Review by Steve Bennett

Damien Power has clearly been listening to his Bill Hicks albums. His debut Melbourne show is full of references to the primal urges of our prehistoric ‘monkey-lizard’ mind and rants against the capitalist system, delivered with a confidence and an energy.

He rails against the brain-washing inanity of commercial radio being the nadir of the bland, corporate consumerism; about how racism makes no genetic sense; about the pointless tribalism of wars and indeed nations... we’re all one species, man.

In some ways it’s studenty leftism, not quite as original as insightful as you might hope for, but the serious subject matter nevertheless comes as a welcome injection of nicely-articulated politics in a comedy scene dominated by stand-ups obsessing about themselves or sharing trivial ‘what I saw on the bus’ observations. And when he gets it right, such as his routine about the environmental evils of fracking, he hits the nail on the head, as well as getting the laughs.

Power also raises a few unexpected points: for example China might have built an economic powerhouse on turning fossil fuels into exportable crap no one truly needs, but that process has raised millions out of poverty, too... where should a socialist stand on that? Elsewhere he’s happy to allow a flick of ambiguity into his atheism, not feeling part of the more evangelical movement of non-believers.

The show sometimes puts making points ahead of strong punchlines, but Power is an engaging speaker, his fearless confidence winning over the room. Nor is this a show entirely about the evils of the world. He has a fun section on his brother, the IndyCar racing brother with the unlikely name of Will Power, withering observations about steroid-pumping musclemen, and a description of a very unusual bong that’s supposed to condemn its architects, but will surely have some potheads thinking: ‘Now that’s a good idea...’

Monkeys In Space is not particularly focussed, and certainly could often be more penetrating on the social themes that are close to Power’s heart, but this is still a bold debut from a new polemicist, planting his flag in the underexploited ground of political comedy.

Review date: 10 Apr 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival