Cabaret star ready to rock

What do you get when you put smudged eye makeup, messy hair and a killer rock voice together? Answer: Tim Minchin.
He won best Alternative Act at the 2007 US Comedy Festival and Best Newcomer Perrier Comedy Award at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but now Minchin is releasing a DVD called So Live.
The DVD was filmed at the Sydney Opera House and features material from his Dark Side and So Rock productions.
“We did a big two-act show that combines most of the stuff from my two solo shows, which are festival shows,” Minchin said.
“It’s more like a concert, but really it’s a cabaret show. It’s sold under comedy because it’s nearly all comedic and fun. It’s a chat-and-songs show – with weird stuff.”
Minchin has appeared on shows like the ABC’s Spicks and Specks and The Sideshow. Next month he will be making a BBC Radio 2 Christmas special show before finishing off his world tour.
Minchin has strong messages embedded in his songs that at times border on the political, his most notable being Inflatable You, which is about a blow-up doll.
“The songs are all mine. I tend to write a lot about sex, death and God,” he said.
“I wrote a peace anthem for Palestine, there is some autobiographical stuff about wanting to be a rock star and there’s a poem about anger.
“Inflatable You is a real piss-take on old school humour and it has a simple jazz repetitive melody and chords. The title nods to Embraceable You and the old school love songs – it exploits stupid rhymes.”
On stage Minchin’s style is similar to the Newtown look but he says that he goes for a rock hobo cross-over look and even goes barefoot on stage.
“I get my hair chemically straightened because it’s actually really curly and I kick arse at eyeliner,” he said.
So Live will be released on Wednesday 7 November. See www.timminchin.com.