On 27 March 2017, I was invited to come along and check out Birds Basement Comedy, a new’ish room located at 11 Singers Lane, Melbourne (near Flagstaff Gardens in the CBD). Traditionally a jazz club, Birds Basement is well equipped to deal with a high-class comedy night, which it hosts every Monday night. With an excellent speaker set-up and a raised stage, there is no bad seat in the house.
Do not be put off by the alley, as the blue lights will guide you to a welcoming venue with top-notch service. The venue is catered and has a range of classic Italian fares available. With a nice bar and a range of tap beers to choose from, there is more than enough drink and feed to go around. Another highlight of my experience at Birds Basement Comedy was the table service. Each guest is provided a blue light to attract the waiters’ attention, meaning you do not miss a minute of the entertainment. The venue appears to welcome all as there was variety in the audience make up on 27 March, with no weighting towards a particular demographic.
While I was a big fan of the table service, the waiters have the potential to be a little distracting when speaking loudly or if they are in the audience’s and comedian’s eye line. The seating set-up is good, with lots of room and tables to choose from for a variety of small and large groups. The seats nearest to the stage are quite close and for future gigs, the comedians could benefit from performing a little back from the edge of the stage to maximise the enjoyment for the whole room.
Birds Basement Comedy is a classier affair with comedians proudly hand-picked to perform each night. This is not a pub gig and there is an expectation that the comedians will put on class comedy suited to the venue. With longer sets to work with, audience members at Birds Basement Comedy will get to see quality comedians show off their skills.
Now… onto the comedy!
Damian Callinan took the role as MC for the night, guiding us through the evening of comedy. Damian has an animated stage presence and remained active throughout the night. While he could maybe avoid some of the more cardio-heavy elements of his set, his occasional jester-like flourishes were engaging! His discussion of the room and some of the ‘behind the scenes’ revelations felt a little unnecessary but these did not feature heavily. Damian has a clever brain and delivered many quips and zingers, with some lines going over the head of the audience, at no fault of his own delivery.
Simon Taylor delivered one of the best sets I have seen him perform. With great energy and clear delivery, Simon connected with the audience early. He delivered some strong, well thought-out material and did not let interruptions by the wait-staff faze him. There were elements of Simon’s set that felt a little off but these were bookended with solid bits, including takes on power tools and the races.
Rusty Berther, Australian comedy legend and member of the Scared Weird Little Guys, entertained the audience with a mix of stand-up and musical comedy. Rusty had flair in his music, with his musical adaptations in the style of big-name bands proving particularly enjoyable. Though the content of his set was at times eclectic and non-linear, this did not detract from his banter, clever comparisons and skill with a guitar. What a legend!
A big thanks to Birds Basement Comedy for having me! I felt really looked after and I’m excited for how this room develops!
For more information and to book tickets to Birds Basement Comedy, check out their website here.
Do not be put off by the alley, as the blue lights will guide you to a welcoming venue with top-notch service. The venue is catered and has a range of classic Italian fares available. With a nice bar and a range of tap beers to choose from, there is more than enough drink and feed to go around. Another highlight of my experience at Birds Basement Comedy was the table service. Each guest is provided a blue light to attract the waiters’ attention, meaning you do not miss a minute of the entertainment. The venue appears to welcome all as there was variety in the audience make up on 27 March, with no weighting towards a particular demographic.
While I was a big fan of the table service, the waiters have the potential to be a little distracting when speaking loudly or if they are in the audience’s and comedian’s eye line. The seating set-up is good, with lots of room and tables to choose from for a variety of small and large groups. The seats nearest to the stage are quite close and for future gigs, the comedians could benefit from performing a little back from the edge of the stage to maximise the enjoyment for the whole room.
Birds Basement Comedy is a classier affair with comedians proudly hand-picked to perform each night. This is not a pub gig and there is an expectation that the comedians will put on class comedy suited to the venue. With longer sets to work with, audience members at Birds Basement Comedy will get to see quality comedians show off their skills.
Now… onto the comedy!
Damian Callinan took the role as MC for the night, guiding us through the evening of comedy. Damian has an animated stage presence and remained active throughout the night. While he could maybe avoid some of the more cardio-heavy elements of his set, his occasional jester-like flourishes were engaging! His discussion of the room and some of the ‘behind the scenes’ revelations felt a little unnecessary but these did not feature heavily. Damian has a clever brain and delivered many quips and zingers, with some lines going over the head of the audience, at no fault of his own delivery.
Simon Taylor delivered one of the best sets I have seen him perform. With great energy and clear delivery, Simon connected with the audience early. He delivered some strong, well thought-out material and did not let interruptions by the wait-staff faze him. There were elements of Simon’s set that felt a little off but these were bookended with solid bits, including takes on power tools and the races.
Rusty Berther, Australian comedy legend and member of the Scared Weird Little Guys, entertained the audience with a mix of stand-up and musical comedy. Rusty had flair in his music, with his musical adaptations in the style of big-name bands proving particularly enjoyable. Though the content of his set was at times eclectic and non-linear, this did not detract from his banter, clever comparisons and skill with a guitar. What a legend!
A big thanks to Birds Basement Comedy for having me! I felt really looked after and I’m excited for how this room develops!
For more information and to book tickets to Birds Basement Comedy, check out their website here.
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