Shaolin Punk

Last night was the first preview season performance of Set List, and taking the stage were Emma Muiznieks, Karin Muiznieks, Dan Walmsley and Ben McKenzie. They formed urban whimsical folk quartet “Absynth”, and the set list for their one and only Melbourne performance included:

• “Clinton”, an ode to the sleepy little New Zealand town whose chief attraction was being the only part of the country not featured in Lord of the Rings.
• “The Brush Went South”, a tragic tale of two lovers forever separated by the misuse of a toothbrush.
• “Reasons to Leave Your Phone On in a Show”, a list of…well, you get the idea.
• “Snow Dome” - a terrifying glimpse of the hidden dangers within seemingly innocuous ornaments.
• “The Best Nose in the World”, a love song for a man with beautiful nose hair.
• “Fight the Faint Smell”, a rousing political anthem espousing the olfactory superiority of communism over capitalism.
• “City of Evil”, a chilling expose of the supernatural horrors which lurk in the seemingly cheery home of beer, Prague.
• “Life is Like a Rolling Pin”, an allegory for all those times when you’re feeling flat.
• “The Band Whose Name Has Been Forgotten”, a spooky story of what happens if you allow creative tension to boil over on stage.
• “Cheri”, a love song for a New Zealand roustabout who once dreamed of being a model
• “Vodka, Absinthe and Pineapple Juice”, a rousing final chorus to get everyone in the mood for visiting the bar at the Butterfly Club!

Remember the preview season continues tonight, with Dan, Emma and Karin returning, this time joined by Andy McClelland as they form an entirely new jazz band. There are also performances on Saturday and Sunday.

Remember that Ben McKenzie’s Man in the Lab Coat gives his first of three performances of A Brief History of A Brief History of Time at 1:30 PM today at the Royal Society of Victoria, and tonight appears at Melbourne Museum for Not the Nobel Prize. See labcoatman.com.au for more details!

There’s excitement all around  time all round at Shaolin Punk - and we’re not talking about the Olympics! We have two shows coming up in the next couple of weeks, and here are the details.

Set List, Shaolin Punk’s improvised music show, kicks off with a preview season at the Butterfly Club from August 21st to 24th. See the Set List page for details.

A Brief History of A Brief History of Time is a new Man in the Lab Coat show, premiering during Science Week at the Royal Society of Victoria. There’s a matinee for schools on the afternoon of Friday, August 22, and then two evening performances on the 23rd and 24th. See labcoatman.com.au for more details about this show and Ben’s other Science Week adventures.

It’s been a while since our last update, so we figure it’s time to fill you in on the latest doings of Shaolin Punk and its creative director, Ben McKenzie.

This Sunday saw the launch of Melbourne’s newest comedy event, the Anarchist Guild Social Committee, at the Bella Union bar at Trades Hall. The brainchild of host Nick Caddaye, the AGSC is a monthly live sketch comedy show. Shaolin Punk’s Ben McKenzie is assistant producer and also a writer/performer, alongside the main cast of Andrew McClelland, Tegan Higginbotham, Dave Bushell, Celia Pacquola, Richard McKenzie and Courteney Hocking. The first meeting of the AGSC was a huge success, so don’t miss its return on July 20!

Shaolin Punk has two new shows coming up in the next few months. First up, as part of National Science Week, Ben McKenzie premieres his new one-man comedy science lecture, A (Very) Brief History of Time, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Stephen Hawking’s influential book. Then, for the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Shaolin Punk presents Set List, an improvised musical performance devised and performed by Dan Walmsley and Karin Muiznieks and featuring Ben McKenzie. Set List will premiere in three afternoon sessions at the Bella Union bar at Trades Hall as part of the Fringe @ Trades programme. Watch this space for more details soon!

And finally, with the departure of Janelle Koenig for the UK, Ben McKenzie has taken on the role of artistic director of Melbourne improvised comedy troupe The Crew. The group’s final performance of Impro Sundae at Bar Open, before they move to another venue, is this Sunday, June 22. Don’t miss it!

Well, Comedy Festival is over, and the Melbourne Fringe is still months away, so it’s time for a little rest for Shaolin Punk. Well - a rest where performance is concerned. Ben McKenzie is currently working on some new ideas for projects for 2008, so watch this space for details. And of course you can catch both Ben and A Record or an OBE co-star Rob Lloyd at Impro Sundae, the fortnightly improvised comedy show from The Crew.

But we’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who saw A Record or an OBE in Adelaide or Melbourne, and all those who attended the Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour. While OBE may not return - certainly not in Melbourne - there will be more tours, both here and in other cities. Again, watch this space for details!