Another year shuffles to an end. The Conchords still exist, but the TV series is no more. We have many happy memories from the two seasons that were and the tours that took in the US and a few stops in Canada. Next year brings a European tour of some description, more solo projects from both Bret and Jemaine and who knows what else. Whatever it is, I look forward to seeing what happens next.
Some of our forum members contributed to a special Thank You for the guys and their colleagues, co stars and friends. Their pics, words and photoshopping skills can be seen below. Click on images for larger size. Me, I'd just like to say thank you guys, James, Rhys, Kristen and everyone else connected to the show. The show was a slow burn for me, but has turned into a long lasting love affair. Class stuff.
Fan Thank You's!
Thank you, Jemaine and Bret, for sharing yourselves with us. The TV show wasn't the first of the Conchords or the be-all-and-all of what you're about, but I'm so thankful you did it because I might not have discovered you if not for that show. And if I hadn't discovered you, I wouldn't have discovered the board, where I've made so many wonderful real-life friends and where I found that not only can I play the ukulele, but that it's a joy I never thought I'd experience! I also get to share the love of the show and your music with my son and I can't tell you how cool it is to hear him make a reference to something Conchordian and the grin he gets doing it! It's also because of you guys that I've been introduced to new music I probably never would have otherwise heard like The Black Seeds, The Phoenix Foundation, and the WIUO. The same can be said for the new comedians and actors I might not have seen or heard of had it not been for you- Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal, Arj Barker, David Costabile, Frank Wood, Eugene Mirman, Jim Gaffigan, ...all so wonderful. James Bobin, brilliant. Taika Waititi - brilliant and funny. Loren Horsley- brilliant. So many more....I look forward to all that they and you will do in the future and I thank you for all that you've given us - and to me. It means a great deal.
- LauraK
To Bret, Jemaine and everyone connected with the Conchords:
If I had half your creativity, this might have been a more fitting tribute, but all I can say is thank you for the good times. You’ve given us all a lot of laughs, both with you and with one another. It must have taken such a huge amount of work to come up with two seasons’ worth of the TV show… plus the tours… plus your other projects… and have your own lives as well. It has all been deeply appreciated and we wish you well.
- Love from Trefusis xx
Since I am no good with the Photoshop or English in any way I will keep it simple: Thanks
Because all of you are. Thanks for the laughs, the wit and the music that tied it all together. I cannot wait to see what's next!
- jillbean
by nonchalant obsession
by Mohumbia Mania
Hey Guys!
Just wanted to say sorry that my flash went off during your Chicago show, it was turned on by mistake, but reflected nicely off your mylar blanket. It actually ended up being the only photo I have (that is not blurry) and that moment captured a great memory from the show. You all have a gift for quick witted banter, you can take the smallest bit of minutiae and turn it into comedic greatness. It shows in your television show and well as live shows. I have such an appreciation for all the laughter you have given us on CD, TV, YouTube and all other digital formats out there. Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. I had never heard of Flight of the Conchords until I was channel surfing and caught the middle of the song Inner City Pressure and was intrigued by how one could incorporate the term "concert flautist" and make it work in a song. Little intricacies always catch my attention and your attention to detail in creating catchy songs/intriguing sitcom plots kept me coming back every Sunday night week after week. I'm glad the Emmy nominating committee gave you the recognition that you all so dearly deserve, (even though I truly believe you were robbed of the best song for Carol Brown) hopefully more of the world will now see what we have come to see in you these past few years. You have a such gift of creativeness that I know one day in the distant future I'll somehow again will catch a quirky bit of dialogue or music when I least expect it and will know it originated from the two best New Zealand exports - Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement!
Cheers, Christina a/k/a Whambi
Our Diagnosis: Death DVD winners are R1 - Anna and Matthew and R2 John and Alison. Congrats. Check your email as I've just sent out to all of you letting you know ;)
And while I am here....if you are celebrating
such things, Seasons Greetings
and a Happy New Year
And to everyone, everywhere Peace
and Happiness to you and yours
Thanks to everyone who has supported myself
and What The Folk! this year.
Sherry
December 14 2009 - Is this thing on?
I have been busy doing stuff. Hence the lack of updates. Mind you, there hasn't really been all that much in the way of news other than Bret talked to NME (UK magazine), Jemaine's film Gentlemen Bronco's got pulled from pretty much everywhere after a short release, though reviews for his role were good. Let me see, what else, o yes, the Conchords revamped their official website, so it once again has some more up to date content. They also shared with the world via this new revamped official site that there will not be a third season of Flight of The Conchords. A decision I understand and respect. I wish them well in their further career adventures be it as part of FoTheC or as individual artists/performers.
Now to something up and coming. Diganosis: Death, a film starring Bret McKenzie and Rhys Darby with a small part for Jemaine Clement is due for release on December 29 in the US. Pre order the DVD here --> Diagnosis: Death
Two lucky fans (US only) can win copies of this film on DVD by answering one simple question -
What is the name of the New Zealand actress who appears briefly alongside Jemaine in Diagnosis: Death and starred in another of his films, Eagle vs Shark?EMAIL YOUR ANSWER (closing date December 19)
Also have two region 2 (UK and Europe) copies of Diganosis: Death to dish out (better late than never) so if you'd like a chance to win one of them, answer the same question and email me by December 19.
Click on image for full size R1 DVD cover goodness
October 23 2009 - Eh? Purple vinyl and a dinky badge and other swag!
That is if you ordered your Conchords album I Told You I Was Freaky through subpop. Vinyl is purple I am told. And some swag was thrown in with the CD. So Sub Pop what about the cassette tape goodies is what I want to know. Some of us are waiting.....
Yes, the much anticipated new Conchords album is finally here. Lots of feedback, reviews and stuff online which I will spare you from as I am sure you are all old enough to make up your own minds on what you like and why. Its on CD, vinyl and in download format on iTunes and Amazon (buying via Amazon off the link here will help support WTF!).
Also new Gentlemen Broncos trailers are with us. Excellentionous amazingnous. Sorted.
Thanks Weston for this clip.
There are some advanced screenings taking place around the US. You can read the screening listing here (go into the main site for more) and see if you can RSVP for a couple of tickets in your area. Apparently at the advanced screening at the Arclight in LA on October 28 there will be on display three outfits as worn by one Mr Jemaine Clement in his role as one of the greatest science fiction authors of our time, Dr Chevalier. Yes you can press up against the glass cases, sigh longlingly and almost smell them while picturing Jemaine in them. If that's your kind of thing. If not then what's wrong with you?
Moving on.... Bret has been on a lil bit of the recent Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra tour in New Zealand. I've heard lots of good things about the tour and shall try to compile some pics and news for you in the coming week or two. You can follow the WIUO on both Twitter and friend them on Facebook and can see some updates on the tour on their Facebook page. TVNZ has a great review of their recent gig in Auckland.
And just mentioning this here, hoping some people won't get too upset at the thought, but Eugene Mirman was interviewed recently and said he didn't expect there to be a third season of Conchords at all. You can read more over on Exclaim
October 2 2009 - Conchords at the Emmys and on Rock Band
The Emmys I get. Cause I know what they are. Just. But being a total avoider of all things games console like, Rock Band went whooshing over my head and off into the sunset. Still I am sure some of you are thrilled at the latter prospect.
Here is a clip of the Conchords and third Conchord James Bobin on the red carpet at the Emmy's. And yes both guys got haircuts and those would appear to be Jemaine's new glasses. Not sure what that is over Bret's top lip though.
The Conchords didn't win any of those shiny globe things. Some guy in some other show pipped Jemaine to the the big shiny globe thing. And same in the other catagories the show was nominated in. Other people took the awards home (or had their minions do so). Ah well, always next ti..... O wait, there doesn't seem to be anymore of the TV show happening so that throws a spanner in the works there. Still congrats to Bret, Jemaine and James Bobin for their noms.
Diagnosis: Death appears to have an October 15 New Zealand release on DVD. Different cover than the UK/region 2 release earlier in the year also. Read more about it over on Fatso
September 14 2009 - That silence you can hear is my brain not working
Loud isn't it. Was caught up with moving house for a while there. I'd not even finished unpacking from the last move and we were off again. Hence updates being scarce for a while. New house meant no internet so was using technology to its fullest and circumnavigating round that minor problem to get online. And watch the final Ashes test. But what of Conchords/Bret/Jemaine news? Hopefully some of the following is of interest....
Gentlemen Broncos, that long awaited film with Jemaine Clement sounding like a mini Micheal York in Austin Powers mode finally has a trailer online and a release date! Limited release date in the US but still its one! View the Gentlemen Broncos trailer here. Possible UK release date toward the end of 2009 but nothing definate on that yet.
You can buy tickets to the premiere of Gentlemen Broncos at the Fantastic Film Fest in Austin later this month. September 24 to be exact. 7pm to be even more so. Apparently Jemaine Clement, Jared Hess and others connected with the film will be there in person! Buy tickets here (though I'm not sure if they are sold out, limited or even if tix are up for grabs to mere mortals).
If your quest for tickets to the premiere fall flat, you may get lucky with a personal appearance. Yes Dr Ron, he of the largeous egoonious, high waisted trousers (pants) and perfectly coiffed hair will be at BookPeople not signing books. This non event is taking place on September 25 at 4PM at BookPeople, in Austin. Read more about this non event over at BookPeople
Jemaine's character, Ronald Chevalier is also on Twitter for those interested. @ronaldchevalier will find him and allow him to help you relaxitate and share with you how his Twitterverse is 'exploding with vessels of fresh cream' and teach you the power of Twitteronious Magicainous. I'm a convertonious.
The film promo department also outside themselves and lo we have a poster for it also. Click on image for full size view.
Next, a game of Where Are They Now? Bret is apparently in the US for the Emmy's. We know this as the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra appeared recently in Auckland and the non appearance of Bret was reported. Along with news that the orchestras third album is due for release. Read more about the album and also get news of their New Zealand tour starting at the end of September over on the official WIUO site . Read the press article about their in store appearance in Auckland here Am guessing Jemaine is in the US also or soon will be. The Conchords HBO TV series has a number of Emmy nominations this year so the guys will be dressing up and having a night out no doubt.
Predicament, filmed recently in New Zealand already has a bun fight over which town gets to host the film's premiere. So far Eltham where most of the film was shot seems to be pulling out all the stops. Is Hawera going to throw its donut in the box and tussle? Taranaki Daily News reports on Eltham's efforts to secure the film. Read TDN article here
Ok, enough wordionus stuffious. I'll save the rest for the next update. Plus I have to head out now.
August 11 2009 - Things to do when your computer HD dies.
Not update your website is top of the list. Closely followed by not read any Conchords news for a week. Third would be go find life outside of the internet and all things computerified. Having done all three I can quite confidently say the latter is not overrated in the least. I quite enjoyed being computerless. Got back to find lots of news awaiting me. So without further ado.....
New Zealand TV station C4 recently aired one of those Top 100 lists things called Rocked The Nation. Fronted by Rhys Darby. And the Conchords popped up at #24 on the list. View their bit of the show below. Read the article about Rhys and the show here
Some UK press coverage to tie in with the season 2 release of the Conchords HBO series. I'm too busy/lazy to go ruffle through all the magazines on the shelf but other eagle eyed fans are keener than me. So thanks to Venus for the scans from Front magazine. Yes that highbrow mens monthly mag features a four page spread on the Conchords.
Click thumbnails below for full size scans.
Then something calling itself The London Paper has an interview with the Conchords. Read it below.
Interview: Flight of the Conchords by Sarah Lucy May
Still haven’t caught music-based sitcom Flight of the Conchords? Now’s the time as series two hits DVD. Kiwi creators and stars Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie talk to thelondonpaper about fame, superfans and girlfriends...
You’re huge in the States – packed shows, Flight of the Conchords blackjack tables in Vegas... Where did it all start?
Jemaine: We were in this sort of improv show with a big group of people and Bret was so funny. He was playing this New York character who could fly. You have to ask him to do it. Bret: I think it was along the lines of the old gag, “I just flew in from Pittsburgh and, boy, are my arms tired”.
When did you think, “Hey, this might take off?”
B: I guess when we first started. We played Thursday nights in Wellington, and we had a group of fans that was pretty much five girls, maybe one dude, and they came every week. They’d scream and shout as though we were a famous band. J: Somehow these five people, they inspired us. We were like: “We’ve got it man. These five people love it.” B: “If they like it...” J: “...what’s it going to be like in America?”
Bret, do you ever worry about Jemaine’s lyrics, like when he said he wanted to put a wig on you and pretend you were a lady?
B: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. J: Bret doesn’t like doing that song. B: It’s really disappointing that that one’s become huge.
What’s the worst jumper you own, Bret?
B: The worst? The best, you mean. J: The least best. B: Do you mean my animal jerseys? That first owl jersey I wore was actually my own. Then I got this penguin jersey and it’s sort of something like your grandmother would wear. It’s cool.
Do you have a Mel-like superfan in real life?
B: Mel’s a mix of half a dozen fans we’ve had over the years. J: A lot of her weirdest lines are direct quotes.
Doesn’t Bret have special fans that are into his performance as an elf in Lord of the Rings?
B: It’s very embarrassing. I was only in it for about five seconds.
Have you ever ended up back at a superfan’s house like in the show?
J: When we first came to LA we literally didn’t have enough cash to pay for a hotel for the whole time. So we had this fan, it was kind of complex, basically we ended up at her house... B: Yeah, she said, “Well, what should we do?” and I said, “I don’t know” and she said, “Do you guys want to watch a movie?” I’m like, “OK” and then the only DVD she owns is Lord Of The Rings...
So which one of you guys gets the most ladies?
J: We’ve got one each.
Is that an improvement from before the show?
J: It’s the same as before! It’s stayed the same.
Is there any band style you haven’t parodied?
B: Gregorian chants. And acid jazz. We never got acid jazz. [Source]
NME are running a Win A Trip To New Zealand competition. View the Conchords page here and the competition page here. You need to be registered/signed in to view the question, which is related to the first clip. Apparently.
Raybon Kan has been asked and has answered your questions regarding Diagnosis: Death and other things. View the Q&A over HERE. Don't forget Raybon is performing his stand up show Spermbank Millionaire at the Edinburgh Fringe this month. What's the show about? Apparently this...
A million sperm doesn’t go far, especially at today’s exchange rate. Intellectile dysfunction? Premature opinionation? Squeezed by the cranium crunch? New Zealand’s favourite bespectacled Chinese comedian provides oral relief with a soothing dab of his stimulus package. Award-winning, thought-provoking, thought-spanking. You’ll be glad you came. Booking info for the show
July 28 2009 - You'll have to read it all to find out......
Jemaine Clement has been officially named as a cast member of the film Predicament. Nothing new to fans reading this site as I broke the news here weeks back. Still, good to have it finally confirmed and his role known. Jemaine has been cast as Spook with Cedric Williamson played by Hayden Frost, a Wellington theatre actor acting in his first movie. Australian comedian Heath Franklin is playing Mervyn Toebeck.
Apparently Jemaine wasn't available to press yesterday but the other lead actors from the film were. My guess to why this was so is that the makers and Jemaine possibly don't want to have this become all about Jemaine and the Conchords. Therefore keeping a lower profile so as to not draw too much attention. Of course, this is all guesswork on my part. Anyone knowing any different is welcome to email in and set things straight ;)
I've thrown together a Predicament movie page here on WTF!. It has all the press reports, pics, info and more. Read it all over onPredicament
People on Facebook and fans of the Conchords might like this. An email from Ross at Premier PR explains that over the course of this week they will be giving away signed copies of the DVD on their FOTC facebook fanpage. So get over there and have a squizz for the giveaways when they are listed. I think this giveaway applies to UK based fans only.
In the meantime you can view this handy widget of the upcoming season DVD release. And if you are wanting to click on things, some pics below that will magically appear bigger when you click on them!
Diagnosis: Death, the film featuring Bret, Rhys and a cameo by Jemaine is out in the UK on August 3. If you'd like to ask a few questions of Raybon Kan, who stars in the film with the guys email me asap. Kan has worked with Jemaine in the past on Tongan Ninja. Amazon UK have the film listed forpre order here
I've been sent a copy of the upcoming season 2 Flight of The Conchords DVD and went straight to the extras naturally! Outtakes, deleted scenes, Dave's Pawn Shop ads, I've seen them all. Not found the easter egg yet. Might have something to do with I've not looked for it ;) Have to say I loved the outtakes. I won't give much away here but suffice to say hearing Jemaine laugh as much as he does is very amusing. Also the scene with certain foodstuffs is priceless. I'll write more later if I get chance.
July 22 2009 - Las Vegas tour poster on sale and new album news
Finally it's here! My personal favourite from the Conchords recent North American tour has a few copies left. Nic Marshall has some for sale via Etsy. Last time I checked there were only 17 left so be quick if you want one. View and purchase here Many thanks to Nic for a cool poster (one of which will be adorning my wall soon) and for sending along all the info for me to share.
Track listing for the Conchords upcoming album, I Told You I Was Freaky is now listed
Hurt Feelings
Sugalumps
We’re Both in Love with a Sexy Lady
I Told You I Was Freaky
Demon Woman
Rambling Through the Avenues of Time
Fashion Is Danger
Petrov, Yelyena and Me
Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)
You Don’t Have to Be a Prostitute
Friends
Carol Brown
Angels
July 20 2009 - Look who landed in New Plymouth. A bit secretly. Apparently.
Yes, Tim Finn! And some other guy. Called Jemaine. NZ Stuff reports via the Taranaki Daily News -
A Conchord flew into New Plymouth Airport yesterday, along with New Zealand music legend Tim Finn, amid secrecy.
Jemaine Clement, best known for being half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, arrived at the airport on a flight from Auckland with New Zealand music legend Tim Finn.
The Taranaki Daily News understands the pair are in town for the filming of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson novel Predicament in South Taranaki.
Yesterday production company Novel Productions was remaining tightlipped about Clement and Finn's involvement. However, publicist Sue May said all would be revealed at a special on-set media day next week in Eltham.
Both are professional musicians, suggesting that director Jason Stutter might be planning to use them in a Morrieson-type dance band, in addition to acting roles. He has been talking to former musical associates of Morrieson.
However, we do know some council people have been roped in as extras: South Taranaki Mayor Ross Dunlop is part of a bootlegging liquor gang and councillor Mike Powell a policeman. Communications manager Gerard Langford doesn't yet know his part. [Source]
Notice the spooky similarity? They could be twins!
Yes, Jemaine appears to be sporting hair and glasses. As does the book. I'm guessing the glasses are for the film and he'll go back to his usual style once filming is done. That's dedication to art right there that is. Who knew Jemaine was a teeny tiny bit of a method actor.
Diagnosis: Death news - Promo stills from the film can be viewed online. Be warned, right clicking to view full size equals monsterously huge images that make it seem like Bret and Jemaine are life size. So that should appeal to some ladies out there ;) View pics here
Not sure if I've mentioned these but special features for the season 2 HBO series DVD include
Deleted Scenes (23 minutes)
Outtakes (8 minutes)
Dave’s Pawn Shop commercials (6 minutes)
Flight of the Conchords; Taking Off (30 minutes)
Easter Egg: Doggie Dance (2 minutes)
July 16 2009 - You know that thing about buses
Waiting for ages for one and then three appear at once.... ok maybe not, but its a spookily scary same thing in the Conchords world. Only they are not buses.
In no particular order....
TheDiagnosis: Death trailer is now up on the official film UK website. View it here Bret, Jemaine and Rhys make appearances in it somewhere. Extras on the region 2 DVD release include behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes and commentary. You can also view some promo pics from the film here
The second studio album from the Conchords is due October 20! They had to get nominated for Emmys for Subpop to drop a mention but hey, we'll take what we can get. Read more over on Sub Pop Congrats to Jemaine, Bret, James and everyone for the noms.
Jemaine Clement film news next. First, Gentlemen Broncos is finally seeing the light of day and will open Fantastic Fest 2009. Read more about it on the Fantastic Fest blog. Next, Despicable Me trailer now online. In US cinemas July 9 2010.
Rhys Darby is now on Twitter. You can find him tweeting here as @RhysieDarby. The other Rhys Darby types on there claiming to be him are not. Obviously. You can also find Rhys on Facebook as he has set up a new fan page there.
July 8 2009 - Diagnosis: Death - Something to take the edge off your Conchords withdrawl perhaps
Firstly this, the official approved by the cast cover (this is the Blu-Ray version but normal DVD release also).
Click on image for full size goodness
Next this about the film from Luisa at the Revolver Group, handling the UK distribution (appears also to be a Conchords fan ;)
Jemaine does indeed have an hilarious cameo whilst Rhys has some key scenes and Bret one of the main stars. The film is a low-fi NZ comedy horror with some gruesome parts and as a massive FOTC fan myself, I personally think their lines are hilarious and the film is worth watching just for that!
There will be a website but its not quite ready and live yet. And all being well yours truly will be getting her mits in a few copes to give away to fans via a competition of some sort. So watch this space. Also a few other things hopefully lined up but just waiting to hear back on them before posting.
June 30 2009 - Another year older.... yesterday
That'd be Bret I'm meaning. 33 at the last count. Or is it 34 now. Anyways, hope it was a good one Bret :)
Next, film news. Following up on the news that this film has Jemaine attached to it (but no role confirmed as yet)
Party to kick off filming - By RICHARD WOOD - Taranaki Daily News 01/07/2009
There's so little public activity you'd hardly know a full-length feature film was being made in South Taranaki, but that's all about to change.
The South Taranaki District Council is laying on a welcome party next Friday for the 50-odd cast and crew of Midnight Productions, who are involved in the making of Predicament.
Invited guests will get a chance to meet the star (as yet unnamed but almost certainly Jemaine Clement, one half of the Flight of the Conchords), the director and screenplay writer Jason Stutter and producer Sue Rogers.
A new clue to the star's identity is the latest reprint of Ronald Hugh Morrieson's novel by Dunmore Publishing, which has a black-haired, black horn-rimmed spectacled chap on the cover that strongly suggests Clement in the lead role of Cedric Williamson.
Company publicist Sue May says everything is going according to schedule with filming starting in mid-July and running through to August, at unidentified locations through the district. However, they are urgently looking for more crew accommodation.
"We need good quality furnished houses in Hawera that are available to rent. This is because although the motels are very helpful, and we are using them, we seem to have booked out the whole town and we have more people still to accommodate," she says.
Anyone able to help should contact Gerald Langford, communications manager at the STDC.
Set building is in full swing in the old Warehouse building right in the centre of Hawera, but the windows have been covered over.
One thing that is known is the director has asked Taranaki Newspapers to print a 200-copy run of a special newspaper, called The Harperton Herald, so obviously something in the movie is going to make headlines.
The big unknown is: Whose house will be used to represent the Williamson family home?
New cover of book - click on image for full size
AlsoNew Zealand On Screen have a couple of clips online to view of the (young looking) Conchords in 2002 on their way and in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival. View them here (clips 15 and 17 as you scroll through).
Also on the site a few notable vid clips including Dawnskate - 88 by Video Kid (aka Bret McKenzie), Taika Waititi directed/starring clips can be found here
June 22 2009 - When did this film have the Conchords centre stage?
Not on the cast listing and certainly not in the reports I've read. Everything so far indicates that in the film Diagnosis: Death Jemaine has a only a cameo and Bret and Rhys are co stars, not lead roles. So if you buy this film expecting it to be an all out Conchords reunion, be prepared for that *not* to be the case. Sure they are in it, but don't bank on them having most of the screen time. Just in case they don't :p
Product Description
THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS cast make the transition from Emmy Award-Winning comedy show to feature film in this spoof Horror reminiscent of Kiwi legend Peter Jackson's work. A SUPERNATURAL FORCE brings together 2 lost souls united by their love of literature, who after a sinister twist of fate are diagnosed with terminal cancer and the pair are sent to an experimental drug-testing facility run by a creepy Doctor (FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS' BRET MCKENZIE). When the facility is locked down for the weekend and the drugs begin to take effect, the human guinea pigs begin to experience ominous hallucinations pointing to a horrific murder. Unsure of where reality stops and the drugs have taken hold, the apparitions become more threatening and the only way to leave the facility alive is to discover the truth about the haunting dark secret.
PS - Am still dubious about this DVD release. It probably is legit but the cover is lets face it, heavily photoshopped. Let's hope more info about it comes in soon.
However, a recent article in the NZ press has said of the film
The previously secret movie, Diagnosis Death, was filmed in Wellington last year and stars comedian and writer Raybon Kan, Jessica Grace Smith and Suze Tye. McKenzie and Darby also have parts in the film, and Clement has a "hilarious cameo", director Jason Stutter told The Dominion Post.
US rights to the film have been snapped up but no news as yet on if and when it will see either a theatrical or DVD release. I'll be sure to keep you posted.
June 20 2009 - Wait, what's this? A news update?
It had to happen sometime. Since the tour ended very little has happened on the Conchords front. In fact, I'll venture nothing at all. Unless you count the continued delayed release of their second full length studio album. And umm, Bret having a birthday soon. I know, another one! Shocking. And that's not technically news yet as it doesn't happen for a few more days.
Anyways, I've been busy. I compiled a Conchords 2009 Tour poster gallery on WTF! for you. You can view it here. You can also view posters from previous gigs/tours and some of the posters that were not used on the most recent one. Go here for those. I had posted about this ages ago on Twitter and of course then forgot to mention it in an update here :|
Mitch from OMG Posters was the curator of the tour series and has also recently stopped by our forum to explain a few things about them. He said -
Hey guys, it's Mitch from Postersandtoys/OMGPosters. First of all, big thanks to anyone that ordered something recently. I promise that I'm legit and you'll be happy .
These are not the tour leftovers, I just had a few copies of each poster. I am indeed the one that set up the series, hope you guys liked it. I think the band should have the leftover posters from the tour for sale eventually, that was the plan anyway.
Again, a huge thanks to all of you for the supporting the poster campaign, I'm pretty proud of it. [View post]
Most of the posters are now sold out via the online stores but Mitch has some left (a few only) on his store Posters & Toys (put 'Conchords' into the search to find posters)
Next, Rhys Darby has a new page for fans on Facebook. He is asking fans on Facebook to move over there to follow his goings on. Become a fan of Rhys on Facebook here Don't forget you can also see Rhys at the Edinburgh Fringe festival this August. He is doing 10 nights at the Underbelly and tickets are still available. Buy tickets here
And while we await official confirmation about Jemaine having a role in the soon to start filming Jason Stutter film, Predicament, the NZ press have picked up on the news and are reporting on it. Read more here So here is hoping that Jemaine is still attached to the film and Jason wasn't telling porkies in the interview with Indie Express.
June 4 2009 - New film with Jemaine on board? Starts shooting next month!
A WTF! first (at least I hope so). News just in about Jemaine's next project from a reliable source. A Jason Stutter directed film from the novel Predicament by Ronald Hugh Morrieson will be filmed in South Taranaki in July-August this year. It has a budget of NZ$ around $5 -$6 million and part funding from South Taranaki District Council and The NZ Film Commission. And the plot, as I am sure all the Jemaine fans are wondering is racy comedy crime caper, set in the mid-1930s. Read about the film here.
And if that leaves you asking how do I know Jemaine is attached to this film? Well there is this interview with Jason Stutter where he says
IE: What is next for you?
Jason: We're currently putting together the finance to shoot a comedy-crime-caper feature film, which has Jemaine Clement from HBO's Flight of the Conchords attached. The New Zealand Film Commission have also funded the writing of a couple of my feature treatments.
So yeah, you Jemaine fans have something to talk about again ;) Many thanks to The Spook for the scoop.
May 28 2009 - DVD press release! UK (R2) only, but still, get the extras!
IT’S NOT TV, IT’S HBO - FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS - The Complete Second Season - RELEASED ON DVD 3 AUGUST
‘Extraordinarily funny’ - The Guardian
‘Comic gold…brilliant, indescribably droll’ - Daily Telegraph
‘Made me laugh laughs I didn’t know I had’ - The Sunday Times
Get Ready to Folk! New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk parody duo FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS are back to take on New York in the second season of their four time Emmy-nominated smash hit comedy released on DVD on 3 August by HBO Home Entertainment.
This is a must have for any music and comedy fan as the show grows from cult to mainstream status. If you’ve seen the BBC4 broadcast or are a fan of the comedy styling’s of The Mighty Boosh, Peep Show or Gavin and Stacey you’re in for a treat! The DVD is packed with special features including outtakes, deleted scenes and several featurettes including a mini documentary on the band’s pursuit of fame, Dave’s Pawn Shop Commercials’ and a hilarious dance clip hidden ‘Easter Egg’.
Music comedy duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie return as the hapless musicians who left their native New Zealand for New York’s Lower East Side in a bid for world domination. Familiar faces return including hapless manager Murray (Rhys Darby, The Boat That Rocked, Yes Man ), who still works at the bare-bones New Zealand consulate, Mel (Kristen Shaal), their obsessive Super-fan and Doug (David Costabile), her long-suffering husband. There’s a whole host of new, hilarious songs including ‘Sugalumps’: ‘All these bitches checkin’ out my britches/ Put ‘em in a trance/ When I wear track pants’ and Fashion is Danger’: ‘I’m larger than life with just a hint of lace’.
Over the course of the new season they resort to a variety of ridiculous and unconventional strategies in an attempt to jump-start their lives and career, working as prostitutes to pay off a reckless cup purchase, after Bret frivolously decides that they need more than one coffee cup in their apartment, starting up a gang to protect themselves from rappers they’ve dissed in their songs, dating an Australian – a massive taboo in New Zealand and even firing Murray who has to prove to them just why he’s the man for the job. The bands efforts rarely yield dividends but do spawn new tunes about life, love and their pursuit of an elusive music video…..
Clement and McKenzie first teamed up in 1998, performing briefly under the names Moustache and Vested Interest before becoming FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. Earning a worldwide cult following through their live performances, the duo was named Best Alternative Comedy Act at the 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, and Best Newcomer at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They released the live album “Folk the World” in 2002, and headlined a six-part BBC Radio 2 series, which won a Sony UK Comedy Award. They debuted on HBO in 2005 with their own “One-Night Stand.”
The show is co-written and created by eight time Emmy Award nominee James Bobin, who was a director and writer on the 11 O’Clock Show and Da Ali G Show and helped create the characters of Ali G, Borat and Bruno. Bobin had previously seen Bret and Jemaine perform and signed on to co-create the show Flight of the Conchords for HBO in 2007.
THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Release Date: 3 August 2009
Copyright: HBO Home Entertainment
Certificate: TBC
Genre: ComedyPrice: £24.99 RRP
Running Time: 269 minutes
Audio: English 5.1 Special Features: Deleted Scenes (23 minutes)
Outtakes (8 minutes)
Dave’s Pawn Shop commercials (6 minutes)
Flight of the Conchords; Taking Off (30 minutes)
Easter Egg: Doggie Dance (2 minutes)
SEASONS ONE AND TWO TWIN PACK
Release Date: 3 August 2009
Copyright: HBO Home Entertainment
Certificate: TBC
Genre: Comedy Series
Price: £34.99
Running Time: 629 minutes
Audio: English 5.1
Special features: As above
Covers for S1&2 and also S2 DVD's
Sounds good eh? So, no commentary, I guess the guys were too busy doing other things (North American tour gave them the perfect excuse so don't complain over there if the extras are the same) Looking forward to seeing the deleted scenes and outtakes. Is 8 minutes going to be enough? I was kind of hoping for 8 hours worth :p
Anyways, something to look forward to.
May 26 2009 - Well it couldn't go on forever
So here endeth the Conchords tour 2009. And what a tour it was. I'm going to do a highlights page soon and am finishing the tour roundup page, fan pics with the band page and also a tour posters page. All should be popping up around the site soon so check back for them.
In the meantime I'm trying to complete the tour poster page and am missing pics/artists for a few. Anyone who has posters from gigs in Minneapolis, Seattle - May 13 (the third night), San Diego, Las Vegas and Berkeley and is able to take a decent pic/scan of the poster and email it in, it would be much appreciated. Then I can finish the entire set of posters and share them with you. EMAIL ME If you can include the name of the artist also it would be great.
Also anyone with any pics of themselves with the guys (or one of the guys, Nigel, Arj, Kristen or Eugene) feel free to send them in for me to include on the Fans With The Band page. Wherever they were taken, out and about, at a meet and greet, if you would like to share, EMAIL ME
Also Taika Waititi has finished principal photography on his upcoming film The Volcano. Its now in post production. You can read more about it online at Flicks NZ. Read more here
May 20 2009 - The Conchords are aliens! Who knew?
So, what's todays little bundle of Conchords news? Not anything massive or earth shattering. Maybe planet exploding though? If you don't want to watch them all the way through, skip to around 4.50 on the first one, 3.25 on the second
and 2.10 onwards in the third, till the end. Some 3 legged aliens might take your fancy is all I'm saying ;)
Skip to 4.50 or so
Skip to 3.25 on the second
Skip to 2.10 in the third (till the end)
Would have been good if they had put a pair of glasses on one of them :p Anyways, gave me a giggle.
Next, NME scans. 2 pages, nothing we don't already know (unless you live under a rock under a camper van under ground somewhere or have been avoiding season 2 spoilers). Click thumbnails to view full size.
Gentlemen Broncos, Jemaine's next film has been picked up by Fox Searchlight and is due for release sometime this year. At the moment, all the general public have seen are clips of Jemaine's character Dr Chevalier. As to if and when we get a trailer that isn't all about him remains to be seen. Jemaine fans should know he actually doesn't play a lead role in this film. Just saying, as the viral marketing is really basing it all on Jemaine's role right now.
Anyways, view a new clip of the Doctor at work on the Fox website. View Dr Chevalieronius here
Diagnosis: Death the new film from Jason Stutter and co starring Bret and Rhys with Jemaine in a cameo role. None of the guys are lead roles in the film, but am sure it'll be worth keeping an eye out for. Has a US and UK distributor so here is hoping we get to see it soon. NZ Stuff reports -
Something horrible has happened at the glitzy Cannes Film Festival and it is all good for New Zealand.
An American distributor at the world's top film festival, under way in the south of France, has snapped up the rights to a horror spoof movie shot in Wellington with a cast that includes Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie and Rhys Darby.
The previously secret movie, Diagnosis Death, was filmed in Wellington last year and stars comedian and writer Raybon Kan, Jessica Grace Smith and Suze Tye. McKenzie and Darby also have parts in the film, and Clement has a "hilarious cameo", director Jason Stutter told The Dominion Post.
Stutter, best known for the 2004 Wellington comedy Tongan Ninja, which starred Clement and Kan, described his new film as a "supernatural romantic comedy". The rights had also been sold for the film to be distributed in Britain, he said.
The film follows people who go into an experimental facility for radical cancer treatment and begin seeing ghosts. Stutter, who co-wrote the film with Kan, said more details about Diagnosis Death would be made public at a later date. As to the budget: "We can confirm that it was less than US$200 million (NZ$341 million)," he joked.
American company Lightning Media acquired the rights at Cannes, along with three other films, including Clive Barker's Book of Blood.
May 18 2009 - A tribute to Little Red
To some (maybe many) it won't mean very much. Others reading this, and then watching the clip, will totally understand where these fans are coming from. Thanks Raven for putting this together.
Bret, Jemaine and Rhys are slated to appear in Jason Stutter's upcoming film, Diagnosis: Death. Co written with Raybon Kan. From what I've read the film is completed and is set for a 2009 release (although this could be later depending on where in the world you live). Anyone with anymore info on this film feel free to send it in. Starring Raybon Kan, Jessica Grace Smith, Suze Tye. Read more here. Looks set for a US and UK release at least.
May 15 2009 - I've been lacking in the updates department
There is a good reason for this. But things are much improved now and I can finally get to the computer for a chunk of time and write this update. Apologies for not updating the Tour Roundup page but that is being worked on. Keep sending in your reports and pics from the gigs. They will be included soon. Anyways, news....
Flight of The Conchords second season finally began airing in the UK this week. Tuesday night saw the FOTC On Air documentary followed by the first episode of the new season. Seems to have gone over well with good viewing figures for BBC4. Result :)
UK press have posted a number of reviews, articles and other things. I'll try to include them all here.
First up the Guardian, long time vocal supporters of the guys ran an interview with them recently......
It's business, it's business time as Flight Of The Conchords returns for a new series. Stephen Armstrong gets freaky with Bret and Jemaine.
Flight of The Conchords could have been created with 2009 in mind – two lo-fi and confused Kiwi musos, grappling with relationships and genteel poverty while trying to hustle their music career in a skanky corner of New York. Its depiction of useless bands is so spot-on that the Guide is delighted to report the real-life duo are uncannily similar to their on-screen characters, mumbling through interviews in a downbeat Kiwi drawl.
Bret "When the show was on air we could walk down the street and absolutely no one would come up to us, apart from in Wellington where we're on the news every day. Six months later people would come up....... Continue reading interview here
Next, Time Out London ran an interview also. Reading it through it seems to be a compilation of stuff culled from elsewhere. Am pretty sure some of this ran in the Time Out New York edition a while back. However it also includes an On Set report down the page. Anyways, read it here
What else.... The Independent had a few things to say also.....
Flight of the Conchords: Minimum concept - Less is sometimes more in a sitcom, says Gerard Gilbert
This Sunday the UKTV channel GOLD will be screening a 30th-anniversary Fawlty Towers reunion documentary, featuring all of the main cast - including, uniquely for such an exercise, Connie Booth. Here lie revealed the inner workings of a show that exorcised Cleese's comic demons while inspiring six hours of the tightest, most well-worked farce ever made for television. Brilliant but slightly exhausting - something that might also be said of 'Reggie Perrin' - the disinterred and retooled David Nobbs sitcom whose origins are now also well over three decades old.
Next week, on the other hand, sees the return of a sitcom that is highly unlikely to be feted in 30 years time, 'Flight of the Conchords'. There is no sophisticated comic engineering a la 'Fawlty Towers' here, or a high 'Reggie Perrin'-style concept. In fact 'Flight of the Conchords' comes with minimum concept. Two New Zealanders try to make it as musicians in New York. That's it. Indeed it's not even gut-bustingly funny. So why does it leave such a warm feeling in so many viewers? ..... Read the rest of theIndependent article here
Now we have this. Shortlist, a free weekly UK magazine ran this interview with the Conchords. It ran a couple of weeks back but you should still be able to read it online at Shortlist HERE. Or you can click on the thumbnails below and view it that way.
Cannot remember if I posted this interview clip with the Conchords and James Bobin a while back. Either way, here it is (again) for you to oogle. Well, its there as the stupid thing won't embed. Thanks for the crapness CNN. Watch clip or read text transcript
And lastly, from that bastion of non sensationalistic journalism that we all know and, erm, know, another Conchords article. Yes, The Sun (UK tabloid) reported on them. I am weeping real tears here. But hey, at least it was an ok article. And didn't use the words 'undercover reporter', 'lurid' 'sex' or 'scandal'. Read it here
May 2 2009 - There are fans, and there are fans. And then there are fans.
And they have been busy! No idea which group I fall in to but these guys fall into the fans one for sure.
First up, Bad Atom, a member of the WTF! forum has been working on his lil Conchords project for about a year now. First posted on WTF! forum back in May 2008, his FoTC computer game is now a finished work. You can find out more at Bad Atom's website. Hours of work have gone into the game and I believe Jemaine now has the game on his computer. Very cool Mr Atom :) And thank you for sharing your project with us. My apologies for taking so long to post about it on the main news page.
Next, ravenhpltc24 from our forum has made a great video and posted it to YouTube. Flight of the Conchords - Bret and Jemaine in radio interviews, set to clips. Very well edited and spliced together. Watch it below.
Next LOLChords. You've had LOL cats, LOL dogs and now fans are doing the LOLChords. Not for everyone but some might like. If you want to email in your own creations for me to post, feel free. EMAIL ME There is an ongoing thread of these on our forum here
By mohumbhai mania By ardy
By Bad Atom
Anyone created anything Conchord wise and would like to send it in for me to include here on the site, feel free. EMAIL ME. I am working on expanding the Fan section of the site to be able to include all the fan creations that are sent in. My apologies if you've submitted something in the past and its not yet posted. I will get to it one day soon. Its on my To Do list, honest.
April 30 2009 - There was news and I forgot to post it!
A great article/interview with the Conchords in the Telegraph (UK). This paper has given a fair few column inches over to the Conchords since their early years. The Telegraph hearts the Conchords? Article below
Flight of the Conchords: fasten your seatbelts - By Andrew Pettie - 23 Apr 2009
Two years ago Flight of the Conchords was a tiny blip on the world comedy radar. Now the cult series about two New Zealand musicians trying to crack the big time in New York is going supersonic.
New Zealand's 'fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo a cappella-rap-funk comedy folk duo'
James Bobin is searching the internet for a boat and a goat. As he clicks through a gallery of images, an assistant notes down a description of the goat he would like to cast. 'That's the look,' he says, pointing to an attractive billy goat, 'but with slightly larger horns.'
Bobin is directing a music video for a Prince-style paean to unusual love-making entitled I Told You I Was Freaky. It contains the lyric: 'Let's take a photo of a goat in a boat and then we can float in the moat and be freaky.' Other props for the video include some money covered in honey, a 6ft squirrel costume and a naked woman painted to blend into a backdrop of 1970s patterned wallpaper. The men responsible for all this freakiness are the comedians Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, better known as Flight of the Conchords...... Read the rest of the article here
The Conchords are on the front cover of Australian magazine Jmag. And on a few inside pages also
Rhys Darby will be appearing at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London on July 27 & 28. Ticket info and booking Am hoping this means he may be sticking around for the Edinburgh Fringe starting in early August. Seems a long way to travel for only two gigs otherwise. Watch <this space> for updates as to if that is what is happening.
April 28 2009 - Under The Radar scan and auction news
This months Under The Radar has a small feature on the Conchords. I've a scan of it for you to view. Click thumbnail for full size. Thanks to dandy lyons for the scan.
Next, good deed time. While the Conchords were in Philadelphia recently Lisa took along a boxing glove and a bear which the Conchords signed for a charity auction for her friend, also a Lisa. Tour manager Amy got some great pics of the guys with the bear and the glove. Read about it here. People can visit her website Lisa Walks to sign up for the mailing list. She'll notify everyone when this auction begins (which will be pretty soon).
Signed items, one posing with the Conchords.
I've an image gallery going live soon where I shall put all the tour pics people have sent in. Much easier than trying to include them all on the main site, so better to put them all in one place where people can browse with ease. Tour roundup later today all being well :)
April 27 2009 - Prepare yourselves, shock horror, I have.... non tour news!
And its for UK Conchords fans. Confirmed by BBC, the second season of the Conchords HBO show begins on Tuesday May 12, in a time slot yet to be confirmed but expect after 9pm. So yes, tell your friends, beg the remote for the night and camp out to watch season 2 in all its glory.
Also UK fans, BBC4 is airing the Conchords 2005 HBO One Night Stand show on Thursday May 30 at 10pm. Read more here. Also season 1 episodes will be airing in the run up to the second season starting. Check listings.
Tour roundup and other snippets to follow later.
April 23 2009 - Did you blink? That would explain you missing it
Missing what exactly? All the non tour Conchords news of course. Yes, there is some. Tiny snippets but still news!
First up, if you missed out on Record Store Day and want a copy of Pencils by the Conchords on 7" there are a few left that are not going to cost a small fortune on Ebay. Sub Pop have them via their site for $5.75. Go here to buy.
The Conchords tour is getting lots of attention and I'm compiling the news roundup from all the gigs over on the 2009 Tour page. Yes it takes me a couple of days to getting to uploading it all but I have a pile of emails, tweets, clips, pics and forum posts to sift through trying to make sense of it all. Anyways, we are up to and including both the Toronto gigs now :)
WhippetGood is winning the (imaginary) prize for best fan pics of the tour so far! Amazing shots. View them here Also a clip of Sugalumps you might enjoy. View it here Thanks WhippetGood.
Next, AOL (splutters typing that) Music Canada posted this article on the Conchords. I've bolded the really interesting bits. Obviously the title is bold because its the title :p
Flight of the Conchords Soar Offscreen - By Joshua Ostroff, AOL.ca
On their HBO series, the Wellington-born, Williamsburg-based musical-comedy duo “Flight of the Conchords” has exactly one fan. Her name is Mel. But in the real world, deadpan Kiwi comics Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have attracted a massive hipster cult.
The Conchords, along with Saturday Night Live’s The Lonely Island and Canadian comic Jon Lajoie, are leading a renaissance in musical comedy, a genre once thought dead aside from the odd ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic pop parody. Thank YouTube for its revival, because the accompanying music videos are the perfect length to go viral online.
Lonely Island revived the format with their inbox-flooding “Lazy Sunday” digital short, and Lajoie’s tunes exist only online (though he’s working on a TV pilot with patron Will Ferrell) whereas Flight of the Conchords film a full half-hour sitcom, which just happens to break into absurdist musical segments a couple times an episode.
The duo is now large enough to sell out a North American tour “faster than a fast thing” (as their website boasts) including a pair of shows this week at Toronto’s multi-tiered Massey Hall. Coming on the heels of their second season, their triumphant live show plays out like a wrestler stomping around the ring after a preordained win. The rowdy crowd cheers lustfully at every recognized “hit,” right from their very first song “Too Many Dicks (On The Dancefloor)”, an electro floor-filler they perform while dressed as robots (Alas, they remove the costumes without performing their best, and most costume-appropriate, ditty “Robots.”).
Clement, the taller, bespectacled half of the duo, cheerfully informs the capacity crowd that “Dicks'” title originated in Vancouver, when a club-goer grabbed the DJ mic to voice his complaints about the overabundance of Y chromosomes. “What a gift,” Clement deadpans to the crowd’s patriotic delight. Conchord fans have even developed song-specific rituals, like throwing toothbrushes and jellybeans onstage (their Barry White-esque sex-jam “Business Time” claims teeth-cleaning to be essential foreplay while dragons weep jellybeans in the absurdist ditty “Albi The Racist Dragon”).
The vociferous response is a far cry from their trips to Canada to play Fringe Festivals early in their pre-televised career, when the pair flew from New Zealand to play a Vancouver venue that housed one person—who then slunk away in the darkness during the show, a humiliation they recently recreated onscreen.
So how did they turn into hipsterdom’s conquering heroes?
“We had a TV show in between,” Clement matter-of-facts the next day, noting they now have a lot of real-life Mels, fans who follow them around to shows and mail in bizarre presents, including “tons of portraits and pencil sketches” and even cookies with their faces on them. “A lot of our fans really like making craft gifts for us,” says McKenzie.
“Rather than giving us blowjobs,” Clement cracks, though his inner nerd immediately emerges to mention a cool perk from earlier in the day. “I just got a tour of the paleontology department of the museum. They just came up to me and said, 'Love your show, how much time have you got?' ” Admittedly, the second-season songs aren’t as catchy as the originals but that's an understandable sophomore-slump situation since they honed the first-season songs over many years but were forced to pen the new songs in a short burst to keep up with HBO’s shooting schedule.
“Well, we wouldn’t end up in weird places,” says McKenzie of the new, plot-driven numbers like “Hurt Feelings.” “Sometimes in the old songs we trap ourselves because the songs were stories, but sometimes it helped us because it sent us off on little journeys.”
The TV show’s whimsical visuals are certainly missed during the Conchords live gigs, which maintains their original, no-frills two guys with acoustic guitars set-up (albeit with the addition of the "New Zealand Symphony Orchestra," aka a cellist named Nigel). Aside from an unplugged take on their testicular anthem “Sugar Lumps” and a stripped-down version of their child-killing, sheep-raping country tune “Ballad of Stana,” the songs feel a bit thin onstage since we know them as full-band productions onscreen and CD. (Their first EP, The Distant Future, won a Grammy and their latest full-length, I Told You I Was Freaky, was finished last week and will come out on Sub Pop asap).
Luckily, they make up for it with brilliant between-song banter.
“It’s pretty much just normal talking, but professional,” McKenzie helpfully explains at the beginning of their concert. “Kind of like what you do in your kitchen” Clement adds. “Only better.” But his self-deprecating wit quickly takes over. “I’m sorry. We’ve been in America for a month and we’ve become very arrogant.”
So far a third season is still up in the air—“We dunno yet,’ says Clement. “We’re probably having a meeting about this after this tour”—but neither seem eager to get back before the cameras, preferring this return to their live performance roots.
“You can really mess around, and try new jokes that night. And also it doesn’t matter if you f-ck up,” enthuses McKenzie, who adds the influx of new songs also makes touring more fun. “You can vary the show. You don't have to play the same songs each night.”
“We could do it,” Clement adds. “We won’t. But theoretically.”
April 17 2009 - Ooooo a news update. Finally non tour news :p
I'm updating the2009 Tour page as much as I can. Thanks to everyone who has sent in pics, clips and reports. I am trying to work it in to the write ups. Also thanks to our intrepid forum members who track down all kinds if pics and reports from the gigs. And also write some reports from them also.
Don't forgetRecord Store Day tomorrow. All day. Sub Pop is releasing a 7" of the Conchords Pencils In The Wind/Albi on limited release of 3000 copies. Read about it here. So go support your local record store and get your mits on a copy. Stank over on the WTF! forum has already been out and gotten a copy. Click image for larger size. Thanks to Stank for the pic :)
Pencils In The Wind/Albi 7" for Record Store Day
Don't forget, tickets can still be gotten for venues! A day or two before the gig they seem to be releasing small batches of held back tickets. Its worth checking Ticketmaster or the venue to see if you can get some.
April 15 2009 - Its that tour thing again - And album news. Or not.
Yes the Conchords album was on countdown on iTunes as being out this week. Subpop said as much on their website also. In fact the album date has been and gone. Quietly yesterday in fact. Not a murmur. Then lo, today Subpop updated and said the following -
Further info! The entire new Flight of the Conchords album will be released on April 14th just as soon as we’re able after the conclusion of Season 2. It will include all ten of the songs released through iTunes, plus several more (probably 15 or so tracks total). It will also include an album title, some (we’re confident) very nice and very palpable artwork, and either a large shiny black disc, or a smallish silvery one, depending. On the album’s release date, if you’ve bought some or all of the songs throughout the season on iTunes, you’ll have the option to “Complete the Album” through iTunes, and won’t have to repurchase anything. [Source]
Next, the Radio City gig went well last night. Round up of the Radio City gigs will be over on the 2009 Tour page as soon as I can finish it tomorrow. Some great pics from the first night there over at Prefix Mag online taken by Gabi Porter. View them here
April 13 2009 - I will get to everything, eventually. Honest.
Firstly to all the fans who have sent in pics, reports and more to me, thank you. Its great to hear all about your night seeing the Conchords. And to see your pics and vid clips. If I've not replied to your email, I will, soonish, but I am somewhat swamped at present and am wading through a backlog of emails and info. But once again, thank you. Be patient and in the next few days I'll have them all compiled and will post a Fan Tour page with all your pics, reports, clips and more.
Secondly, if you are ticketless its always worth checking Ticketmaster a few days, maybe a couple, before the gig you want to go to is due. They have been releasing small amounts of held back tickets 2-3 days before the gig date. This has happened for pretty much all of the gigs except the one in Nashville (which might have had tickets released, but I didn't hear about it).
Thirdly, I am posting gig round up reports the day after each gig. You can find them all on the 2009 Tour page.
Now, other newsy things....
Too good not to share. Don't worry I'm not going to say they are eggcellent. O wait.... oops :p
Thanks to Jennifer for not minding me sharing her nifty hand painted eggs with you. She and her partner Kieran make themed easter eggs. They've done Batman, Ninja Turtles, but in light of the Tour (which they are totally excited for, Detroit front row center :):):)!!!) and because the boys are awesome, they decided to do Flight of the Conchords this year. Kieran did Bret, Jemaine and Murray, and Jennifer did the rest.
Next, this tour poster (see below) for the Ryman gig in Nashville the other day. Sent in by someone who didn't give their name alas. But thank you whoever you are. Apparently there is a bit of a story to the Ryman poster. Our unnamed fan said
"I thought you might like the poster that a historical print shop did for the show last night in Nashville. Supposedly the guys had a lot to do with it."
I'm guessing the guys perhaps drew the artwork on the A4 lined page there. Very cool they took the time to put together something like this for the fans. Ok, so you had to pay for it, but still, personal touch. Look after your Ryman gig posters well people ;)
<--- By the Conchords own fair hands methinks.
The Conchords made a fleeting appearance on some show called Tim & Eric. An epic memorable appearance no less. Fans tuned in to see them, blinked and missed their favourite Kiwis. If you want to spot them, go watch a clip on You Tube. Around 40 seconds in till 49 or so.
And with that I am going to zonk out. I'm feeling somewhat crap and only getting crappier. I'll be sure to post about the Washington gig tomorrow. Look forward to hearing about it. Email me
April 7 2009 - Tampa report now posted plus a few other bits
Any and all gig coverage is on the 2009 Tour page. So haul your backsides over there to read it all, view pics, clips and more.
One thing in case some don't get that far, please don't be That Guy on this tour. He was there and loud last night and isn't making himself any friends. What am I on about? You know the one, yells out constantly, song requests and doesn't know when to shut up. The Conchords have a set list, they have a backing band, they know what they are doing. So why not sit back, enjoy the show and let them do their thing. Yelling out song requests and other crap isn't going to change much. Other than to disrupt things. So how about it eh :) O and avoid flash on pics if you take them. It really doesn't work. Non flash is the way to go. I'm sure Bret and Jemaine would appreciate the not using flash also.
New Zealand comedy news now. Its the New Zealand International Comedy Festival 2009 soon. May 1-24 to be exact. I'm a fan of lots of comedy from New Zealand so always give over a bit of webspace and a shout out to a few acts when I can. A bit of a pick of the fest recommendation this time round.
One ticket, two great acts. Local standup legends Jeremy Corbett and Brendhan Lovegrove unite to bring you the ultimate homegrown recession relief.
Jeremy Corbett, host of 'Deal or No Deal', More FM Breakfast and one of NZ's best loved comedy talents.
Brendhan Lovegrove, winner of every NZ comedy award including the Fred and the Billy T Awards. Lovegrove has appeared on 'Rove', 'Jaquie Brown Diaries' and 'Pulp Comedy' and is one of the top headline acts on the international comedy circuit.
"Slick as hell, superb audience rapport... brilliantly twisted" - THE SCOTSMAN, UK
Then there is the showcase and launch of the festival. There are a number of comedians I like performing at the festival this year. A few NZ'ers (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer would top my list atm), Brits (Mark Watson) and a couple of fellas from Ireland (Dylan Moran being one). Check out the artists list and see if anyone takes your fancy.
April 6 2009 - And so the madness begins
The Conchords kick off, or maybe in more Conchords like stylee that should be slouch into their North American tour tonight in Tampa. The gig is sold out tonight but I am told there are still tickets for Orlando that were released late and are still to be snapped up. 2 on floor front and centre someone could have bought. Just letting you know.
Anyways, I'll be covering the tour as best I can. I'll be happy to post any pics, show reports and clips you all send in. It'll all go on the 2009 Conchords Tour page. In the FoTC section of the menu in case you look there.
Email in your pictures from the gigs, pics with the guys, reports, video clips, links to blogs and whatever else you think might be good to share. Email me
Email me Be sure to include the name you would like for credit. Thanks. Please remember to not use flash photography when in the venues. It never works. Non flash is the way to go.
Follow any tour news by clicking one of the lil thingos below
April 4 2009 - Conchords tickets now being released via Ticketmaster
Yes, some of the venues have blocks of tickets now being offered for sale via Ticketmaster at face value. So far the ones I've been able to get to and been able to purchase tickets are
I am posting these updates to Twitter also, so you can also follow WTF! there and get updates that way. Maybe even sooner than via the website/RSS.
I hope that more venues will release blocks of tickets as the tour draws closer to their town/location. If so I shall be sure to share what I find out.
April 3 2009 - Is it Friday where you are? If so then the Conchords are on their way
back to the US! Which can only mean one thing. The tour! Them, live, in the flesh (wearing clothes admitedly) sitting on stage, doing their thing. Making you laugh. By you, I mean the lucky gits who actually got tickets and will be going to see them live.
UK fans may get lucky the end of this year or the beginning of next with a Conchords tour. Sign up for our RSS, newsletter or follow WTF! on Twitter to keep up to date with any news on this tour.
Plans for third series - and UK tour
American broadcaster HBO says it is keen to make a third series of Flight of the Conchords, despite the reservations of creators Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.
The news comes amid talk that the New Zealand folk duo will tour the UK later this year or early next.
Clement and McKenzie admitted that writing enough new songs for the second series had proved hard after using up all their previous material in the first 12-part series.
But although McKenzie has said the second series, which ended in the US last week, was ‘enough’ – the broadcaster says the cult comedy is not over yet.
Executive Michael Lombardo told TV trade website Broadcastnow: ‘They are serious musicians and it is a daunting task to write so many new songs, especially since their used their entire repertoire in season one. But they are taking a break before going on a live tour and I fully expect them to be back in late 2010 or early 2011.’
The duo’s six-week US tour begins next week, and they are tentatively planning to visit Britain for a series of gigs later this year or sometime in 2010, although nothing has been finalised.
Series two of the HBO show will air on BBC Four this spring
Meanwhile, the duo played a benefit concert at Clement's former high school, Makoura College in Masterson, New Zealand, which is facing closuse as pupil numbers fall.
The gig on Tuesday night raised almost £30,000 and Clement said it was an honour to play a venue where, as a child, he was taken to watch the Golden Shears sheep shearing competition [Source]
SubPop have a couple of new promo pics online by Brian Tamborello. View/download them HERE and HERE (full size, massive great things) or click on the images below. Now if only the album cover were unveiled......
Don't forget Record Store Day in the US on April 18. Conchords fans, only 3000 of you mind, can get your hands on a 7" single of Pencils In The Wind/Albi. Read more about it over on Sub Pop
Kiwi readers can try to get their hands on prize pack for The Boat That Rocked, Rhys Darby's new film. Read more here for details on how to enter.
At their recent fundraiser gig in Masterton Jemaine made an apology to the mysterious girl in the red vinyl skirt. View the clip here
Taika Waititi has started filming in New Zealand on The Volcano. You can read about it via NZ Stuff
April 1 2009 - Squishing it all in
Right, get comfy, a fair few links, pics and other things to catch up on.
Firstly the Conchords fundraising gig in Jemaine's hometown of Masterton played last night to a sell out crowd of 2000 people. The gig raised in the region of about NZ$70,000 according to reports in the New Zealand press. Links to stories on the gig -
A slightly dodgy sound wise clip of Think About It live in Masterton - Click here
For those in the US with tickets to the upcoming Conchords tour, there is some important news in all that. Bret and Jemaine will flying back to the US this coming Friday to prepare for the tour!
Next, HBO get the rumour mill up and running extra early! A possible 3rd season of Conchords is being mooted by HBO already. Don't get your hopes up too much yet as the guys themselves have yet to confirm anything. Read about it here
Also the NZ Listener has a great in depth article on Rhys Darby. Read it here
Variety has a review for Rhys Darby's new film, The Boat That Rocked. Read it here.
UK BBC4 update - Contact tells me they are 'expecting series to start in spring". But this isn't confirmed to them as yet. They will keep me posted and I'll be sure to share any news about the start date of the Conchords show airing on BBC4.
Flight of The Conchords sheet music is officially out there. Songs from their self titled album are all in an official book you can now get your hands on. Purchase info here Priced at $7.99
March 22 2009 - The Love Doctors Are In
The Conchords appear in the April issue of Bust magazine answering questions submitted by fans. Not just Conchords fans, but Conchords fans in need of some advice in romance department. View the Bust magazine scans here (thanks dandy and Euridice).
A little more on Bret's recent marriage can be read here. Sounds like a lovely day and not long now till thier baby arrives!
And what can I say about this erm eulogy to the Conchords by Frankie Thomas, who refers to the Conchords as the best porn on TV. Because she got the first part so blatently wrong, I can't even begin to let her redeem herself in the remainder of the article. With regard to the One Night Stand bit she mentions at the beginning. Sorry lady, if you don't get that they are performing comedy and have set that up and led the audience into the joke then go stick your head somewhere.
As for the rest, you won't find me agreeing with her. Nor many other people judging by the comments left. *mutters about not being a diehard fanatic, slash writing, screaming fan girl thankyouverymuch* And going by the emails I receive, guys like the Conchords plenty too. They just are not as vocal as the ladies out there ;)
Taika Waititi took part in the 42Below 42 film shorts recently. You can view his clip here (it may make you return to the home page and declare you are over 18 etc before entering the site).
Kristen Schaal news now - Apparently winging her way to the UK to film a pilot for Channel 4. She and Kurt Braunohler will be over here soon for 6 weeks working on the pilot. Kristen will also be performing live on May 15 at The Bloomsbury Theatre (with Kurt) Ticket info here
March 20 2009 - Jemaine and Bret serve up a racquet
Firstly, before mirthful giggling begins, I'd like to congratulate Bret on his marriage to his long term girlfriend Hannah Clarke. They married on Wednesday in a Wellington registrars office. The couple are expecting their first child. Wonderful news and I wish them all the very best. Read this news story here
O this is priceless. Unlike my cheesy header there :| The Conchords took part in a charity jumbo tennis tournament while back home in New Zealand for a few weeks. Glorious sporting garb was worn, headbands were firmly in place. As were the obligatory sunglasses. Bret even went so far as to match his top and sunglasses to the racquet! I have a pic to prove it.
And another, longer, but slightly more cringeworthy clip here. Why cringeworthy? The reporter trying to turn the interview onto the guys personal lives. Fair play to Jemaine for refusing to play ball there. They were there to play tennis, jumbo sized, but tennis nonetheless to help raise money for charity. And what a good sport the McKenzie's are seeing as they only got married a couple of days ago. Hope they enjoy a honeymoon somewhere away from the press and events in the public eye soon.
Season 2 of Flight of The Conchords is out on DVD in the US on August 4 and August 3 in the UK. And the question most people want to know about this DVD has been answered. James Bobin recently took part in a WTF! fan Q&A and when asked this question - Any bloopers/behind the scenes stuff in the S2 DVD?
James had this to say in reply - Yes. I’m going to put on the gag reel we showed at our wrap party in December – HBO approval pending. But we’re trying. Am very conscious that the last DVD had nothing on it because of its rush release for the Christmas market so this time we are trying to do more – we are also including deleted scenes. We’re not sure about a commentary as B and J are too busy finishing the album. We’ll see.
Read about the US DVD release of season 2 here. The UK release I have heard from a reliable source as being August 3, a day before the US release.
The Conchords fundraiser in Jemaine's hometown sold out in 91 minutes. This was in person ticket sales only, no phone or internet booking. So very impressive turn out. Read more about it here.
And I didtweet this story but forgot to post it here. Rhys Darby and some blonde are presenting an MTV Australia award on March 27. In Australia. Read about this over on ScoopNZ
Arj Barker, still on tour in Australia was on TripleJ today (March 20). You can read about it here and listen to it also via that page.
And a shout out to Burkley and the guys. 'Lo there fellas. Hope some of you are getting home (and to a certain gig) soon!
March 16 2009 - James Bobin WTF! Q&A. Conchords to play fundrasier gig in NZ
Flight of The Conchords co creator, co writer, producer and director James Bobin took some time out after finishing editing the second season of the Conchords hit HBO TV series to answer fan questions here on What The Folk! The response to my posting the news about the Q&A was good and had many emails from people submitting questions for James. Alas I could not send them all along but I picked a fair selection and here they are now with replies from James on everything from favourite episodes, how they write and film epsiodes and who makes the best cup of tea. Yes, all this and a mention of DVD extras can be read below.
Many thanks to James for taking the time to write such detailed insightful replies to you all. Its much appreciated by myself and everyone else. Its great that someone so involved in the Conchords show has been able to share with the fans like this.
Anyways, without further ado...... James Bobin Fan Q&A
Kelly asks - Do you start with an idea of what songs you want to shoot and then write the episode around it - or do you come up with a concept for a show and pick which songs might fit?
Both. The first thing we have done both seasons is write down all the ideas all 3 of us have, and they can be song ideas or story ideas, and then stick them on boards. You may have seen the New York Times article with the photo of us at work and noticed all the index cards. That is a fairly late stage in the process where we have 10 ‘favourite’ episodes – 3 or 4 ‘possible’ episodes and a bunch of spare ideas on different boards. These all come together from our initial ideas stage – which takes a while – at least a couple of months of just brainstorming. Last season was slightly different in that we were in the middle of the writers’ strike when we were supposed to start – so we worked on songs to begin with. Some of the earliest ideas we had were Stick Around, Hurt Feelings, Jemaine You Don’t Have to be a Prostitute – some of which obviously lead to storylines and some of which we put into other storylines we had already…
How much of the show is improvised versus scripted? I know Rhys tends to improvise a lot - how much of that do you keep? Or does most of it end up on the cutting room floor?
I like to keep improvisation where it improves on the script. It can give scenes a certain sense of ‘life’ and freshness but I am not totally enamoured with it. You have to be careful not to use and prefer an improvised line just because you’ve heard the scripted one many times over….but as you say, Rhys is fantastic at it – so his scenes can be up to 50% improvised (our highest percentage probably) – especially since Bret and Jemaine are usually both in them and usually I’m directing it or am on set – so you have all the writers within 5 feet – so we are effectively all writing all the time. But I suppose that’s also true of most scenes – as either Bret or Jemaine are in nearly all of them – we do improvise quite a bit. But we don’t always use it. As a director I always like to get takes from the script that I’m happy with before we move on into improvisation as I think a lot of the scripts have some nice phrases or wording that are only going to be funny if they are said in a certain way and exactly as written – Keitha’s speech about her parentage in Unnatural Love being a good example – as with Dave’s description of a puppy being born from Sally Returns last season – and with Murrays dick Medicine line to Jemaine from Murray Next Level– they were all written so well they don’t need any ‘help’ with improv.
Leah asks - What is your favorite of their songs? Episodes?
Hmmm. Good question. Bus Driver. Bret You’ve Got It Going On. Stick Around (Carol Brown I think James is meaning here). Prince of Parties. Ladies of the World. Stana. I like to rock the Party (joking). Episodes wise I like Sally Returns, Prime Minister, New Cup and Bret Gives Up the Dream…
Which song did you have the most influence on?........CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE Q&A (and find about DVD extras and more)
The Conchords are performing in Jemaine's hometown on March 31. The event is a fundraiser for Jemaine's old school which is threatened with closure. Read more about it here and even more here (the guys asked for ticket prices to be reduced to make it more accessible to everyone)
WTF! chat is back online. I accidentally deleted the page of the server and forgot to upload it again. Anyways, it can be found by clicking ---> Chatroom Same guidelines apply in the chat as the WTF! forum pretty much. Please have a read of them here before joining us.
Use Twitter? Then have a go at winning yourself some tix to the Conchords gig at the Greek Theater on May 24. Compy closes March 26. Read the rules to make sure you qualify. Go to the GreekTheatreLA compitition page and follow the simple steps. Can also follow What The Folk! on Twitter. But we don't have tix to give away alas.
Arj Barker, currently on tour in Australia and in Adelaide for its Fringe festival, was interviewed on Adelaide radio the other day. You can view a clip of it here (look for the Video bit, scroll down the vids and its there).
Interview with Rhys Darby who is also on tour in Australia at the moment. He was on TripleJ radio the other day. Click here to listen (about 9 minutes long) And an article in The Age recently also. Read it here
March 13 2009 - Game Clement & McKenzie. New balls please
The Conchords are back in New Zealand (and have been for a little while now) and will be taking part in a charity tennis tournament soon. Of course, using oversize racquets and I hope 70's style clothing to complete their look. Read about it here. Info on how to enter and sponsor also there.
I can hear you squee from here. What about? I hear you squee. Only a new Bret project coming to a radio station near you. Or not. Depending on where you live. Radio New Zealand National - Can listen via the site afaik. Listen Again option is also there for those on crappy timezone differences. Some kind person grab this for me please, just in case. The blurb reads -
Airing 15 March 2009 - Live Transmission: Only Sukkie Bubbas Use Laser GunsClickie me for info
Live Transmission: Only Sukkie Bubbas Use Laser Guns is written and performed by Adam Gardiner, Bret McKenzie and Taika Cohen. A comedy science fiction, the story is of an unholy love between man and machine set against an alien invasion.
Recorded in front of an audience at Bats Theatre, Wellington, all the music, sound effects and characters are created and performed live.
The Sunday Drama (Radio New Zealand National, 3.04pm). Sukkie bubba. There’s a term we haven’t heard since primary school, which is more years ago than we care to remember. But here’s a sci-fi comedy that is playground and proud: Only Sukkie Bubbas Use Laser Guns, which is written and performed by Adam Gardiner, Bret McKenzie and Taika Cohen. The story involves an unholy love between man and machine, an alien invasion and sound effects created live for an audience at Bats Theatre, Wellington.
What The Folk! on Twitter numbers are growing by the day. Somewhere around 600 people plus. Feel free to follow What the Folk! and keep up with Conchords news there. I'm also enjoying being able to read your tweets and reply as and when. I'm not able to follow everyone in return but I do try to keep up with as many as possible.
I'll go on the record here again to let fans know that if they are following any Jemaine Clement on Twitter then they are following a fake. Confirmed by @arjbarker (who is real) and on tour in Australia as I type. So don't go sending any erm, ahem, naughty/dodgy direct messages to the fakers. Official webspace the Conchords use is TheArseOfTheInter... I mean MySpace
Two great fan artworks now. Many thanks to both for letting me share their work. The first by Paula (visit Paula's website here) is a polymer clay illustration. Click on image for full size. The second by KarieCouture.
Anyone else who would like their Conchords fan art shared with the world feel free to email me and I can include it in the Folk You! Fantastic section. If you've sent in art work and I've not included it yet, I will. The new look site is on its way and all artwork from fans will be posted there.
Fashion Is Danger song lyrics now posted here. Thanks once again dandy and Ms Sara
Rhys Darby review from the first night of his Australian tour. Read it online at Perth Now Also his appearance on Rove last Sunday is below
March 9 2009 - Extra gigs, Sarkies talks Conchords and I talk, well, waffle on.
A couple of extra gigs have been added to the Conchords already extensive tour. No new venues alas but they are now playing two shows in one night in Detroit and and extra night in Seattle. Presale is on Monday, March 9th at 10 am. Read the Gig Info page for listings and ticket info.
Last day for your questions for James Bobin, director, co-writer and co-creator of Flight of The Conchords. Send in your questions for James Bobin - EMAIL ME
New Zealand Herald has an interview with the Conchords. They talk about the show, staying at a fans house, omnichords and a few other bits.
Duncan Sarkies was interviewed on Radio 5 Live a few days ago. Friend of the guys and also wrote two of the best episodes of the Conchords TV series. He was there to discuss his new book, Two Little Boys but also chatted about the Conchords series, his writing a couple of episodes and some other snippets. The bit about Bret and Jemaine paying for their own accomadation while in New York filming the first season was a new one to me. Apparently to switch from filming in LA to NY, to save costs, the guys agreed to paying their own rent! Methinks season 2 saw them not having to do this.
So have a listen to Duncan talking about all this and more by clicking this linkie (radio interview edited to cut out the waffle). You can also download the podcast of the entire thing here
Read a review and find out about Two Little Boys by Duncan Sarkies here at NZ Listener and also this, with a few words from Jemaine at the end....
A new and irreverent comedy by Duncan Sarkies, the writer of the movie Scarfies and the award-winning book Stray Thoughts and Nosebleeds.
This book has got a lot of good bits.
It's got bogans and penguins and toasted sandwiches and spotting knives.
It's got a dead cat and an awesome climax.
It's got a really little dolphin.
It's got hundreds of hard-ons.
It's got sea lions.
It's got God.
It's got a really cool lighthouse.
When Nige runs over a Norwegian backpacker while attempting to save petrol, his life really turns to shit. He chucks the body in a nearby road works and runs to his best mate of fifteen years, Deano. Trouble is, Deano's not really the guy you should turn to in a crisis. This off-kilter tale of male camaraderie is a bizarre debacle from start to thrilling finish.
‘This is the most amazing book. It's dark, wildly funny, vivid, and brilliantly original.'
- Fiona Farrell
‘Twisted, surprising and very very very funny. Did I put too many verys? I don't think so.'
- Jemaine Clement, ‘Flight of the Conchords' [Source]
Based not at all on the last bit there I am going to get myself a copy. I do love a book that has good bits in it.
The Conchords are supporting Record Store Day on April 18. Independant music stores celebrating independant music stores.
Jemaine gets everywhere. Even some cartoon action on a tee shirt. Its a good likeness. Check out Get Fuzzy to see what I am on about.
March 6 2009 - Still on the Garfunkling kick but this isn't about that. It's about this. And that. But not that that.
TV Guide in New Zealand had an interview with the Conchords. They talk pregnant tees, sheeple (once again, a fan was the inspiration behind something in the show, chickenkarma you are legend ;) ), and a Christmas special (not sure if they were joking about the special). View the full size scan here or click on the left thumbnail below. Thanks Great H for the scan. Thanks for sheeple and pic by Irene/chickenkarma, a Flighty fan. Brilliant stuff :)
And those sheeple....
The old ticket scalping debate rears its ugly mug again. We know the Conchords want fans to be able to purchase their tickets for face value and not at rip off price. But alas if tickets go through big agencies like Ticketmaster then chances are many will end up in the hands of scalpers. Ah for the old days of camping out a venue early, forming an orderly queue and getting tickets in person when the box office opened. But its good that fans can realise that the Conchords, via their management allocated a very sizeable chunk of the tickets to the presale fan club (and before people email me about the fan club, there is no offical fan club, its just a mailing list and will likely remain only that as the Conchords have never wanted anything official).
A few articles posted online about the upcoming Flight of the Conchords performances. Read article in the Daily Texan online and also read this, it sheds some light on how many tickets were pre sale for the 'fan club' members. And done so by request (ahem demand) from the Conchords management.
How Flight of the Conchords tix for Overture sold out so fastby Jay Rath
How is it physically possible for an act to sell out a show at massive Overture Hall in just a few minutes? Flight of the Conchords did. They're performing Sunday, April 26.
Management for the HBO stars demanded that 70% of the 2,251 Overture Hall seats be set aside for sale to fan club members. Media partner WMMM-105.5 FM got 250 tickets. Overture set aside another 250 for its own advance purchasers.
At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, what was left went on sale. Demand was instant and enormous, crashing Overture's phone system. Tickets were yanked on the spot for everyone standing in line, and Internet sales snapped up the last seats. It was over in moments.
Did scalpers scoop up the seats? "There are methods that we have to curb ticket resellers," says Overture spokesman Rob Chappell. Purchasers were limited to eight tickets — except in the first 14 rows, where purchasers were limited to four tickets. The tickets will be released only at the box office to those who bought them, with valid identification.
On their HBO comedy program, the New Zealand mock-and-roll duo has a single fan and hapless management. In real life, it seems, the group has lots of fans. [Source]
New Zealand fans - Jemaine and Taika Waititi have funding to make a new sketch style comedy show from NZ On Air. They've given funding of NZ$1.75m for eight half-hour shows on TV3 called In The Beginning There Was...Nothing. Read more here. I'll be sure to post any updates on this series for fans overseas.
Australian fans - Rhys Darby is on Rove this Sunday, March 6. Read more here
Eugene Mirman is appearing at SXSW. Read about it on the Austin Decider site
March 5 2009 - Garfunkling = Best Verb Ever!
Yes, it has now entered into What The Folk!lore (gah at my own corny quip there). Garfunkling. Garfunkling. Garfunkling.
The inspiration behind this new word was himself in the most recent episode of the Conchords show. Prime Minister is probably going down as one of the greats for this alone :p
Anyways, Art Garfunkel was interviewed for TVGuide and had this to say about his appearance on the Conchords show.
Exclusive: Art Garfunkel Explains "Funky Cuddling" by Mickey O'Connor
Wait, was that really the Art Garfunkel on the March 1 episode of HBO's Flight of the Conchords (Sundays at 10 pm/ET)? Yes! Conchords' Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie wrote the episode, titled "Prime Minister," around him, and then prayed he'd say yes to a cameo. Garfunkel says he took "a leap a faith" and signed on without seeing a script.
In the episode, Jemaine and Bret book a gig as Simon and Garfunkel lookalikes, where they meet Karen (guest star Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24's Chloe), a woman who asks Jemaine on a date. The catch: He has to wear his Garfunkel costume, even when they have sex — she calls it "Garfunkling." We talked to its namesake about being immortalized by such weird comic geniuses, his recent reunion with Paul Simon and his quest for the perfect Simon and Garfunkel cover song.
TVGuide.com: How did you get involved with Flight of the Conchords?
Art Garfunkel: How serendipitous that all was. My office called me to say that they were writing an episode around me. And would I be interested in appearing? And I said yes.
TVGuide.com: You said yes right away? Did you see a script?
Garfunkel: Well, people were talking about Flight of the Conchords, so I tuned in. I love the deadpan, off-the-wall, let's-play-against-predictability style. So my sensibility was in there. So, you know, I fit myself into their scenario. If they're going to write something around Art Garfunkel, I'm going to try to be amused.
TVGuide.com: Did you have any input into the show's content?
Garfunkel: No. They wrote it and I did it. The ball was in their court. You take a leap of faith with these things. Oddly enough, I'm famous for my last name and my hair. To have a sketch built around these two things, I stand nonplussed about the whole thing.
TVGuide.com: What did you think of Jemaine's Garfunkel impression?
Garfunkel: Well, I thought he was very good. I was very amused by his style. There's something very quirky and charming, and there is something teddy bear-ish in a secret way. I thought he had my hair down really good. Thanks to Karen's help there in the bedroom scene, I recognized my own profile, but the rest is Jemaine doing Jemaine's thing.
TVGuide.com: So is he all business on the set?
Garfunkel: He's, like, a wonderful workaholic. He's like artists are when they're very engaged. He's charming enough, but he's somewhat in character in his deadpan way, so he can't really talk to me as one member of a duo to another member of a famous duo. Maybe he'd like to go there, but it's not in character. So I didn't really hang with him. I just met him on the set at work.
TVGuide.com: How would you define "Garfunkling"?
Garfunkel: I would say it's funky cuddling with the candles twinkling.
TVGuide.com: Have you ever used that term or heard it before?
Garfunkel: Nope. You know, these guys are the writers. I kind of like it though. It's funny; it's good.
Read the rest of the interview (the non Conchords stuff) here
Also in case you miss it below
MONDAY 9 MARCH, 9.30PM - Set your alarms and be in front of the TV. Flight of The Conchords second season is back on Prime. Although for the life of me I cannot figure out why they put it on on a Monday night. But ah well, better than not at all.
Don't forget that at 8.30PM, airing before the first episode is the Flight of The Conchords On Air Documentary. Made by Hannah Clarke, it was filmed back around the first seasons filming in the US. I've seen it already (only half of it it turns out now) and its got some great moments in. Behind the scenes, interviews and Jemaine falling asleep. Nothing overly deep and meaningful but very enjoyable. *Update March 5* - A reliable source emailed to tell me that the docu will have an extra 20 minutes of unseen footage when airing in New Zealand. Apparently the HBO version was an edited down one. And here I quote 'There's an extra 20 minutes of material. The interviews run a little longer and go a bit deeper as well as there being a few extra scenes and locations.' So there you go New Zealand. You get to see something new Conchords before anyone else on the planet for a change. Lucky gits. And yes, I'd love to see the full thing for the not technically challenged Kiwi's reading this. So if you can help me out please EMAIL ME. Thanks :)
March 4 2009 - New Zealand - Season 2 lands next week on Prime (and some other bits)
MONDAY 9 MARCH, 9.30PM - Set your alarms and be in front of the TV. Flight of The Conchords second season is back on Prime. Although for the life of me I cannot figure out why they put it on on a Monday night. But ah well, better than not at all.
Don't forget that at 8.30PM, airing before the first episode is the Flight of The Conchords On Air Documentary. Made by Hannah Clarke, it was filmed back around the first seasons filming in the US. I've seen it already and its got some great moments in. Behind the scenes, interviews and Jemaine falling asleep. Nothing overly deep and meaningful but very enjoyable. *Update March 5* - A reliable source emailed to tell me that the docu will have an extra 20 minutes of unseen footage when airing in New Zealand. Apparently the HBO version was an edited down one. And here I quote 'There's an extra 20 minutes of material. The interviews run a little longer and go a bit deeper as well as there being a few extra scenes and locations.' So there you go New Zealand. You get to see something new Conchords before anyone else on the planet for a change. Lucky gits. And yes, I'd love to see the full thing for the not technically challenged Kiwi's reading this. So if you can help me out please EMAIL ME. Thanks :)
Next, the Conchords poster compy run by HBO has reached finals stage. The 10 finalists have been chosen and I have to say there are some great posters there. No idea what one Bret and Jemaine might go for but I am liking the Breghetti & Jemacaroni a lot. Also the simple but effective Conchords catches my eye. There is even one titled What The Folk in there! And not that I am biased but I do like that one also. My kind of funky artwork. So kudos to the finalist and I look forward to finding out which one the guys choose :)
And the Stripey sweater/jersey made more famous than Bret by Bret himself. Yes you know the one, Stripey Sweater/jersey loves Bret so much it keeps on showing up in episodes of the show for them. We finally know where Stripey Sweater/jersey came from. H&M circa 2005. Now the world and its dog can stop asking me that one. And no, I don't know where you could buy it. Well possibly there might be one onEbay in the not too distant future, but you can go looking for it there. Don't email me for info please.
Jemaine and The Stripey Sweater/Jersey. And some other guy. And two guitars. And mic stands. And mics. And set. And lights. And ummm, oxygen. And dust particles. O and the NBC logo *sigh*
And yes, she is right. The word 'Garfunkling' is now a word.
Song lyrics from each episode of season 2 can be found on the WTF! forum. View them here. Thanks dandy and sara.
March 2 2009 - I'm not making this stuff up. Honest.
Firstly the Conchords made the New Zealand Fringe Hall of Fame. The Dominion Post reports -
Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have been named inaugural members of the New Zealand Fringe Festival Hall of Fame. The annual Fringe Awards, which named the best, brightest and most bizarre of Fringe 09 were presented in Wellington last night. The Best of Fringe went to Two Day Plays, a month-long competition that challenged 18 teams to create a 10-minute play in a weekend.
And did you know as well as What The Folk! you can follow Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Aziz Ansari on Twitter? Well you do now :) But what you can't do is follow the real Jemaine Clement or Bret McKenzie. Bret's page states he is not really Bret. And there are two listings for Jemaine Clement, both of whom are fake as far as I know. So please do not be fooled by imposters. If I hear any differently about one of the JC's I'll be sure to post and let you know. But really, neither are genuine that I know of. I've had numerous emails and Tweets about Jemaine on Twitter and so felt I should post here and let people know. Conchords use MySpace for their web presence. They of course have their own website also but are going for the less is more approach to updates there :p
Many people email in or ask on our forum about where Bret or Jemaine get their clothes/glasses and so on. Jemaine is known to favour thrift/second hand stores for his stuff in real life. Bret's stripey sweater has its own fan club. And as for those tees Bret wears in the show, they have become legend. People really want to buy them! And Entertainment Weekly this week told you how. See pic below (thanks to dandy for the scan)
Yes you too can now dress like Bret. Or dress your boyfriend as Bret. Or just wear one of these tees to not look like Bret because that would be weird.
This past weekend the Conchords had a short but sweet Q&A in the New York Times magazine.
Lastly Rhys talks The Boat That Rocked. Empire says Darby, O'Dowd and Ifans take the lead in this featurette, with some Curtis asides, so check it out for the latest on the film's seagoing shoot.
February 27 2009 - Snippets, James Bobin Q&A, more snippets and did I mention a JB Q&A?
Flight of The Conchords will be in the New York Times magazine this Sunday. You can read a sneak snippet of the interview here.
Now something that might interest fans of the Conchords show. I'm hoping this works out for us all, its been set up, just needs a bit of nurturing along. James Bobin, director/co writer/creator of the Conchords HBO show has kindly agreed to a WTF! Q&A about it all (and anything else you care to ask I guess).
I thought it'd be cool if you wanted to ask aspects about behind the scenes, a bit more background info on locations, director ideas, filming, shoots for the songs used (who comes up with the ideas for some of those!) insider stuff on the show and how they worked. Bret and Jemaine are never really that forthcoming on that sort of thing, and if they are, its always hard to know if they are actually being serious.
So yeah, have a think of any questions you might like to ask JB. No limit to how many Q's you submit. Please email me with them. O and spell check please. And let me know what name you'd like to have listed with them. You've got about 10 days or so to send them in. Maybe a bit longer.
Song lyrics from the second season are posted on the WTF! forum. Thanks to Dandy and Sara for their efforts. I shall be putting them in the HBO second season section. Just as soon as I've thrown it together that is. Until then read the lyrics here.
And yay, thanks to lsully for pointing me in the direction of the Flower clip. This is an old song, from 2003 I think, that is making a comeback in 2009 it would seem :) The song was only ever performed live back in 2003 and hasn't been performed since then that I know of. Its only etched in the minds of those lucky enough to hear it then. And so will be a 'new' song to all those who have discoverd the Conchords in more recent times.
February 23 2009 - Is this the upcoming album cover?
Is it? It could be. But chances are it isn't. But speculating passes the time till we find out for sure what its going to be.
Sub Pop make no mention of it yet. Nor is it to be seen there, but speculating passes the time till we find out for sure what its going to be.
Bret had a night out this Wednesday past and DJ'd at Bardot in LA. Madhuri managed to blag her way in and said this of the night
Hi!
I recently started following your WTF Twitterfeed so I found out about Bret's DJ gig on Wednesday through that... and I was able to go and get in!
There was a strict door policy... but we managed to get in. When I found out about the news I googled the club to see what kind of place it was, and it seemed unlikely that my friend and I would get in, but I found the Twitter page of the woman who runs the club, and she'd been putting out 'passwords' for different events in the past few weeks. Sure enough, at around 830 that night, she put out the password, which was 'Australia'. So aside from pretending to the doorman that I personally knew this woman (thanks to her Twitter :P) the password finally helped us get in.
It was a great night- Aziz Ansari DJ'd as well! Bret was hanging out with his friends in a corner and talking and eating dinner till around midnight, when he took over from Aziz and started to DJ. I didn't really recognize any of the songs Bret played other than 'That's Not My Name' by The TIng Tings but that really got the dance floor hopping. :)
So just wanted to say thanks a million for the tip! My friend, who introduced me to FoTC but won't get to see them on tour, got to see Bret, and now she's on cloud nine. :)
Read more here Happy to have helped, glad you enjoyed your night :)
February 20 2009 - Conchords + Playboy magazine = kit remaining on
Makes sense really but I know some women were hopeful that there would be a bit of leg on show ;) Anyways the Conchords were featured in the 20 Q's section. Click thumbnails below to view full size or click Page 1, Page 2 and Page 3
Winners of the Sutton Foster CD compy! 4 of you no less. I went around the world and we have winners from Canada, Australia, US and New Zealand. So Sarah, Michelle, Todd and Nadine copies of the CD will be on their way to you soon.
Bret apparently had a DJ stint Wednesday night just gone at Bardot in LA. I didn't post about it prior to the night as I thought maybe it would mean a few too many people pitching up and I was told the door policy was pretty strict. Hopefully some who heard about it via WTF! on Twitter and the WTF! forum were able to get there. Anyone who did go care to send in and let me know how the set went? Email me - The article said
HBO's Bret McKenzie DJs Wed (as of 02/17/2009 01:44PM)
Conchord arriving at Bardot
Girls, the moment has arrived. No longer do you have to dream about being in the same room as Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie. The arguably "cuter" half of the band will DJ Wednesday at Bardot in Hollywood. Early arrival is suggested.
The Conchords are no longer set to appear with Greg Proops in the coming few weeks. No idea why but am guessing busy with other commitments.
Conchords HBO ratings on the up :) By a chunk. Read about it here
TVBlogster is a fan of the Conchords and always has a few thoughts to share. Read what Debi has to say here
I just found out there was a Cochords clip floating around titled Ode To A Flower. Having not heard the clip I am wondering if this is actually their old song where they sing about a flower. Dates back to their 2003 season I seem to recall. Anyways, if anyone has said clip and wants to send it along, please do Email me
Sweet blog post about a person on the same flight (but not the same cabin class :p ) as Jemaine recently. Their trip to New Zealand became a whole lot funner! Read it here And is that James Bobin I spy in the background with Jemaine? Methinks so.
Rhys Darby has a new film coming out soon. I may have mentioned it before ;) New trailer, one F word to start it off so cover your kids ears. Rhys gets a soaking. He is playing the weatherman after all. Seems appropriate. And hey if you are going to be thrown overboard having Philip Seymour Hoffman fling you starboard seems to not be so bad ;)
February 17 2009 - Flight of the Conchords On Air Documentary
Filmed around the time they were writing and filming the first season of their HBO show. Almost half an hour of quality Conchords footage :) Jemaine falls asleep a lot! Thanks dandy for the heads up :) On HBO On Demand. Was on Google Video but has now been removed.
February 16 2009 - Pre order S2 DVD and other snippets
Season 2 of Flight of The Conchords is now listed for pre order on both Amazon US & Amazon UK (listed as released June 29 2009)
Conchords songs oniTunes here. Download a second season song the day after it airs on the TV series the night before. Or something (I confuse myself so goodness knows how you lot cope).
Sub Pop have pushed back the release of the next Conchords album it would appear. They say
The entire new Flight of the Conchords album will be released on April 14th just as soon as we’re able after the conclusion of Season 2. It will include all ten of the songs released through iTunes, plus several more (probably 15 or so tracks total). It will also include an album title, some (we’re confident) very nice and very palpable artwork, and either a large shiny black disc, or a smallish silvery one, depending. On the album’s release date, if you’ve bought some or all of the songs throughout the season on iTunes, you’ll have the option to “Complete the Album” through iTunes, and won’t have to repurchase anything. You could also just buy the complete album from us on or after April 14th. We view that option favorably as well.
I am working on a HBO season 2 page here, but life and my just turned 9 month old now walking son keep me busy. I'm also trying to get the site a new look and make it easier to find stuff etc, but again, real life does not leave me much time to attempt such a mammoth task. I really do forget that over the past 6 years this site has grown into such a huge resource of all things Conchords, that when I do try to make a start I am simply overwhelmed and my brain melts.
People are still pissed about the Conchords tour and not being able to purchase tickets, even when online at 10am on the dot they found themselves shut out. I wish I could do more, but alas Ticketmaster don't care about the customer, only their pockets it would seem. Why else would they not have tickets for fans via their own online ordering but send people to their affilate sites where tickets are hiked in price already. Yes Ticketmaster, you are crap.
I don't think for one second the Conchords have any control over this, but like to think they at least tried with the Will Call seats at venues etc. However, once again many many tickets are now showing up via scalpers and are hugely overpriced, even Will Call ones. How that is going to work if the venue actually sticks to the Will Call process is beyond me.
Could the Conchords use their weight to get Ticketmaster to do something about thier business practice? Maybe. Springsteen did just this but not sure the Conchords are in the same weight class star power wise.
We have some members of the forum who have extra Conchords tickets going for face value costs plus fees. Check out the For sale/swap thread here. If you wish to buy tickets from a forum member you need to register and PM them. Pease note that What The Folk! accepts no liability for any sales or swaps of tickets, so make sure you pay via proper channels etc to cover yourselves.
Conchords land on BBC 4 in April for the second season of their HBO show. Read more over on the BBC
February 10 2009 - Conchords cohorts update all to themselves - Win a Sutton Foster CD
This is a bit of a Conchords cohorts update for you
First up, Rhys Darby has a new film out in April titled The Boat That Rocked. It boasts a great cast including Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans and others (check IMDb for listings). Darby's character is called Angus 'The Nut' Nutsford, and billed as 'possibly the most annoying man in Britain. Read the film synopsis here. Some rather nice press pics for you to take a squizz at.
Click images for full size pics. Glory at the garb Rhys is wearing! Be in awe at the colour combinations!Oogle he has a better complexion than you thanks to computer technology!
Great interviewwith Rhys in StarPulse can be read online here.
Sutton Foster news now - Sutton has not been resting on her laurels either. Her new album is out o February 17 and can be ordered via Amazon US and Amazon UK. Or clickie below to buy.
Sutton Foster - Wish The debut solo album from one of Broadway's most prolific new generation leading ladies. Sutton Foster has wowed audiences since her star turn in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Since then, she has continued to light up the stage year after year, starring in Little Women - The Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, and now in the new Shrek - The Musical. Sutton brings some of her favorite influences and inspirations to this studio recording, based upon the concerts which she performs across the country.
WTF! has some CD's of the new album to give away. Simply email me and tell me the name of the character Sutton played in the first season of the Flight of The Conchords HBO series. Include your name and mailing address please. Winners will be selected at random on 17 February.
And yes, the next news update will be about the Conchords. Infact a couple of snippets to keep you going.....
They lost out at the Grammys to George Carlin. Alas but ah well. It happens. And I know its been and gone but lookie -
Each Australia Day, Triple J has their "hottest 100". People get to vote for their favourite songs of the year.
Anyway, this year's list is here Check out number 19 Flight Of The Conchords - Business Time! Also 60 & 67, The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room and Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros
February 5 2009 - Extra NY and Chicago gigs added plus other stuff n fings
Do you useTwitter? If so and you'd like WTF! Conchords updates via there you can follow WhatTheFolk! Look forward to tweeting with you :)
We also have a WTF! chat room now. Just trying it out and seeing if it works out. Maybe as the Conchords tour draws near we'll have some scheduled chat times, but until then just drop in and see if anyone else is in there and chatting. I'm usually there, as Sherlock, MadMax is the tech guy and a couple of other IRC ops are around to help if you need them. Click the link below and it'll take you to the page you need. You don't need anything other than a username. And the ability to type ;)
From The Buzz. The Conchords in the studio. Enjoy :) Thanks SheWolf for the heads up.
Newsy stuff
Discussion forum - WTF! has an extensive forum for chatting about all things Conchords, side projects, fellow cast members, songs, lyrics and just about anything else you can think of. Feel free to join us there and chat about the upcoming tour, the HBO series and more. WTF! discussion forum
Article online over at Paste magazine. Talks about guest stars, future plotlines and directors.
BBC Newsbeat has a short interview online to view (may not work if outside of UK). Bret, Jemaine and co creator/director/writer James Bobin View it here
The Conchords liken being famous to feeling naked in a nightmare. Or something. I realise to many of the female readership the naked bit does not lead to nightmares. But I'll say no more. What am I talking about anyways. This is the Conchords article over on OK. You read it and see if you get confused.
UK Reuters has an article on the Conchords.
"Flight of the Conchords" defy struggling TV story - By Michelle Nichols
NEW YORK, Jan 27 (Reuters) - U.S. cult hit television show "Flight of the Conchords" follows the travails of a marginally talented musical duo from New Zealand trying to make it in New York City, but in reality the pair are far from struggling.
Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie already have one Grammy, have been nominated for another and the second series of their Emmy-nominated show returned to HBO cable network this month after an absence of more than a year.
James Bobin, co-creator and executive producer, said the second series was delayed by the 14-week writers strike, which ended in February last year, and "the boat to New Zealand," chimed in McKenzie at the show's red carpet launch this week.
McKenzie, 32, and Clement, 35, university friends who formed "Flight of the Conchords" a decade ago to improve their guitar skills, said they set out to make a "funny and musical" TV show and that creating the second series was a little easier.
"When we first started we didn't know what we were doing," said Clement. "We watched lots of sitcoms on video because we had never written one, none of us had written one before."
That first series has now been shown in at least 18 countries -- "apparently it's popular in Sweden and Singapore," said McKenzie, who "like most New Zealanders appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Bret is most well-known for...... Read therest of the article here
NZ news now - Prime to air Conchords documentary when second season of HBO show airs!
Making an international hit TV comedy requires a surprising amount of hard work, and little in the way of pampering and fruit bowls, the Flight of the Conchords stars admit in a revealing documentary.
When the show's second series finally hits our screens next month, it will be prefaced by a documentary made by Bret McKenzie's long-term girlfriend, Hannah Clarke. The fly-on-the wall programme, Flight of the Conchords: On Air, includes behind-the-scenes footage of the Conchords' lives in New York. McKenzie, 32, and Jemaine Clement, 35, also speak candidly about their road to fame.
Clement reveals an unexpected lifestyle at the hub of American entertainment.
"I thought I was going to be pampered with ... fruit bowls. A lazy person shouldn't be made to work as much as I have to," he says.
In keeping with one source of laughs on the show, the pair also reveal they are constantly quizzed about their accents when out and about in New York.
Says McKenzie: "Taxi drivers say, 'New Zealand, right, where they do the Harry Potter films, right?"'
As we wait patiently for the second series, US viewers settle down for the third episode tonight, in which (spoiler alert!) Bret and Jemaine are temporarily forced into prostitution. Judging by reviews in the American media, the pair are set to repeat the success of the Grammy-winning first series with the second series nominated for four Emmy Awards. [Source]
3 News has an article on Taika Waititi. Talking about his short film Two Cars, One Night being made into a full length feature. Read the article here
January 30 2009 - North American tour news and LA appearance as Greg Proops guests
Pre sale ticket info is now available online for most upcoming gigs. I'll post more gig info as it comes in. I'll also send out to the mailing list and RSS feed Please don't email me asking for more info or if I can help secure you tickets. I cannot. Nothing to do with me, I'm just your humble webmistress!
BIG SODDING DISCLAIMER WOTSIT - These dates may have been confirmed but are subject to change and all the usual blurb the ticket sites list. So don't yell at me if things change. Or get cancelled. Thanks.
Flight of the Conchords are pleased to announce a 2009 Spring US Tour!
Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday & Saturday, February 6th and 7th, but as a very special Flight of the Conchords fan you have access to the exclusive pre-sale beginning this Monday, February 2nd at 10 AM.
Just find the link to your city's venue and enter the password "sugalumps."
4/06/09 – Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center # TICKET INFO
4/07/09 – Coral Gables, FL – University of Miami BankUnited Center *# TICKET INFO
4/08/09 – Orlando, FL – UCF Arena *# TICKET INFO
4/10/09 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium *# TICKET INFO
Go visit the Gig Info page for the rest of the tour dates
Also the Conchords are supposed to be guests on Greg Proops live show at Largo in LA next month. Proops, who has worked with the Conchords a couple of times now appears once a month at Largo and says that the guys are lined up to appear. I've checked Largo listings but as yet no Greg Proops gig for February is showing up. However, it may be added in the not to distant future. Check Largo listings. Tix for Greg Proops shows are usually $25. There I've at least told you about it :)
January 21 2009 - It's chaos out there and cold in here
Sifting through the mass of online reviews, blogs, comments and just about everything else written on the new season of the Conchords HBO show has left me with a bit of eye strain. I've stopped reading as overall there was a positive feeling for the season opener.
Now, newsy stuff I am not making up.....
David fromSPIN magazine contacted me recently and explained he is doing an article on the Conchords for an upcoming edition. He would like to talk to fans of the Conchords based preferably in New York butsays outside the city is fine also. David says he would like 'to get a sense of what the band means to it's fans'.
I figured there would be a few of you here who might be happy to help him out. Contact David via email at Spin Magazine title your email Conchords and take it from there.
New Zealand Listener has a great article on the Conchords in its most recent edition. The article is online to read also.
Flights of Fancy by Tom Wilson
An exclusive interview on the New York set of the second – and could it really be the last – series of Flight of the Conchords.
Consider the joys of being Flight of the Conchords. A cultish show filming a second series on a major cable network in the United States, which must be like having a hit anywhere else. (It’s not actually, but we’ll get to that.) Your fans are engaged, artsy-crafty, inclining to spooky. They send you knitted wool animals that look like you. Bret’s Jesus beard and gentle tortured eyes; Jemaine’s vigorous sideburns and primate sensuality.
Fan art, too! Paintings and hand drawings and the like, enough to fill a small room at Te Papa. You write in LA, film in the People’s Socialist Republic of Brooklyn, and sometimes dream of Newtown. You go out dancing with Drew Barrymore; Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins drop by at one of your shows, dragged there by their kids. You used to be broke; now you’re not. People know you. They want to be funny with you. Sometimes, they want to be you. Recently, Rhys Darby, who plays Murray Hewitt in the series, was signing autographs outside a New York comedy club; a man in his 50s blundered through the crowd, shouting: “I’m the real Rhys Darby! I’m the real Rhys Darby!” He was, to use the appropriate phrase, forcibly restrained.
It’s like the theme from Cheers: “Everyone knows your name, everyone’s glad you came.” Put it another way, the Public Enemy way: “Ice Cube is down with the PE/now every single bitch wanna see me.”
“One of the funniest things I saw on tour,” says Jemaine Clement, “was this woman in the front row and she had a T-shirt with a womb on it and a fetus with glasses and sideburns, and my face.”
Want to partake in some fan poster making stuff thing? Yeah, I explained it so well you have to say yes! There is a competition and the winning poster will be chosen by Bret and Jemaine and a copy will be made, signed by them and sent back to you. And you are still here? Ah yes, not one of those who are talented in the poster making deparment. Join me on the medicrity bench in the corner then.
Next up, some online write ups by the press. In no particular order, how they fall in my tabs....
Next up, Dougald spotted lots going on in this recent pic by Piper Ferguson and used in Filter last week. He explains....
I checked out that clip of Jemaine and Bret in L.A., and did a double and triple take. They're not shopping bags:
The bag that Jemaine is carrying on his left arm is for the awesome Canadian band Sloan. It has the first names of everyone in the band: Jay& Chris & Patrick & Andrew.
On his other shoulder he is carrying a bag with a drawing of a cartoon bear with a red striped shirt, who is the star of a series of amazing animated Czechoslovakian shorts from the 1960's. The cartoons are hilarious and brilliant, and are perhaps a reflection of Jemaine's favourite hobby, stop-motion animation.
Said pic :)
Want your lurve questions answered by the Conchords? Really? Then go here and find out more
Want to read or discuss the Conchords, Murray/Rhys or anything else connected with them please visit the What The Folk! forum. We are chatting about the upcoming second season, side projects and loads more.
January 14 2009 - Screening partays, press on the Conchords and more
Last time, well the first time the Conchords HBO show aired in the US there were some screening parties. Don't remember? Didn't get to go? Well fear not for there are screenings this time round also. So, maybe not for mere mortals but its worth a shot if you are really keen. Where are these places and how do you get to apply and see if you get tix? Screenings are from 7-10pm.
Wednesday January 14th - Los Angeles - Thursday January 15th - Philadelhia
Thursday January 15th - Berkeley - Friday January 16 - Boston
AV Club has an interview with the Conchords where they talk the second season and other interesting things. Great read, go here for more
And another online article from the National Post. Read it here
BBC4 in the UK is showing the Conchords One Night Stand again this Friday january 16. Listing can be found here
Variety has a review of the first three episodes. Brian Lowry writes
Younger-skewing than most HBO fare, "Flight of the Conchords" remains a rare bird -- a musical-comedy that fluctuates between being wildly clever and merely odd. Fortunately, the second season discovers the show's struggling duo in fine form, generating enough moments of genuine whimsy to sustain its cult status and add a much-coveted demographic patch to the pay channel's programming quilt.
The three episodes previewed find stars Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie again wrestling with the indignities of aspiring musical stardom, from being neglected by their addled manager (Rhys Darby, coming off a scene-stealing turn in the movie "Yes Man") to being courted to create a jingle for a toothpaste commercial. Any qualms about selling out are quickly banished after a smarmy exec states that doing so will make them "so rich you'll be shitting money."
Mostly, though, the show kind of meanders along -- much like its aimless protagonists -- until characters burst into the absurd, goofy, ambitious musical numbers. This season, that includes a "West Side Story" send-up, and later a veiled tribute to "Midnight Cowboy" when the pair is forced to sell their guitars and contemplate male prostitution in order to buy them back.
Those references will likely elude part of the audience -- as will a bit where the native New Zealanders must endure abuse from snotty Australians, which will probably yield much bigger howls several time-zones away. Yet unlike HBO's ho-hum Kiwi import "Summer Heights High," "Conchords" manages to be dryly funny in a way that bridges cultural borders. And while the Smothers Brothers combined music and comedy in near-equal measure several decades ago, few acts since have mixed the two quite this well.
Because young men are such a coveted demo, slacker TV comedies abound, but even the few promising ones (FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" comes to mind) have difficulty sustaining a credible level of quality. Although this series isn't for everybody, it's the kind of solid single HBO can use while waiting for a new batch of heavy hitters to arrive; it's a refreshing favorite within the YouTube quadrant that won't leave their elders muttering about the crap those damn kids watch.
Chicago Tribune has some season 2 spoilers/news posted. Read them online here
And incase anyone missed it, Amoeba Records have a great 50 minute or so vid of the Conchords performing in store a while back. All archived and ready to view for you. I thought I'd give it another mention as Conchords live is always good and who knows, there may still be someone out there who hasn't seen it.
And another blast from the past, the Conchords TV ad for Phones4U in the UK. I think this was shown late 2003, early 2004 on UK TV and was one of those annoyingly catchy tunes being hummed round the country for months. Thanks dandy lyons for digging this nugget up.
HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" returns next Sunday for Season 2, and this time around, fans will be able to purchase music from each episode the day after it airs.
An as-yet-untitled album featuring 10 tracks from the show and five additional songs will be available April 14, shortly after the conclusion of the 10-episode season. The first song, "Angels," goes live January 19 on iTunes. Fans also can preorder the album through Sub Pop (http://www.subpop.com) and receive one track per week.
The New Zealand duo, whose bumbling adventures in life and the music business are at the heart of the show, has emerged as one of the biggest success stories in comedy during the past two years.
Its 2007 Sub Pop debut, the EP "The Distant Future," won a Grammy for best comedy album last year. And its self-titled full-length album, released in April, has sold 237,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is up for a Grammy in the same category next month.
Because the songs used in the show often are only a minute long, the versions on the album will be quite different.
"More than one of them leans on a '70s soul sound," said Tony Kiewel, head of A&R (artists and repertoire) at Sub Pop. "I've also heard this choir-y sort of thing, a Meat Loaf-y sort of thing and a crazy top 40-type jam."
Mickey Petralia, who produced the debut, is back on board, while Kiewel said Australian pop singer Sia provides backing vocals on at least one song. A North American tour is being targeted for April or May.
If you need me to explain that to you, go ask someone else ;)
Also as SubPop have finally listed them I'll also mention that anyone wanting to book the Conchords or contact their management can do so now without having to email me (or others) and ask and be told I ain't giving out that info. It has always been my policy to not make this information public till it was posted officially online. And now it has been, so here you go
Management -Flat Iron Mgmt - No website for them but blurb on them reads as follows
Flatiron Management
New York-based Flatiron Management, founded in 2007 by Mike Martinovich, Ben Weber and Jamie Sampson, is a full-service entertainment management company specializing in music. The Flatiron client roster includes My Morning Jacket, Nada Surf, Flight of the Conchords (presumably in conjunction with Murray), Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Shivaree, Sarabeth Tucek and Chad Perrone.
The company's mission statement is “to provide our clients with solid administrative support, individualized attention in allowing an artist to fully explore their artistic vision and to tastefully maximize their commercial potential. It’s this sort of collaborative relationship that allows our company to tailor our services to an artist’s needs. What’s good for our client is what’s good for Flatiron Management.”
Booking -Creative Artists Agency - So exclusive their website has no content other than listing their offices. So please don't email me asking for their email or who to contact.
January 11 2009 - Season 2 episode titles and the odd plot summary
So much news to update that I left off a few bits a couple of days ago. Am throwing them out there today. The first five episodes of the Conchords new season on HBO are apparently titled....
Highlight between the * * to read the plot summary for the first two episodes
A Good Opportunity - Airs Jan 18 *After rejecting Murray for spending time with another band, Bret and Jemaine find success managing themselves; Dave shares his double-down deal strategy.*
New Cup - Airs Jan 25 - *Bret and Jemaine's fortunes unravel after Bret buys a new tea cup; Jemaine goes to desperate measures to supplement his income.*
The Tough Brets - Airs Feb 01
Murray Takes it to the Next Level - Airs Feb 08
Unnatural Love - Airs Feb 15
Nice to see Duncan Sarkies, friend of the Conchords, back on board with the writing and happy to see James Bobin directed the first couple of episodes. Looking forward to the other guest contributors though, but still like Bobins' work (am a fan of his other work from long back). Guest stars this season include Greg Proops and Lucy Lawless.
I'll be working on a dedicated page for the second season and hope to have it up and running before the first episode airs on HBO on January 18.
FoTheC in TV Guide. Click on image to enlarge.
Interview with Rhys Darby in Australian paper The Herald Sun where he talks his new film Yes Man and a bit about the Conchords. Read it here
January 9 2009 - News, not really news, no news and just random speculation
Yes, its all happening in Conchords world. The news bit...
Stating the sodding obvious here but in case you've been out to lunch since 2007 the second season of the Conchords HBO TV series begins airing on January 18. Check the HBO Conchords website for info on the series and lots of gizmos, downloads and stuff.
Flying high
Thanks HBO for giving WTF! a mention as your first featured Conchords fan site in the Conchords Community section :)
TV Squad reported that the first Conchords episode made available online recently has had over 250,000 views already. Impressive. And I am sure that number has risen since the article ran. Read it here. Also reported on thr.com
Time Out New York has an interview with the Conchords. Those of us outside New York or the US and therefore outside the loop it's online to read here thankfully. And yes, these are the actual covers. Someone said something about photoshopping.... surely not! Click on image for full size download cover goodness. Or scariness. Whatever works for you :)
O my eyes! And how come Bret gets the crotch shot and Jemaine the animal print briefs? Are they trying to tell us something?
Want to see some early Conchords clips online? NZ On Screen has The Living Room (a NZ TV show) clips online to view. Go here to view the Conchords looking about 12 and 15 respectively. Click through the selection menu to Series 1, episode 6 and also Series 1 episode 7 to view the Conchords. Also on You Tube here and here
HBO didn't give WTF! stuff to give away :'( might be as I'm not US based or some such) but this site has a FoTC compitition you can enter and win stuff. Click here to find out more. Click through the selection menu to Series 1, episode 6 and also Series 1 episode 7 to view the Conchords.
BlogCritics has a review of the season opener online. Read it here over two pages. I'm not able to comment either way as I've not seen it yet.
Now for other things....
Rhys Darby has a new film coming out April 1 in the UK (not sure of US or elsewhere as yet). Called The Boat That Rocked you can view the trailer online here, with a few glimpses of Rhys to be seen. More goodies and news of this soon.
Bret is a founding member of the WIUO (I'm too lazy to type that out in full but its a uke thing). A great article on them ran in the NZ press recently. Read it here
Now I have a spanking new iMac I can do loads more techno wizardry so keep an eye open round the site for lil tweaks, iPhone and iPod goodness and other stuff. As soon as I figure it all out. By that I meas as soon as my hubby (true Mac geek and general geek) shows me what I am doing with all this rather spanking computer goodness. I'm on a learning curve having said goodbye to Ubuntu Linux running virtual Windows using Wine for updates the past few years :/
All news from 2008 has now been archived in full on the 2008 Archive page
by Mohumbia Mania
A million sperm doesn’t go far, especially at today’s exchange rate. Intellectile dysfunction? 
By Nic Marshall. View this and other posters 
By mohumbhai mania 
By ardy
By Bad Atom
(thanks to helgecko for the scan)
Too good not to share. Don't worry I'm not going to say they are eggcellent. O wait.... oops :p
<--- By the Conchords own fair hands methinks. 
Preorder the 
By KarieCouture
Read a review and find out about 
Jemaine and The Stripey Sweater/Jersey. And some other guy. And two guitars. And mic stands. And mics. And set. And lights. And ummm, oxygen. And dust particles. O and the NBC logo *sigh* 
Yes you too can now dress like Bret. Or dress your boyfriend as Bret. Or just wear one of these tees to not look like Bret because that would be weird. 
Is it? It could be. But chances are it isn't. But speculating passes the time till we find out for sure what its going to be.
Said pic :)
Flying high
