Andrew O'Neill - Out of Step

Andrew O’Neill is not your typical comedian. Come to think of it, he’s not your typical anything really! He appears on the stage donning a knee-length loose brown skirt, striped stockings and yellow converse shoes. His torso is perfectly shaped by a tight black corset into which he has tucked a black, metal t-shirt of his own design (if you look closely, you’ll see a skull peeking out the top of the corset). He has long, curly black hair. On his lips is a bright shade of red lipstick and to throw in something leftfield, he is wearing specs. These act as magnifying glasses for the thick eyeliner that stretches all the way to his temples.

It’s obvious that the look he’s going for isn’t… well, it isn’t obvious. He’s a transvestite, metal-head, feminist who has of late had discussions with his girlfriend about the prospect of having children.
 
And his show surprised me. Usually when watching live comedy, I have a half-arsed default smile plastered on my face, and the corners of my mouth either go in or out, depending on the strength of the delivered joke. With O’Neill, I found that smile turning into an explosive LOL a considerable number of times
 
His comedy is just as delightful as it is slightly uncomfortable, especially for the four people who chose to rudely leave somewhere around the time that O’Neill was doing a Q and A with the audience about the differences between goths and metal-heads (there are quite a few). Clearly the walk-outs had bought tickets to the comedy festival to hear jokes about incorrigible shopping trolleys and sleepy kittens falling off televisions.
 
But alas they were assaulted with comments such as, “I hate Islam,” stories about homophobic Asians and possibly the biggest affront to human decency – a dude dressed like a chick. Good heavens!
 
The show is called Out Of Step – a phrase alluding to O’Neill’s alternative lifestyle and outlook. He loves metal music and hates people. And so he should considering the undeserving experience he went through on a night-bus in London, with the above mentioned, oriental anti-homosexuals.  Plus life’s been pretty tough to him in general. For one thing, it happens his mate has a sparrow living in his head. For another, sometimes he gets mistaken for a goth, which, as mentioned earlier, is vastly different from a metal-head.
 
But don’t let his complaints and black, metal clothing give you the wrong impression. His disposition is a cheery one and he’ll have you genuinely laughing at good, hearty jokes that are full of wit and sincerity, as opposed to toilet humour and hollow embellishments

Sasha Petrova's picture
Sasha Petrova
Joined: 19th January 2011
Last seen: 18th April 2011
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