Paul Anthony Michael McDermott (born 13 May 1962[citation needed]) is an Australian entertainer, best known both for Good News Week and for his role as a member of the musical comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars. He has frequently appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and taken part in its two major televised productions, the Comedy Festival Gala and the Great Debate. McDermott has also performed and written numerous shows as a solo performer and authored children’s books and newspaper articles and directed short animated films.
McDermott was born in Adelaide, South Australia, a fraternal twin and one of six children in a Catholic family. His father, John, was a senior public servant and his mother, Betty, a home manager. The family moved to Canberra when McDermott was three.[1][2] He attended Marist College Canberra, where he describes himself as having been painfully shy and a "bit of a loner"; Dickson College;[3] and the Canberra School of Art at the Australian National University, where he studied art for four years.[4] He describes painting as his first love, and still considers his final year piece at art school to be his finest work.[5] Indeed, he only started performing at the age of 25 because he needed money to buy canvases. "It was either that or waiting on tables and I thought I'd soon get pissed off with people doing that," he says.[6] Privately, McDermott maintains his interest in art through painting, drawing and hand-crafting books.[5] He works under the alias of artist 'Young Master Paul'.[7]
He has criticised the war on drugs and society's tendency to ignore the large drug subculture that involves people of all ages. "It's out there and it happens, but there's still a fear of talking about it," he says. "In cities like Manchester, with unemployment problems, there are no-alcohol venues where five thousand people under the age of sixteen are eccy'd off their heads every Saturday night."[8]
The Doug Anthony All Stars were a singing comedy trio (comprising McDermott, Tim Ferguson and Richard Fidler) who began busking in Canberra in the 1980s and later gained notoriety at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This led to regular appearances on ABC TV’s The Big Gig, where they gained a strong following. Their innovative, brash style broke down many taboos of the time, and many Australian comedians[which?] have described DAAS as being their inspiration for wanting to become comedians. McDermott took lead vocals on most songs and wrote much of the material. The group also starred in their own spin off TV show called DAAS Kapital. They broke up in 1995 but later reformed with new guitarist Paul Livingston (replacing Fidler) in 2014 for a series of live shows.[citation needed]
McDermott began busking in 1985, which he says equipped him with useful experience and the ability to cope with most situations when he later started performing in clubs.[6] He joined a group called Gigantic Fly which performed at a new Canberra club called Cafe Boom Boom. It was here that he got to know Tim Ferguson and Richard Fidler of the musical comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS). McDermott was asked to join the group when the third member, Robert Piper, left due to other commitments.[2] His primary reason for joining, he says, was monetary: "I'd been stealing canvas from the bins around the art school."[10] Initially busking and performing live in clubs, with McDermott writing the majority of their material and songs,[11] DAAS achieved success at the 1986 Adelaide Fringe Festival and subsequently travelled to Britain for the Edinburgh Fringe festival, where they were nominated for the Perrier Award.[12] They toured both nationally and internationally, appearing on British television and playing at the opening of the Barcelona Olympics.[13] After initially struggling to gain success in Australia, in 1989 DAAS was picked up to perform on the ABC show The Big Gig, on which they became a popular feature.[14] They appeared frequently on the show until 1991, when the group premiered their own series on the ABC, DAAS Kapital, which ran for two seasons.[2] McDermott says that he liked performing with DAAS because it allowed him to bring together a range of his interests—he got to write, perform, sing, create costumes and paint backdrops.[5]
McDermott (centre) performing with Tim Ferguson and Paul Livingston in 2014.
