By Caitlin Crowley
Anyone who’s fronted up to a Colin Hay gig in the last decade won’t be surprised to find the former Men at Work front man performing in the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Hay has been keeping fans of his music entertained for years with his pre-song banter and Waiting for My Real Life is an extension of this – a 75-minute comedy show with songs.
Hay sets the tone for the evening when he walks on stage with his global hit Downunder playing in the background, but not the mega-selling Men at Work version, this joyful rendition is performed by the South Australian Primary School Orchestra. Straight away we know he’s not taking any of his success too seriously.
While Hay might officially be fresh to the comedy stage it’s obvious that he has decades of performing experience. He grabs a guitar and performs his own background music as he tells his stories of growing up in a music store in Scotland, arriving with his family as new immigrants at Station Pier and being in a band that went from the St Kilda pub scene to the Grammy Awards and back down again. Each vignette is tightly crafted and Hay is a master of accents from Ringo Starr to an affectionate rendering of the classic Aussie punter keen to ensure Hay’s not getting too up himself.
This is not musical comedy – it’s comedy with music and each story leads into an appropriately related tune ranging from a new song written for his late father to big hits like Downunder and Who Can it Be Now?
Hay’s voice has never sounded better, the acoustics of the Playhouse Theatre perfectly showcasing his pure clean vocals. Despite the size of the theatre there is a certain intimacy to the show – it really feels like you’re sitting around shooting the breeze with an old mate. While Hay might joke about being recognised as ‘someone who used to be someone’, it’s pretty clear the audience still hold a special place for him in their hearts.
Waiting For My Real Life… is on at Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse until April 12
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/waiting-for-my-real-life-colin-hay