Tim Minchin vs The Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Overview

Anyone who has seen Tim Minchin live but missed his show with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra last year is in for a big surprise when they head to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre this Saturday. The very talented one-man piano comedy act takes musical comedy to a whole other level when symphony is added to the mix.

Fresh from the controversy of being cut from the UK’s Jonathan Ross' Christmas broadcast for being “offensive”, Minchin’s humour could be described as… divisive. Provocative? Let’s just say he’s something of an atheist.

What gets missed in this kind of criticism, however, is the essential nature of the kind of ‘questioning’ that lies at the core of (almost) all of his songs. Surely the challenging of social norms, and the airing of thoughts that every one of us secretly has, is the principle that lies behind the noble art of comedy. Minchin’s ascorbic wit is punctuated by moments of earnestness and generosity.

I’m a huge fan of this particular ginger (I can call him that, you see). Not only is he a truly impressive musician, his is the kind of humour that tackles big and small issues alike with just the right amount of ironic panache.