The group split up in 1995 after a final farewell tour of Australia. Rumours of a falling out among the trio persisted for many years, but all three maintained that they had parted on good terms and that it had simply been time to move on, as they had wanted to pursue careers in different directions.[15] Ferguson has since revealed that the break-up was in large part due to his being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995.[16] In the two years following the break-up of DAAS, McDermott wrote two film scripts and the stage show MOSH!. He says that he was not particularly interested in returning to comedy, which he came to regard as an "aberration, something that had been good to do for eight years but now it was over," until in 1996 he was recruited as host of the satirical news-based quiz show Good News Week.[11]
In 2014, McDermott and Tim Ferguson reunited to tour Australia as the Doug Anthony All Stars, with frequent collaborator Paul Livingston (also known as "Flacco") replacing Richard Fidler as guitarist due to Fidler's radio commitments.[17]
Television career
In 1996, McDermott was given the role of hosting the ABC's new topical comedy game show Good News Week. The show was notable for being one of the first in Australia to feature an introductory comedic monologue about the week's events, delivered by McDermott. McDermott's monologues also broke new ground in Australian TV for their direct and harsh criticisms of prominent figures, especially politicians. The ABC received a large number of complaints[citation needed] about McDermott for making light of tragic events, use of profanity and drug references, but his willingness to push boundaries was also the reason for his popularity. McDermott would then introduce the two teams of comedians, artists and politicians including team captains Mikey Robbins and Julie McCrossin. This was one of the earliest panel comedy shows on Australian TV and was notable for ensuring gender balance as early as the mid 1990s.[citation needed]
In 1998, McDermott hosted a spin-off called Good News Weekend, which followed a similar format, but with questions based around pop culture. Most episodes finished with McDermott singing a non-comedic song with house band the Gadflys. Many of these songs were cover versions, but his original song "Shut Up and Kiss Me" was released as a single and charted in the JJJ Hottest 100. In 1999, both programs moved to Channel Ten, which renamed Good News Weekend as Good News Week Nite Lite.[18] During this time, McDermott's popularity led to him being given roles as the host of significant Australian award shows including the ARIAs and the AFI Awards. Good News Week was terminated in 2000.[19]
In 2004, McDermott hosted the ABCTV dancing competition Strictly Dancing, which was notable for featuring same-sex dancing partners.[20]
In 2007, McDermott hosted ABC variety program The Sideshow.[21] Each episode began with a monologue similar in style to McDermott's Good News Week monologues. The show was notable for introducing Australian TV audiences to a broad range of cabaret and circus acts while also featuring popular comedians and musicians. Most episodes finished with McDermott singing an original non-comedic song.
In 2008, Channel Ten relaunched Good News Week with McDermott as host.[22] McDermott was nominated for the 2010 Gold Logie award for his hosting role.[23]
In 2015, McDermott hosted SBS interview program Room 101.[24] In 2018, he hosted ABC game show Think Tank.[25]
In 1996, McDermott was recruited by director Ted Robinson, with whom he had previously worked on The Big Gig, to host Good News Week, which aired on the ABC from 1996 to 1998, and on Network Ten from 1999 to 2000 and then returned in 2008 for a new series. McDermott hosted Good News Week from 1996 until its cancellation in 2000, as well as its two spinoffs, Good News Weekend (1998) and GNW Night Lite (1999), and reprised this role when the series returned in 2008. A comedic quiz show with a similar format to that of the British program Have I Got News for You, it features two teams, with two permanent captains and four guests, competing to answer questions based on recent news events.[26] McDermott opens each show with a humorous monologue based on the news on the week and is responsible for posing questions and awarding points to teams. "I'm sort of judge, jury and executioner," he says of his role.[27] The show premiered on the ABC, but moved to Network Ten in 1999.[18]
The ABC was initially apprehensive about Robinson's choice of McDermott as host. He had dreadlocks at the time, and was best known for the crude, aggressive "bad boy" character he had played in the Doug Anthony All Stars, which many tended to confuse with his actual personality. In addition, it was doubted that he was capable of ad libbing and speaking well, as in past interviews he had usually allowed his fellow band members to do most of the talking. McDermott cut off his dreadlocks for the show and succeeded in broadening his appeal by showing a gentler, more charming side as host.[2][11] He has said that although he feels there are still elements of his more aggressive character in Good News Week, they are "toned down... I've got to be the generous host now, spin-the-wheel sort of thing. I'm basing myself on Mike Brady now. I'm the disciplinarian."[28]
He would regularly sing on the program, particularly on Good News Weekend and GNW Night Lite, including some of his own original songs. In one episode, McDermott performed the self-penned "Shut Up and Kiss Me" as a duet with Fiona Horne. It was met with such a warm reception from viewers that it was eventually released as a single.[29] Some of his other musical performances from the series are featured on the CD Good News Week Tapes Volume 2, and a collection of his monologues from the start of the show appear on Good News Week Tapes Volume 1.[30]
McDermott expressed his relief when the show was cancelled in 2000, saying that he could not have maintained the relentless production schedule for much longer. "I'm just so tired, I don't feel I have been human for five years," he said.[19] Network Ten had initially intended only to bring back Good News Week as a one-off special, but decided to expand it after the short supply of US shows resulting from the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike caused the network to take an interest in developing more local programs. The revived series premiered on 11 February 2008 with McDermott reprising his role as host.[22]
He hosted the AFI awards in 2002,[31] and in 2004 and 2005 presented the ABC show Strictly Dancing.[20] McDermott reunited with Robinson in 2007 when he was named host of a new ABC variety program, The Sideshow, a show described as a successor to The Big Gig.[21] It premiered on 21 April 2007, and quickly built a strong cult audience. However, due in part to poor programming, the show did not rate well and was cancelled after its initial run of 26 episodes.[32] McDermott says he was saddened by The Sideshow's cancellation as he believed it was an excellent venue for performers of alternative work which would have achieved ratings success if it had been allowed to continue.[33]
