[2015039] Rhino Room Late Show 10th Year Anniversary!
Mickey D, Dave Campbell, Demi Lardner, Damien Power, Matt Vesely, Tom Ballard, Celia Pacquola @ Rhino Room – Upstairs
11:00pm, Tue 17 Feb 2015
It’s only now that I’m writing this post – nine months after seeing the show – that I realised that I only rocked up to Rhino’s Late Show once this year. Previous years have seen me previewing comedians at multiple Late Shows; but the prevalence of other late-night ensemble shows, as well as Rhino’s refinement of their schedule (with Set List taking a prominent spot) meant that the Late Show just wasn’t as convenient for me this year. Apparently.
But it’s still a pretty good late-night venue for a giggle. You’d think that, having seen Mickey D emcee a number of times, that his Adelaide references may have started to get old; they haven’t, and his increasingly athletic appearance seems to be bringing a much more focussed assault on the audience’s funny bones as he worked the crowd with ease. Dave Campbell was the first main act of the night, and contributed his fantastic crap-share-house-in-Prospect story, which is always good for a laugh; Demi Lardner followed him with a fantastic (and typically surreal) bit on the Dyson Airblade (two words: ghost fisting). Damien Power – who I’ve yet to see perform an entire set – rounded out the first bracket with a storming piece on cyborg advertising; whilst pre-bought tickets precluded me from seeing him this year, I’ll most certainly be seeking him out in the future, because he was brilliant.
Matt Vesely (one of the young Next Gen comics) opened the second bracket with some amiable discussion of basketball shorts and dubious Alanis Morissette pranks, and the ever-appealing Tom Ballard kicked off his spot with some cheap laughs at his mike stand, before moving on to some “celebrity” nightclub toilet hijinks… never afraid to gossip, our Tom! Finally, Celia Pacquola took the headline spot; whilst I was initially concerned that I may hear some material repeated from earlier in the evening, she smashed out all-new material: the joys of being single and the protocols of farting within couples both provided heaps of laughs, and – once again – she proved that she’s a comedic force to be reckoned with.
Once again, the Rhino Late Show proved to deliver a solid ninety minutes of entertainment, with Pacquola and Power being the picks of the acts, and Mickey D hosting like a champion. And, with the future of the Rhino Room up in the air, I’m kinda sad I didn’t make it to more Late Shows this year.
(39) Rhino Room Late Show 10th Year Anniversary!: Stellar lineup – MC Mickey D, Pacquola, & Power all star. #ff2015 #ADLfringe
— Pete Muller (@festivalfreakAU) February 17, 2015