. They’re best friends, they try to get gigs, they meet girls, and they have a manager. They are brilliant. They are so funny. I watched a few of the episodes last night and spent today laughing, and breaking out into music video asides of my own life. Inspirational… bringing humor and light into things which otherwise might actually plague the lives of emotionally retarded, smart but not bright, deeply creative people like me. If you are in any way connected with creativity, music from the 70’s and 80’s, poverty, friendship, or silly clothes, you need to get yourself a copy of these DVD’s.
Like Therapy for the melodramatic, the Flight of the Conchords brings laughable and charming light to the idea of having a gig cancelled in an aquarium because your useless manager (Mel) misread the ad in the news paper (they really wanted sand, not a band) but doesn’t ask “Who the fuck looks for gigs in the news paper?” Instead the show offers up Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement at face value– two youngish men who are clearly untapped talent, but have been formed emotionally by pop music from the seventies and eighties. They deadpan their way through musical interludes, emotional fumbles, and common experiences with a kind of a Hall and Oats meets twin Mick Jaggers (from two different eras of his carreer) flare and style.
This program’s writing, music, casting, and silly surface level content may not actually be for everyone. I actually sat through ‘This is Spinal Tap’ with someone who was so removed from the music business that she thought the movie was serious and didn’t laugh, waited a couple of days to ask questions about the film, and we only dated like two more times after that… so if you’re in no way amused by self reflection, don’t like music, or have a lot of trouble laughing at yourself, then you should probably stick to the wire, or something more gritty and real-life-ish. But I consider Flight of the Conchords to be a stroke of pure genius.
Just the right thing at just the right time. Life transforming a pouty little face with humid eyes into laughter and a new love of ugly hats and jackets.
4 Comments
we (me and Rory) laughed our way through the video. thank you.
Yay! So glad you like this. Soooooooooooo funny it hurts. Their “music video” bits are probably the most un-self-conscious bits of music comedy I’ve ever seen.
You know, for years I didn’t realise that the guys in Spinal Tap were american. I didn’t find out till I saw it for the 4th time, in the ’90’s, with my musician friends in London. They nearly peed their pants explaining that the guys were americans. It made it doubly brilliant.
yay! I’m so glad you like this show. I saw it for the first time last year when we got hbo and I almost died laughing. It’s genius. The second season is great too. My fave songs from the second season are “Too Many Dicks” and “Freaky”. I keep looking for excuses to play them out at a party. The right time hasn’t happened yet, but I keep hoping it will!
* geniuuus *