McDermott returned to regular television hosting in July 2015 as the host of Room 101, an Australian version of the long running British TV show of the same name, airing on SBS One.[24] In 2018, McDermott returned to the ABC as presenter of quiz show Think Tank.[25]
Live comedy
At the end of the Doug Anthony All Stars, McDermott briefly wrote and performed a show called MOSH, which featured a cappella songs with many lyrics about drug use and won best show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.[citation needed]
Following the end of Good News Week in 2000, McDermott returned to live comedy and music with a trio called GUD, which toured major Australian cities. The group featured Mick Moriarty, who McDermott had collaborated with on Good News Week, and Cameron Bruce, who he later collaborated with on the Sideshow.[citation needed] Their songs were mostly about topical issues and allowed McDermott to push boundaries further than he had been able to on TV by extensive use of profanity and mockery of tragic events.[citation needed]
Following the end of the relaunched Good News Week in 2011, McDermott toured Australia in shows called Paul Sings, which featured non-comedic songs from his previous TV appearances and humorous stories about McDermott's time in the entertainment industry.[citation needed]
In 2013, he wrote and performed a show called The Dark Garden. The show featured non-comedic songs with increasingly dark lyrics dealing with mortality, following the death of several of his friends. The songs were interspersed with comedic material in which McDermott spoke about his experiences in the entertainment industry, reflections on global politics and banter with the audience.
In 2014, McDermott reunited with Tim Ferguson for a relaunched Doug Anthony All Stars, with new guitarist Paul Livingston. The group performed a combination of old material and new comedic material about their experiences of ageing, including the impacts of Ferguson's multiple sclerosis.[citation needed]
In 2019, McDermott teamed up with Steven Gates from music comedy trio Tripod for a series of live shows called Paul McDermott and Gatesy Live. They released an independent EP called the Bloody Lovelies. Their songs were a mix of comedic songs and non-comedic songs, once again interspersed with comedic material.
In 2021, McDermott teamed up with guitarist Glenn Moorhouse for a series of shows called Paul McDermott Plus One. The pair initially began performing online during Covid lockdowns, but later performed live. They released an EP called I've Seen the Future and You're Not In It.
McDermott describes his performance style as "in your face and unapologetic, grotesque, offensive, loud. But it's all essentially me with the amp turned up—I don't own that many great acting skills."[34] He has stated that he does not consider any subject out of bounds in terms of comedy, which is "one of [his] problems". "I honestly believe you can make a joke about anything if you have something to say," he says. "It really depends on the motivation... The moral objective, I suppose." He is interested in topical humour and targets issues about which he feels passionately, including the detainment of David Hicks, the AWB scandal, torture and the War on Terror.[35]
In 1995 he wrote, directed and performed in a stage show entitled MOSH!, which he says is based on "my drug-addled observations when I've been abusing substances". MOSH! received a range of responses; it won the award for best fringe show at the Adelaide festival and was described by one reviewer as "often hilarious", but was savaged by other critics as being "gratuitously offensive".[10]Columbia Artists expressed interest in the show, but after nearly a decade of international travel with the Doug Anthony All Stars, McDermott did not wish to go to New York to do an off-Broadway show.[8]
He reappeared in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 2002 with Cameron Bruce and Mick Moriarty in a music-based comedy trio called GUD.[36] The group uses topical humour in its music; their act includes songs about Osama bin Laden, the transportation of live animal stock and what they describe as contemporary Australian "folk heroes" such as Chopper Read, Rene Rivkin and convicted serial killerIvan Milat.[37] McDermott says that GUD is in a similar vein to the Doug Anthony All Stars in that it revolves around music, comedy and the inter-relationships between the band members onstage.[38] According to McDermott, the group is named GUD in mockery of the way American people pronounce the word "God", "because that's who Americans thank at awards ceremonies, and I thought someone should be taking the credit."[34] Their 2003 show, "Gud Ugh", won The Age Critic's Choice Award for best Australian show of the festival.[39]
In 2002, he also performed a solo stand-up show entitled Comedyoscopy, a deconstruction of comedy, comedic techniques and what makes people laugh.[40] He has frequently participated in the televised Comedy Festival Gala, appearing in 2008 as its host, and has often captained one of the two competing teams in the festival's Great Debate since his first debate appearance in 1994.[41]
Other projects
McDermott has written as a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald, The Weekend Australian and The Age. In late 2000, a selection of his columns were published in his first solo book, The Forgetting of Wisdom.[42] Prior to this, he had coauthored books with the Doug Anthony All Stars (Book, DAAS Kapital and Trip) and the writers of Good News Week (Good News Week Books One and Two).[43]
He has also written and illustrated three children's books, two of which (being The Scree and The Girl Who Swallowed Bees) have been adapted into short films with McDermott scripting, directing, performing and painting all of the animations.[5] McDermott describes the stories as "little Gothic, dark, morality tales" which draw on the dark children's tales he consumed during his own childhood, such as the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales.[44] The 2004 film adaptation of The Scree won Best Film at the 2005 Flickerfest International Film Festival and was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Short Fiction Film, while The Girl Who Swallowed Bees (2007) won the AFI Award for Best Short Animation.[45][46] McDermott says he enjoys filmmaking because it brings together all of his skills. He reportedly has plans to work on a third short film, entitled Crab Boy and the Girl in the Shell, and has expressed an interest in moving into feature films.[33][47] He also voiced characters in the 2009 short film Tegan the Vegan.
McDermott has also had roles in Australian film, musical theatre and radio. In 2002, he appeared in the Australian theatre production of The Witches of Eastwick in the role of Darryl Van Horne. Despite having sworn he would never do a musical, McDermott says he was interested in the show because "it was still forming, still shaping. It's more challenging than doing a musical that's already in place."[48] He has also had small acting roles in several Australian films, including that of the band manager in The Night We Called It a Day and Trevor in the TV miniseries Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story.[49] In 2020, it was reported that he would play the leading role in an upcoming miniseries, The Home Team, opposite actress, Tara Morice.[50] Between 1996 and 1997 he co-hosted the breakfast radio program on Triple J with Mikey Robins, Steve Abbott and later Jen Oldershaw.[43]
Since the end of Good News Week, McDermott has toured in a series of concerts called "Paul Sings", in which he performed a number of serious songs, most of which were previously aired on Good News Week or The Sideshow.[citation needed]
He was appointed Fringe Ambassador for the Adelaide Fringe in 2013.[51][52]
Throughout 2018 to 2020, McDermott turned many of his paintings into a short children's picture book, "Ghostbear".[53] The book published in late 2020, through Omnibus Books (an imprint of Scholastic) to critical and commercial success.[54]
The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001.[61] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Doug Anthony All Stars were an Australian musical comedy group who initially performed together between 1984 and 1994. The group were an acoustic trio, originally comprising Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson on main vocals and Richard Fidler on guitar and backing vocals. The group reformed in 2014, with Paul Livingston replacing Fidler on guitar.
The Big Gig was a popular Australian television sketch comedy music/variety series based on the British TV series Saturday Live. It was produced and broadcast on ABC TV in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was produced and directed by Ted Robinson, who started his career as the director of the second series of the acclaimed The Aunty Jack Show in the early 1970s, and Neil Wilson.
Good News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and 11 February 2008 to 28 April 2012. The show's initial run aired on ABC until being bought by Network Ten in 1999. The show was revived for its second run when the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike caused many of Network Ten's imported US programs to cease production.
Mark Trevorrow is an Australian comedian, television host and media personality. In the early 1980s he had two Top 20 hits as part of Globos with Wendy De Waal, and in 1984, he debuted "Bob Downe", who went on to become his best-known character. After being very successful at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987, Trevorrow split his time touring between England and Australia. He has appeared extensively on television, released four albums, and written a book.
Frank Woodley is an Australian comedian, author and musician who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. The two first performed together for almost 20 years in live shows, a television series and an album of comedic songs, before deciding to pursue individual careers in 2006. They announced their reformation in November 2017.
Eddie Perfect is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, comedian, writer and actor.
Adam Christopher Hills is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. In Australia, he hosted the music quiz show Spicks and Specks from 2005 to 2011, and again in 2021 onwards, and the talk show Adam Hills Tonight from 2011 to 2013. In the United Kingdom, he has hosted the talk show The Last Leg since 2012. He has been nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award, the Gold Logie Award and numerous BAFTA TV Awards.
DAAS Kapital is an Australian television comedy series written by and starring comedy trio the Doug Anthony All Stars with supporting cast members Paul Livingston, Michael Petroni, Bob Downe and Khym Lam. The title is a reference to the trio's acronym "DAAS" and Karl Marx's economic treatise Das Kapital.
Richard Fidler is an Australian radio presenter and writer, best known for his hour-long interview program, Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC's Radio National, and as a former member of the Australian comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars. Conversations consists of in-depth interviews with local and international guests from all walks of life, and has been very popular as a podcast.
Peter Berner is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter, cartoonist and painter. He hosted The Einstein Factor and Backberner on ABC Television. He previously hosted the news comedy TV series The B Team with Peter Berner on Sky News Australia.
DAAS Icon is the first and only studio album recorded and released by Australian comedy trio, the Doug Anthony All Stars. Released in 1990, it features the singles "I Want to Spill the Blood of a Hippy" and "Bottle". Icon went on to become the highest-selling independent album in Australia, but was banned in the UK due to a reference to the IRA in the song "KRSNA". This was later overturned by a British court.
Timothy Dorcen Langbene Ferguson is an Australian comedian, film director, screenwriter, author and screenwriting teacher.
Paul James Livingston, popularly known as his alter ego Flacco, is an Australian comedian who has regularly appeared on many television shows, predominantly on ABC TV and Network Ten, including Good News Week, The Sandman and Flacco Special, The Big Gig, DAAS Kapital, The Money or the Gun, The Fat and The Sideshow. He also was on Triple J Breakfast from 1994 to 1997, Doom Runners (1997), and is on ABC Radio National. He has also acted on stage and in film. He was joint winner of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award in 1996 for outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Australia. Livingston also wrote the play Emma's Nose about the relationship of Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Fliess and their patient Emma Eckstein. Livingston also starred in The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey by Vincent Ward.
The Sideshow was a one-hour Australian television comedy/variety series that was broadcast on ABC TV in 2007. The show was a mixture of stand-up comedy, sketches, live music, circus acts, cabaret and burlesque. Hosted by Paul McDermott, The Sideshow regularly featured performances and sketches by Claire Hooper, Flacco, The Umbilical Brothers, and Tripod.
Claire Hooper is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter and writer. Hooper is co-hosting The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Mel Buttle.
Samuel Jonathan McMillan is an Australian musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter who performs under the stage name Sammy J. He embraces a variety of media in his comedy, including the use of video and self-composed music, and frequently collaborates with fellow Australian puppet comedian Randy Feltface. He has released several CDs and DVD compilations of his work; most recently the album Symphony in J Minor which was nominated for Best Comedy Release at the 2019 ARIA Awards. He has performed at comedy festivals in Australia, Edinburgh and Montreal, and has appeared on various Australian television shows, including Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane, a sitcom based on the duo's touring show of the same name. He currently produces a weekly political sketch for ABC Television, satirising the news through various characters, and is the Breakfast presenter on ABC Radio Melbourne.
Thomas Francis Gleeson is an Australian stand-up comedian, writer, television and radio presenter. Gleeson formerly co-hosted The Weekly with Charlie Pickering alongside Judith Lucy and currently hosts Hard Quiz and Taskmaster Australia.
GUD is an Australian comedic music-based trio composed of Paul McDermott, previously of the Doug Anthony All Stars, former Gadflys guitarist Mick Moriarty, and Club Luna Band keyboard player Cameron Bruce. According to McDermott, the group is named GUD in mockery of the way American people pronounce the word "god", "because that's who Americans thank at awards ceremonies, and I thought someone should be taking the credit." The group has performed at both the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival; at the latter, their 2003 show "GUD Ugh" won The Age Critic's Choice Award for best show of the festival. They appeared at the Montreal Comedy Festival in a special showcasing of comedy from Australia.
The Fantastic Leslie was a four-piece band from Sydney, Australia and was the starting point for three of Australia's popular and successful comedians and musicians.
Dave Thornton is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, television and radio presenter. He has performed stand-up comedy throughout Australia, in Edinburgh, Singapore and New York. He has also appeared on Australian television and radio.
References
↑ Trenoweth, Samantha (August 1998). "News Boy". Juice. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
↑ Bramwell, Murray (1992). Wanted for Questioning: Interviews with Australian Comic Artists. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin. pp.131–141. ISBN978-0044423560.
↑ Staff Writer (12 March 2000). "Yes, Prime Minister". The Sunday Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
↑ Staff writer (10 April 1996). "Review". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
↑ Schembri, Jim (26 March 1998). "Now for the News". The Age. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
↑ Scatena, Dino (26 November 1998). "This Is Serious, Mac!". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
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