Meat Sweats.

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Well we're two shows into our run at the Melbourne comedy festival and we are loving it.

it's like starting again as no one knows us out here, so it's rather like doing the edinburgh fringe for the first time, albeit in a room big enough for our fifth year. This means we're doing everything we can to help promote the show, including flyering with gimps on a lead which is going down really well probably because australians are slightly more friendly and less terrifying (and terrified) towards gimps flyering than people in edinburgh.

we're very reliant on word of mouth while we're out here so anything like press interviews, recommendations from local comedians, mixed bill comedy shows and flyering is all really useful in getting the gimp fight name out there.

yesterday we got up early to film some sketches for the age online. we filmed three sketches around town, including our 'wrestler dad' skit which meant that the people of melbourne were treated to the sight of richard half naked shouting like hulk hogan in federation square (one of the most public areas you could find) first thing in the morning. it's a sight nobody should have to encounter, as you can see.

still, it was good fun and if nothing else gave some questionable photo opportinities for the passing school children.

since we got here we've been on the go most days so we haven't really had any proper meals together, just grabbed stuff while we're out. so yesterday we decided to put this right and go for a proper group meal before the show. despite the best intentions... this was a decision we would come to regret.

We've been recommended a load of restaurants by food guru sharky and in yesterday's meaty everest he didn't disappoint. the big boy bbq on hardware lane specialises in slow cooked meat. we're talking beef bristket, fried chicken, pulled pork... and ribs. so. many. ribs. we filed up to the counter optimistically ordering sharing platters of meat... each. we should have noted the surprise in the guy behind the counter's eyes as we ordered. he even threw us a lifeline, asking if these were to share. "share? no!" we arrogantly scoffed as we sat down and awaited our fate.

this was the first to arrive.

for size context, that's a human hand.

and that's for one person.

beef brisket piled high, chicken wings, two stacks of pastrami, a tub of chilli, chips... and some token gherkins.

all lathered in kansas style bbq sauce.

it was epic.

as you can imagine, despite going feral and attacking our challenge like starving hyenas we hardly even got close to finishing our platters. this was the before shot. you don't want to see after...

i don't know if you've ever experienced being drunk on meat. but we begin our show hunched over hidden inside some laundry bags while the audience come in. you can only imagine how hot, sweaty, and full we were and to be bent over in a confined space while going through that. it wasn't pretty. i am still full now, a day later.

still, i have to confess it was worth it as the food was incredible. we'll definitely be back, but maybe to order slightly less and perhaps a bit less close to showtime.