The Pun

Andrew McClelland

By Tim Norton ⋅ May 25, 2006 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

While you’re watching Andrew McClelland up on stage, you might recognise him from his stints on radio, in the DJ booth or cutting sick on the dance floor. For this fervent comedian, all these passions combine into an inspiring Comedy Festival show.

He loves music. That seems to be the basis for the Comedy Festival show Andrew McClelland’s Mix Tape. No philosophical meaning, no in-depth analysis or long-winded story about a bad experience with a tape deck. It’s a refreshing thought; McClelland is just passionate about his music, and wanted to find a way to tell his audience exactly what it is that makes the perfect mix tape. ‘Usually I find a topic that I’m interested in as an excuse to research it. It’s the research I love.’ Looking back over McClelland’s past shows involving secret societies and pirates, it’s easy to see the love he pours into his topics.

When I spoke to McClelland he was busy in preparation for his show, stressing out and rereading scripts. ‘I stress naturally, its just part of my routine.’ But this disappears once he takes the stage, being replaced with a powerful enthusiasm that ripples through the audience.

You might not have seen McClelland’s show yet, but you’ll have certainly seen him on a dance floor around Melbourne. A regular DJ at venues such as Weekender, McClelland is a regular deck-spinner at Umbrella Revolution during the Festival, and apologises to anyone he may have accidentally fly-kicked at a Lucksmiths gig.

In his own (rather made up) words, McClelland is bang-passionate about comedy, particularly the close-knit world that it creates. He is quick to point out his best tips for other shows in the Festival, including Lawrence Leung in The Adventures of Puzzle Boy, Courteney Hocking’s Foolish Ideas and Crackpot Inventions Show, Christine Adams: Alive in Madagascar and Jo Randerson’s Skazzle Dazzle. Hopefully he’ll stress less about his own show long enough to sit down and have a listen to his own mix tape.