TONY HAWKS on Tour

Tony Hawks on Tour
Review: Hugh Allison at Riverside Studios 19 October 2003
Plays at Riverside 26 October: for further info about the tour go to www.tony-hawks.com there's a link on this site

Conspiracies, skateboarding, sharp wit it's a great menu
One of Britain's top comedians is Tony Hawks. In this, part of his new tour, he is promoting his new book, "One Hit Wonderland", about trying to win a bet as to whether or not he can get a number one hit single, anywhere in the world, within two years.

The show is thus based on a true story, and (as a way to get people to buy his book) he does not tell the audience how it ends. He only reads one exert from the book (a humorous tale about stealing his own bike), and plays several of his own compositions on his guitar.

Fans of Hawks will know that his previous two books were also about trying to win bets; namely that, within a month, he could hitchhike around Ireland (with a Fridge) and that he could beat the entire Maldovian Football team . . . at tennis.

Hawks starts the show (after a bit of skateboarding, to save refunding audience members who had come expecting the "other" Tony Hawks) by referring to his other challenges. He says that many people assume that people approach him with bets. In fact, he corrects, many people approach him assuming that people approach hm with bets. The whole show continues in this self-aware, slightly mocking vein, with a take-off of "Richard And Judy" style menus, as he says what's coming up, and then a conspiracy not to tell its contents to late-comers.

One of Hawks best lines follows. 'I don't like taking the piss out of late-comers. But it is a Comedy union rule, so I have to'. And he does.

There is an 'us-against-them' situation for a lot of the show. Hawks gets the audience to side with him, by commenting on when he is making an idiot of himself (such as trying to put the guitar around his neck whilst putting the mike in its stand) and the uselessness of his technician. 'Just out of interest', he ad-libs, 'what are you reading up there?' Genius.

Hawks songs are funny (including "Stutter Rap", which he had a minor hit with in the 80s), his anecdotes are light hearted ("I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy), and he provides the audience with an enjoyable evening.

And, although I won't say what he does for an encore, trust me it's most unexpected. And a highlight.

2003-10-20 17:32:43