“Pink clouds…”
You know the one. I’ve been obsessed with this hilarious song for three years now and was relieved when I finally had the chance to witness Sammy J singing it live in his show, ‘Symphony in J Minor’ at the Melbourne Town Hall – Main Hall as part of the 2022 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Despite Sammy J being on the comedy circuit for years, this show was my very first experience of witnessing Sammy J perform live, with this specific song being the instigator to convince me to attend. After various lockdowns and years of anticipation for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to thrive at full capacity again, was the wait to see Sammy J worth it? In short, absolutely.
Performing on a beautiful Melbourne Town Hall stage adorned with faux candles (battery operated), Sammy J took to the grand piano, accompanied on-stage occasionally by childhood friend Richard Vaudrey on the cello. The songs performed on the stage were of various topics from advising people not to be shy about vaginas in powerful feminist tune, ‘Crotch Sweat’, and ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie (Oi, Oi, Oi)’, which is an eye-opening, self-aware take on what it is to be Australian and is quite possibly the most poignant of his works performed on the night.
What I love about Sammy J is his quirky wit, his humour, and his blatant honesty. Even though Sammy J is known to have various silly songs in his repertoire, the appeal in his shows is due to his geeky charms, his lyrical eloquence, and the sincerity in his execution. Whether Sammy J be behind the piano or standing at the centre of the stage performing to a track, or even having a duet with himself via a recording, Sammy J is a fantastic, welcoming, wholesome entertainer with a big smile and an even bigger heart.
Despite being released back in May 2019, the album, also titled the same as the tour, ‘Symphony in J Minor’ still has songs that are more relevant than ever, including ‘See You In 17 Years’, which is an affectionate love letter to parenthood in its own distinctive way. There is also ‘Marginal Seat’, where Sammy J describes how he wishes his vote counted. Somehow, perfectly timed considering the Federal Election has recently been announced and campaigning has only been a few days in and we’re all already tired. Sammy J is clearly tired the most, performing a song about Scott Morrison’s Instagram post of him and his cat, while the rest of Australia struggled.
Sammy J is an absolute delight, a lyrical genius, and is a rarity at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this year, only performing three shows at the Melbourne Town Hall. With one show already gone, one should act fast if you want to see this lyrical genius live and have the opportunity go home with thought provoking messages and a smile on your face.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.sammy-j.com
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2022/shows/symphony-in-j-minor