Austen Tayshus

Last updated

Austen Tayshus
Birth nameAlexander Jacob Gutman
Born (1954-03-17) 17 March 1954 (age 69)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Comedian, actor
Years active1981–present
Website www.austentayshus.com

Austen Tayshus (born 17 March 1954) is the stage name of American-born Jewish Australian comedian Alexander Jacob Gutman (commonly called Sandy Gutman). He is best known for the 1983 comedy single "Australiana", a spoken word piece which is filled with Australian puns.

Contents

His humor often draws on his Jewish background. A tall man (198 centimetres (6 ft 6 in)), he appears on stage wearing a black suit and dark sunglasses. He is characterized by a resonant deep voice. He is often moody, and renowned for taunting his audience and venue staff. [1]

Biography

Early life

Alexander (Sandy) Jacob Gutman was born in New York to Polish Jewish parents and moved to Sydney at the age of one. [2] He is the son of a Hasidic Holocaust survivor. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home. At 15, he participated in the International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth in Australia and won, and then took part in the finals in Israel, where he finished in the top 10. Later, he spent several months at a yeshiva in Jerusalem. He returned to Israel as a volunteer during the Yom Kippur War. Gutman attended Vaucluse Boys' High School from 1966 to 1971.[ citation needed ]

He received a Commonwealth Scholarship to Sydney University in 1972, where he began a dentistry degree.[ citation needed ] After two years he lost interest in dentistry and changed to an arts degree, and subsequently to a film directing course at The Australian Film and Television School, graduating as a film director in 1978. He wrote and directed three short comedies while at film school, Eric and Alice in 1975, Waves in 1976 and The End in 1977.

After graduation from the AFTRS, he worked at ABC Television as an assistant cameraman in their Cinecamera department. From 1979 to 1980 he freelanced as a camera assistant and cinematographer on film clips for Aussie bands including Cold Chisel, The Angels, and Mental as Anything.

Gutman lives in Sydney, New South Wales and has two adult daughters. [1]

1981–1984: "Australiana", "Phantom Shuffle" & When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering

His stand-up comedy career began at Sydney's Comedy Store at the beginning of 1981. The stage name "Austen Tayshus" is an aptronym based on the word "ostentatious".

He first gained public recognition in 1983 when he signed to Regular Records who released his comedy single, "Australiana". It is a spoken word piece that contains many puns using Australian terms, especially the names of places and animals. [3] For example:

"Australiana" is the biggest selling Australian 12 inch single ever[ citation needed ]. It was number one on the charts in 1983 for 13 weeks.[ citation needed ]

In 1984, Tayshus released the single "Phantom Shuffle", which rose to number 16 nationally on the Aria Chart, followed by his debut album When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering , which also peaked within The Australian top 100.

In 1984, he sold out the Sydney Entertainment Centre, supported by local comedians. [4]

1985–1989: "Highway Corroboree" & Whispering Joke

In February 1988, Tayshus released the single "Highway Corroboree", which peaked at number 46 on the Australian charts. It was lifted from the album Whispering Joke. He performed the single live on the Sunday Program in 1988, on Channel Nine, especially for the Australian bicentennial anniversary. His controversial monologue sided with the Aboriginal people, and was highly critical of the first white settlers.

In the late 1980s Tayshus toured Australia with other well-known comedians. He often introduced young and gifted new comics to his audiences. [4]

1990s: Film

In 1990 Tayshus relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a movie career. He had a small cameo in the Sharon Stone movie Sliver , directed by mate and fellow film school alumnus Phillip Noyce.

At night, Tayshus worked in comedy clubs in LA and in New York. He was represented for stand-up by Irvin Arthur and Associates in LA in 1993 and for film work by Metropolitain. He auditioned for movies including Ace Ventura Pet Detective and Clear and Present Danger

His stay in Los Angeles culminated in a collaboration on a low-budget feature film titled Dream Factory, which he co-wrote with the Director Paschal Franchot, and was lead actor. The film was a tragi-comedy about Austen's last days in LA trying to become a big shot. It also included cameos from Naomi Watts, Billy Zane, and Nehemiah Persoff. [4]

Returning to Australia in 1997, Tayshus wrote and starred in a short film titled Intolerance. At Tropfest in 1998, the film won the award for Best Film, and Tayshus won Best Actor. The film had been entered in competition under the name of a fictitious feminist filmmaker, Laura Feinstein. When the film won, the head of Tropfest, John Polson, announced that the top prize had finally been won by a woman. When the director, Paul Fenech, jumped up to claim the award, to everyone's surprise, saying there was no Laura Feinstein, it created great controversy.

The Tropfest win led directly to work on the Jane Campion film Holy Smoke! , Emma-Kate Croghan's Strange Planet and Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! . [4]

In 1999, Tayshus participated in the television series Aussie Jokers, produced and directed by Paul Fenech for SBS TV. His segment was an historical journey about his father's Holocaust experiences in Poland, from his hometown of Łódź, to the death camp Treblinka, to his rescue from Bergen Belsen. It is an emotional and deeply moving double header tracing Isaac Gutman's life from 1939 to 1945, when most of his family was murdered by the Germans just for being Jewish. The documentary has been shown several times on SBS and is available on YouTube.

A documentary about Austen Tayshus, produced by Angry Messiah Pictures and titled Austen Tayshus Skin in the Game, was completed in 2020 and scheduled for release on Foxdocos Channel on July 17, 2022.

1999–2009: "Footyana"

In July 2000, Tayshus released "Footyana", a comedy piece in the style of "Australiana", referring to Australian rules football and the National Rugby League. It includes such lines as:

He performed it live on the television show Live and Kicking to great acclaim.

He continued to tour Australia, performing one hundred shows a year.

2010: Political career

In August 2010, Tayshus ran for the Australian House of Representatives in the Division of Warringah in the August federal election, representing the Australian Sex Party. He stood against Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott. [5] He subsequently ran in the 2011 New South Wales state election as a member of the Outdoor Recreation Party, contesting Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell's seat of Ku-ring-gai. [6]

In 2012, Tayshus appeared as a panelist on the ABC's political panel show Q&A to promote the release of his biography, Austen Tayshus: Merchant of Menace, written by Richard Murphy and Ross Fitzgerald.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[7]
When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering
  • Released: December 1984
  • Label: Regular (RRLP 1214)
76
Whispering Joke
  • Released: February 1988
  • Label: MAX (MAX LP188)

Live albums

List of live albums
TitleAlbum details
Lounge Lizard Live
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Regular Records (L38473)
Alive and Shticking
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Laughing Stock

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
YearSinglePeak chart positionsCertificationAlbum
AUS
[7]
1983"Australiana"1Non-album single
1984"Phantom Shuffle"16When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering
1986"The Pope Down Under"Non-album single
1988"Highway Corroboree"43Whispering Joke
"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha Ha"
1989"Put Down That Stubbie"Non-album singles
1990"Rappin' Back to My Roots"
1995"I'm Jacques Chirac (And I Don't Give a...!)"
1998"Xenophobia"
2000"Footyana"78

Awards and nominations

Countdown Australia Music Awards

The Countdown Australia Music Awards were an awards ceremony produced by Countdown in collaboration with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), from 1981 to 1986.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1983"Australiana"Best Debut SingleNominated
himselfSpecial AchievementWon
1984"Phantom Shuffle"Best Male Performance in a VideoNominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that commenced in 1987 and recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Austen Tayshus has been nominated for four awards. [8]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1987 Do the Pope Best Comedy Release Nominated
1989 "Highway Corroboree"Nominated
1995 Alive and SchtickingNominated
1996 "I'm Jacques Chirac"Nominated

Literature

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Models (band)</span> Australian rock band

Models are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in August 1978. They went into hiatus in 1988, but re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. The band began regularly performing again from 2010 onwards. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit, appeared on the Australian singles charts in July 1985. The related album, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, peaked at No. 3 on the Australian albums charts after its release in August. Out of Mind, Out of Sight appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with the single, "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. An earlier song from the same album, "Barbados", had peaked at No. 2 on the Australian singles chart.

Alexander Lloyd is an Australian singer-songwriter. Four of his albums, Black the Sun, Watching Angels Mend, Distant Light and Alex Lloyd, released between 1999 and 2005, made the top ten on the ARIA charts. Lloyd has also won the ARIA Award for Best Male Artist on three occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Barnes</span> Scottish-Australian singer

James Dixon Barnes is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time.

Billy Birmingham is an Australian humourist and sometime sports journalist, most noted for his parodies of Australian cricket commentary in recordings under The Twelfth Man name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Coleman (presenter)</span> Australian broadcaster (1956–2021)

Jonathan "Jono" Harry Coleman, was an English-born television presenter, radio announcer, writer, comedian, and advertorial spokesperson. He was known for his career in his native country and Australia.

Christopher Franklin is an Australian stand-up comedian and former sailor for the Royal Australian Navy. He is most famous for performing the song "Bloke", which was certified platinum, reached No. 1 on the ARIA Charts, and was the twelfth-biggest-selling single in Australia in 2000. He lives in Launceston, Tasmania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Campbell (singer)</span> Australian singer and actor (born 1973)

David Joseph Campbell is an Australian singer, actor, and TV personality. He is the son of singer Jimmy Barnes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Fenech</span> Australian film director

Paul Fenech is an Australian filmmaker, film and television actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for writing, directing, producing and starring in the television series Pizza, Swift and Shift Couriers, Housos,Bogan Hunters, Fat Pizza: Back in Business, Housos vs. Virus: The Lockdown and Darradong Local Council as well as the motion pictures Fat Pizza (2003), Housos vs. Authority (2012), Fat Pizza vs. Housos (2014) and Dumb Criminals: The Movie (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Just Not Cricket</span> 1984 single by The Twelfth Man

"It's Just Not Cricket" is the debut single of The Twelfth Man, a series of comedy productions by skilled impersonator Billy Birmingham. The single topping the charts for three weeks in June 1984, and was the second highest selling single in Australia in 1984 behind "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen. The piece is centered around fictitious commentary of a match between Australia and Pakistan.

