Flight Of The Conchords

Flight of the Conchords is a Grammy Award-winning folk, pop, and comedy band composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Billing themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo"(having been bumped by a tribute band of themselves, Like of the Conchords), the group uses a combination of observation, characterisation and acoustic guitars to work the audience. The duo's comedy and music became first the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007.

The above is the Wikipedia entry for Flight of the Conchords. They're the funniest thing I've come across in a long time. Comedy songs are the hardest thing to pull off and usually wear out their welcome very quickly. The Conchords songs all avoid that trap, they're funny but also work as songs in their own right. I guarantee that you will be singing "Business Time" for a week after you hear it.

There is a link on the right to the Radio 2 show they did a while back. It's a shame that the British contingent of the cast spoil it a bit. The Conchords delivery is very calm and deadpan (a little like Spinal Tap) but the Brits are in full sitcom mode and it can be a bit jarring at times.

Oh damn.....

British science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died in Sri Lanka at the age of 90.

Born in Somerset, he came to fame in 1968 when a short story The Sentinel was made into the film 2001: A Space Odyssey by director Stanley Kubrick.

Once called "the first dweller in the electronic cottage", his vision of future space travel and computing captured the popular imagination.

A close aide said he died after a cardio-respiratory attack.

'Vision'

Sir Arthur's vivid - and detailed - descriptions of space shuttles, super-computers and rapid communications systems were enjoyed by millions of readers around the world.

He was the author of more than 100 fiction and non-fiction books, and his writings are credited by many observers with giving science fiction a human and practical face.

In the 1940s Clarke maintained man would reach the moon by the year 2000, an idea then dismissed.

A farmer's son, he was educated at Huish's Grammar School in Taunton before joining the civil service.

During World War II, Clarke volunteered for the Royal Air Force, where he worked in the then highly-secretive development of radar.

British astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore, had known Sir Arthur since they met as teenagers at the British Interplanetary Society.

"He was ahead of his time in so many ways," Sir Patrick said.

"Quite apart from artificial satellites there were other things too. A great science fiction writer, a very good scientist, a great prophet and a very dear friend, I'm very, very sad that he's gone."

He paid tribute to his friend, remembering him as "a very sincere person" with "a strong sense of humour".

Future thinker

George Whitesides, the executive director of the National Space Society, on which Sir Arthur served on the board of governors, said his enthusiasm "was what I think made him so popular in many ways".

"He was always thinking about what could come next but also about how life could be improved in the future.

"It's a vision that I think we could use more of today."

After a failed marriage Sir Arthur moved to Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, in 1956, where he lived with a business partner and his family, and pursued his interest in scuba-diving.

From 1995, the author was largely confined to a wheelchair, suffering from post-polio syndrome.

The National Theatre Of Brent

I am adding a new link (on the right)to some mp3's of The National Theatre Of Brent.
The NTOB are Patrick Barlow (Desmond Olivier Dingle) and Wallace (Jim Broadbent).
Most recently Wallace has been replaced by Raymond (John Ramm). Mr Broadbent, I assume, is busy being one of the countries finest actors.

The conceit is simple, two men perform massive moments from world history. The problem is they are both idiots. Wallace and Raymond know their limitations, but Desmond Olivier Dingle is under the false impression that he is a great historian, director, playwright and actor.

The NTOB have been around since the early 80's, making TV and radio appearances as well as performing on the stage. One of my personal favorites was "Revolution!" where they reenacted the French Revolution. It is impossible, it seems, to get hold of any of their material as nothing has been released on DVD or CD. The stuff I have posted has been collected from the radio over the years.

So far there is "The Messiah" & "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Later I will post the 6 part series "The Arts & How They Was Done".

I hope you enjoy them.