MICF: Andrew McClelland with Kieran O’Sullivan
If you want enthusiasm in your comedy, you just can’t go past Andrew McClelland. In his diverse recent offerings he’s shown that he absolutely enjoys what he does, and this enjoyment is infectious. His latest show combines his stand-up and DJ tendencies in Andrew McClelland’s Hang The DJ, also featuring Kieran “K-dogg” O’Sullivan, by telling stories of their DJ exploits, including tales of odd requests and unhappy punters.
For a new show, the mix is pretty much right. By 11 pm everyone should be pretty relaxed and open to some undemanding fun, so comedy newbie K-dogg’s shaky recall of dialogue doesn’t derail but gives a chance for improvising and what seems to be genuine amusement between our hosts. There’s also dance medleys, reminiscences of awkward early DJ careers, some extreme personal biases and disputes argued passionately, as is appropriate to the world of music.
By the time I went off to uni, I’d moved away from the stylistic excesses and fads of pop, so some of the jokes went over my head, but the show doesn’t lean on this recognition too much, and the DJ recollections by themselves make this a fun show. If you’re a disciple of commercial radio, then I suspect familiarity with content will ensure the show is completely in the groove.
If you needed more inducement, at the conclusion of the show there’s a dance party just down the corridor where you can see Master Selector McClelland spin discs, play requests and look like he’s having a ball. Music fans reading this show’s entry in the MICF guide should take Beyoncé’s advice and put a ring on it.