Wesley Dean "Wes" Carr, also recording as Buffalo Tales, is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for winning the sixth season of Australian Idol in 2008. He released his first studio album, Simple Sum, independently in 2008 shortly before entering Australian Idol. After Idol, he signed a record deal with Sony Music Australia and released his debut single, "You". The song peaked at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Carr's second studio album, The Way the World Looks, soon followed after. It reached number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and also achieved Gold certification. The second single "Feels Like Woah" peaked at number 14 and gained Gold certification. In June 2011, Carr released "Been a Long Time", the lead single from his third album. It peaked at number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In November 2011, Carr announced that he was no longer with Sony and would be releasing his album independently. In August 2012 Carr released an EP titled Blood & Bone under the pseudonym Buffalo Tales. His third studio album "Roadtrip Confessions" was released in June 2013 and debuted at number 83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australiana (song)</span> 1983 single by Austen Tayshus

"Australiana" is a spoken-word comedy single by Austen Tayshus, written by Billy Birmingham and recorded live at The Comedy Store, Sydney, in 1983. It was only available on 12-inch records. It was the No. 1 single in Australia in 1983 for eight weeks, seven of them consecutive.

Gary Eck is an Australian comedian and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Rude</span> Australian blue stand-up comedian, poet and writer

Rodney Rude is an Australian-born blue stand-up comedian, poet, writer, and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian comedy</span> Australian television series

Australian comedy refers to the comedy and humour performed in or about Australia or by the people of Australia. Australian humour can be traced to various origins, and today is manifested in a diversity of cultural practices and pursuits. Writers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson helped to establish a tradition of laconic, ironic and irreverent wit in Australian literature, while Australian politicians and cultural stereotypes have each proved rich sources of comedy for artists from poet C. J. Dennis to satirist Barry Humphries to iconic film maker Paul Hogan, each of whom have given wide circulation to Australian slang.

Saturday Llewellyn Rosenberg, also known as Saturday Brander, was an Australian comedian, writer and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DMA's</span> Australian band

DMA's are an Australian rock band formed in 2012 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band is composed of lead vocalist Tommy O'Dell, lead guitarist Matt Mason, and rhythm guitarist Johnny Took. They originally gained popularity for their debut single "Delete" and for their self-titled EP, which were both released in 2014. The band have since gone on to release four studio albums: Hills End (2016), For Now (2018), The Glow (2020) and How Many Dreams? (2023). All four albums have peaked within the top 10 of the ARIA Albums Chart, with the latter two also reaching the top five in the UK and Scotland.

<i>The Box Set</i> (The Twelfth Man album) 2009 box set by The Twelfth Man

The Box Set is a box set containing all 7 albums by The Twelfth Man, a comedy project by Australian satirist Billy Birmingham. The set was released in November 2009 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Twelfth Man release. The set peaked at number 17 on the ARIA Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantom Shuffle</span> 1984 single by Austen Tayshus

"Phantom Shuffle" is a comedy single by Austen Tayshus. Released in October 1984 as the lead and only single from Austen Tayshus' debut album, When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering. The song peaked at number 16 on the Australian charts.

<i>When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering</i> 1984 studio album by Austen Tayshus

When the Ticklers Stopped Quivering is the debut studio album by Australian comedian, Austen Tayshus. The album was released in December 1984 and peaked at number 72 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway Corroboree</span> 1988 single by Austen Tayshus

"Highway Corroboree" is a comedy single by Austen Tayshus. Released in January 1988 as the lead single from Austen Tayshus' second studio album, Whispering Joke. The song peaked at number 43 on the Australian charts.

References

  1. 1 2 Down Under comedian brings show to Israel
  2. "Sandy Gutman aka Austen Tayshus" at Q&A
  3. 1 2 "Australiana by Austen Tayshus". The Mad Music Archive. Mad Music Productions, LLC. 2010. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "history of Austen Tayshus". austentayshus. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. Comedian Austen Tayshus to contest Tony Abbott
  6. "NSWEC Candidates Website". candidates.elections.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011.
  7. 1 2 Australian chart peaks:
    • Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 12 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 306. ISBN   0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
    • Top 100 (ARIA Charts peaked to 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 276.
  8. "Austen Tayshus ARIA Awards search". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  9. "A rare genius for burning bridges" by Jack Marx, The Australian (4 June 2011)