Comedy, music, philosophy. . . And one fart joke.
Audiences can expect an evening of gluten-free comedy when star of stage, screen and crossword puzzle Eric Idle brings his nostalgic, one-man musical to Australia.
‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life LIVE!’ explores what Eric calls ‘mock and roll’, a weird hybrid of comedy and music, with tributes to George Harrison and Robin Williams as well as a salute to ‘The Rutles’, a Beatles parody movie he created which was the world’s first ever rockumentary about the legendary pre-fab four.
Eric is a rare survivor of pancreatic cancer. This will be his first full tour of the antipodes since surviving.
Oh. . . And he was in 'Monty Python'!
Before Eric hits the road, he gets a little philosophical. . . Listing the five most important questions in life.
One
What to read next. This is the most important question. I don’t watch much television or read any newspapers, as I like to know what’s going on, so instead I read books. TV news is now mainly opinions so that’s easy to skip as I have far too many of my own. I do love watching the GRAMMYs since I never know who anyone is and this is the only award show I can watch because you see them do their thing. Plus, the lack of clothing is terrific. Endless people thanking their mothers, their Gods, their agents and their producers is not entertaining no matter who they are wearing.Two
What music to put on. This is almost as important. It depends on your mood and activity. If you’re reading, then anything with lyrics is out. So no pop music, and jazz is much better later in the evening. I usually put on classical music. I play Baroque in the morning, Mozart in the afternoon, and Chopin nocturnes at night. Everything is better with music. I like music all day, but I don’t like talk. So no podcasts for me.Three
When to answer the telephone. The best answer is never. It’s always bad news and if it isn’t then it’s somebody who wants something. Best is to ignore all calls. Of course, texting has subverted this and texting is the second worst invention since emojis. Texting is like giving depositions. It’s all statements. People can look back and see what you said, which might not be at all what you meant. Better to talk than text. Texting does not permit irony, or innuendo, or sarcasm, or humour, all of which are much better with the human voice. Emojis seem to be a return to hieroglyphics. Can you imagine a Keats poem in emojis. Or Wordsworth? Will there be emoji novels? People worry about AI but they should remember how bad spellcheck is, and not be so concerned.Four
When am I going to jam again? Ideally every day. I love playing guitar and I have a bunch of friends who love to play. I play every day. It fills in all the dull bits of the day, like waiting for people to get ready, or ignoring all the other things you were supposed to be doing. The best is when you get a gang of folk all playing together. That’s good craic as the Irish say. For my tour I have a new band. They are the Virtual Band and of course I don’t take them on the road as they are expensive and difficult to wake up. But, they do appear on screen, which is much easier and far cheaper.Five
Is there life on other planets? This is the least important question because even if there is, the universe is so bloody huge that thanks to the speed of light it would take far too long to communicate. Of course people talk about worm holes, but assholes are quicker and more common.Eric Idle 2024 Australia Tour Dates
31 October – Wrest Point Entertainment Centre (Hobart)2 November – Llewellyn Hall (Canberra)
4 November – Hamer Hall (Melbourne)
6 November – Queensland Performing Arts Centre
9 November – Star Theatre (Gold Coast)
11 November – Newcastle Civic Theatre
13 November – State Theatre (Sydney)
18 November – Perth Concert Hall
20 November – Adelaide Festival Theatre
