08 November 2013 (gig)
11 November 2013
Kiwi Sully O'Sullivan had the job of warming this Falmouth crowd up for Steve Hughes tonight. He looked a bit nervous, but needn't worry. Most of this Friday night crowd had already been hitting the beers and were ready to take a puff of laughing gas.
Sully told us that this was date number 40 on the tour and you could tell; his performance was slick, biting, and very funny. To get us ready for Steve he introduced a few mild little subject matters like atheism, religious fundamentalism and racism, all tackled with a crucial mix of cynicism, intelligence and menace with some killer punchlines thrown in.
A keen Metal fan and seasoned stage diver, he threatened to launch himself from the stage at the end of his set . . . Did he? I don't want to spoil it for you if you're planning to go (and you really should) and tell you if he does or not, but . . . if you've got a front row seat don't take your eyes off him!
Steve Hughes started off his entertainment career drumming in Aussie death metal bands; his career still relies on dark heavy material, only now instead of beating his frustrations out on the skins he's venting his anger at the front of the stage with a mic in his hand.
He delivers hard edged cynical analysis of everything and anything we face in today’s society. And you soon get the impression that whatever subject he's examining, trivialising, or destroying with killer wit and a cheeky wry evil grin, whatever that subject matter may be, he's thought about it until his head aches with contradictions, what if's, why me's, government conspiracy theories, and big business cover ups. It seems best to let Steve do the worrying whilst we do the laughing.
He finds light in the darkest subject matters, his obsession with the political correctness gone mad paranoid society is hilarious, and his theories are so interesting that sometimes a punchline isn't even needed. I could sit and listen to this guy rant all night! He walks a fascinating tight rope of being seriously pissed off with the world but at the same time being so laid back he really couldn’t give a shit! He touches on matters as wide and varied as colonialism, magic mushrooms, immigration, Chinese medicine, slaves, smoking lots of weed, the list is endless.
Being based in the UK (his attempt at a Manc accent is amusing in itself) has given him an insight into the British psyche and allows us to share laughs about what we know, as well as what goes on down under.
If you're easily offended, stay at home. If you want to bust a gut laughing, (even when you perhaps really shouldn't) then go and check him out, there are still a few dates left on the 'While It's Still Legal' tour.
