The bane of most musical comedy is that it gets tired very quickly, as what was initially quite amusing rapidly becomes irritating and trite. Shows of this ilk generally rely solely on ‘witty’ reworkings of popular tunes and never push any boundaries.
In many ways the same can be of GUD, as the only boundary they push is one of taste, but who ever said they were trying to be groundbreaking?
This may sound pretty negative, but the reality is that GUD is a very entertaining show if you are just looking for an hour of fun, albeit smutty and occasionally depraved fun.
It’s true that you aren’t going to see anything new here, as the Aussie trio tread the familiar territory of war, terrorism and relationships, but their blend of bountiful musical talent and abrasive songwriting/reworking is more enough to generate a solid hour’s worth of entertainment. Throw in their constant bickering, ad-hoc insults and a tremendous interaction with the audience and you’ll easily forgive them for dragging you down to their level.
The real beauty of GUD is the showmanship, as the trio come across as one of the worst, but most endearing, wedding bands in history. The centre of this ragtag assortment is obviously Paul McDermott, as he is an antipodean version of Johnny Knoxville combined with the physical mannerisms of a fledgling Jim Carrey, but his compatriots do their best to stick their oar in and claim a share of the limelight.
At the end of the day Gud is neither threatening nor groundbreaking, but it is a helluva lot of fun.
4/5
Richard Biggs
