Melbourne International Comedy Festival review by Steve Bennett

How much mileage can one YouTube sensation provide? Axis Of Awesome’s viral Four Chords song – 48million views and counting – is the big hit that fans will demand they perform, and is, presumbaly, the one thing that warrants them making a UK tour later this year. Yet five years on, it’s by far the best thing in a frustrating lazy show.

Whole songs are spun from half-assed observations that go nowhere. That millions of Wii Fits languished unused in the world’s cupboards is a mildly amusing idea, for instance, but they add nothing but a melody to that initial premise.And there’s a song about a hobo that’s borderline offensive in its unthinking repetition of stereotypes. This is the sort of superficial writing that gives musical comedy a bad name, even when it’s not song parodies.

The trio are strong musicians, so can make their boyband spoof sound spot-on. But boyband spoof? What decade are they in? With this, the joke is to sing what they are doing, for instance: ‘We’re going to change the key again / look at me, I’m singing a love song.’ It seems crushingly familiar.

Even though the reference is older, mocking Johnny Cash proves more entertaining, with the naivity of Lee Naimo’s words nicely at odds with the hard-bitten earnestness of the original. More up to date, they serve up an alleged Macklemore parody, which unfortunately returns to the stuff of sub-par stand-up... this time about how Apple are always updating iPhones.

Banter between the songs is patchy, too, although they foster a playful dynamic. Short jokes at the expense of diminutive ‘human jukebox’ keyboardist Benny Davis could be a rich seam, but the others play it very easy – the gag, such as it is, is just how obvious they are being. In contrast, a bit of silliness in which lead singer Jordan Raskopoulus evokes the superhero Skeleton Man, is entertainingly dumb.

Moments like this, and their angry Rage Against The Machine-inspired Game Of Thrones finale, demonstrate that they are capable of creating daft, original material... which makes it even more of a shame they couldn’t find enough of it to fill even half a show. Axis Of Awesome was always an ironic name, but without more exertion, the gag at their own expense is in danger of becoming cruel.

Review date: 21 Apr 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett