Room 101 is the room where, in George Orwell’s 1984, those who have betrayed Big Brother and the principles of Ingsoc (Newspeak for ‘English Socialism’) are subjected to their own worst nightmare. With this in mind I headed down to the basement of Bar Bodega to watch the first installment of Wellington’s brand new, monthly comedy gig Comedy Underground.

The first thing that is noticeable about Room 101 is that it actually looks like a comedy club. It has a low ceiling, wooden walls and, most importantly, feels intimate and cozy, especially on a cold autumn night. This is much better than most of the other bars that double as comedy venues and a lot better than standup in a theatre like the Saint James, where the stage enforces a strict performer/audience boundary that makes interaction difficult at best. Oh, and if we get attacked by nuclear weapons, terrorists or bird flu Room 101 doubles as a fall out shelter. And it has a great selection of Kiwi and international boutique beers.

The show was kicked off by MC and Billy T nominee James Nokise who performed mostly older stock material, while trying out a little bit of new stuff on the audience. First up was Jesse Mulligan, of More FM fame, who performed a very entertaining little set, followed by Cameron ‘Pinchey’ Murray who proceeded to make fun of MC James Nokise, much to the audience’s delight. Finally came the Suave Jockeys, a musical three-man team comprised of the second Billy T nominee of the night Cori Gonzalez-Macuer (funnily enough I was sitting next to Wellington’s third and final nominee, Jerome Chandrahasen), Jarrod Baker from the award wining duo, Mrs. Peacock and Matiaha ‘Mutts’. These guys were wickedly funny, performing the other members’ songs (and one Latino cover) like they were their own. They performed a beautiful rendition of the Japanese version of Cori’s first single, Save the Rhino. They brought the house down with a simple, sweet song to finish their set that came complete with the quite memorable line: “Jesus raped me.” I understand if you don’t find this funny but, quite frankly, I do.

Next month Mrs. Peacock and Taika Cohen are performing so it will be big. I can’t wait.

For more information about
Comedy Underground go to:
www.comedyunderground.blogspot.com

MC’d by James Nokise
Performances by Jesse Mulligan, Cameron ‘Pinchey’ Murray and the Suave Jockeys
Room 101, Bar Bodega: The last Sunday of the month (26 March)