Wil

The Age - Friendly Fire

Wil Anderson became so ubiquitous for a while that I somehow forgot he was witty as well as a TV host and radio presenter. Friendly Fire is a reminder that he is indeed a funny guy, and his writing here has the feeling of stand-up comedy, which Anderson says is his first love. It has translated well to the page.

Some material has previously been published in Anderson’s now boned “Sunday Roast” column in Sunday newspapers. And probably more has appeared in his stand-up shows. This isn’t a problem if you haven’t read them or seen them; and probably even if you have you won’t mind re-experiencing the best bits.

With a leftish but irreverent skew, he covers a range of topics with themed chapters, with seamless segues between riffs. There’s the light stuff- growing old (he’s an ancient 35); and the more serious- revelations about his therapy. On kids, he says that like democracy or dangerous roller-coaster rides, they’re great ideas in principle, but not things he should be left in charge of. His perennial punching bag Shannon Noll receives the occasional knock.

Friendly Fire is consistently laugh-out-loud funny. I’ll be taking this one to share with the extended family on holiday so everyone can have dips in and out of the light relief between dips in and out of the ocean.

The Sun-Herald

“I never got Wil Anderson’s humour until I checked out his latest show, Wilosophy. The guy was superbly crass, irreverent, smart, manic, soulful and consistently hilarious. I couldn’t have enjoyed the 70 minutes more.”

The Daily-Telegraph

“Dry, self-deprecating, politically incorrect and crude, there are not many areas of our society at which Wil Anderson is not willing to take a crack. And thank goodness, because in his hands pretty much everything has a funny side.”

REVIEW: Wilosophy, NZ Herald 2009.

Apart from his lily-white feet and jandals, the first thing you notice about Wil Anderson as he wanders on stage are the bulging tendons in his neck.

He looks more like a howler in a rock band than an Australian comedian. He uses these well-developed muscles to great effect when mocking his fellow countrymen and the Aussie accent in variously camp, dumbed-down, or over-the-top ways.

The thing is, when a bloke stands up there preparing to give his views - Wilosophy he calls it - on some of the world's most cliched issues, like war, drugs, abortion, euthanasia, and the recession, you almost glaze over before he starts.

But Anderson is a fair dinkum comedic scholar worthy of a position on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Cabinet - not that he'd want the spot because Rudd gets a hammering tonight.

He's silly, but also thoughtful, at times beautifully brash, and best of all, he gives Australia a bollocking because he knows his beloved country is backward (for example the Government's citizenship test gets a roasting).

But Anderson is not solely focused on Australia. He also shares his dislike of money and his love for the "fun area" of the human body - and since he's an Aussie it doesn't take much imagination to figure out where he's referring to.

REVIEW: BeWILdered, The Age 2008.

An old stayer of the Comedy Festival program is Wil Anderson, though he’s not entirely his usual bubbly self this year. Anderson has just left a seven-year relationship, and there’s a thread of melancholy behind the humour as he talks (very funnily) about his grief. His honesty and vulnerability is immensely appealing, and the audience is enraptured by his account of life after the split. The majority of the show is about his own life and experiences. It's hardly an adventurous approach, but his superb delivery skills, energy and rapport ensure success. A final bracket of material on climate change, abortion and creationism adds a dash of current affairs cred to an excellent show.

REVIEW: Wil Of God, The Blurb 2007.

When Wil Anderson hit the stage I expected to see the glib, wisecracking and - let’s face it - smug Anderson of “Glass House” fame. It’s always a gamble to buy in to a stage persona based only on an image built by the team writers and slick production of television. Often it disappoints, but with Wil Anderson the real thing is so much better than the promo.Opening act is local boy and Anderson’s radio tag-team mate, Lehmo.

Using a mix of older, trusted material and some fresh new stuff, his 20-minute spot warms the audience up nicely, so that by the time Anderson takes to the stage the crowd is ready to go.
Personable, sincere, slightly nutty and well-intentioned might make Anderson sound tame, but he’s anything but. Using a 15-year old in the audience as foil and focus for the evening, we were taken on the rounds of what it means to be 33 these days – including a recount of being compared to Jesus the year he died and told “well at least he did something with his life!”
From there the subjects fly past – emo culture, health, nightclubbing in your 30’s (not a good idea!), being a ‘bloke’ and finishing up with the potentially spiky subjects of politics and religion. Underpinning it all is an inspirational message of just being kind to each other, ensuring everyone is sent home with a warm ’n’ fuzzy feeling.

A measure of any comic’s ability is whether he or she is able to take a ‘wrong’ subject and not only make it funny, but make it comfortable for the audience. Anderson proves his worth when, in telling the Downs Syndrome Rock Eisteddfod story, he manages not only to elicit laughs, but also huge respect for the cast of the tale.The bare stage and the clever choice of a radio mic rather than the traditional hand-held gives Anderson the space and freedom for his manic physical comedy. Structure, pace and timing are vital in standup. If the show’s too short the audience feels cheated, too long and they quickly get tired. Anderson got it right on all counts.

It’s intelligent, professional and high-quality comedy – Wil of God is heavenly standup. (Maggie Moore)

REVIEW: Kill Wil,
Brisbane - Time Off 2005

Wil Anderson begins tonight's entertainment and he certainly comes out firing, insulting virtually every person in the front row before a single joke is told. Resplendent in leather jacket, white thongs and a vintage Axl Rose T-shirt, Anderson's delight at being gifted a group of five likely lads - all 17, dressed in the latest "non-conformist" uniform - is palpable. "Where's the girls?" he asks. "Off fucking the Broncos!" and the tone of the night is set. Touching on any number of reasons why "Bogans shouldn't fuck", Anderson engages a generation that uses expletives less to shock than express emotion, but there's still something exhilarating about a truly skilled potty-mouth.

Not that swearing's all he's good for: Anderson also does an extraordinary line in lengthy asides. In fact, one could easily believe the entire show (book-ended and sub-divided as it is by a yarn about a sniffer dog at Sydney airport) is actually one long aside. The illusion is reduced only by the occasional obviously scripted joke that sticks out by simple virtue of being somewhat less outrageous than Anderson's manic super-paced freestyle schtick. A strong physical aspect to the performance is the icing on a very tasty cake. His self-deprecatingly meek "vegetarian round of applause" receives hoots of appreciation, while the incongruence between waving one's hands in the air and declaring a state of indifference brings belly-laughs whenever the coded action is unleashed. (Julian Porter)

REVIEW: Wil Of God, Courier Mail 2007.

Getting fired has done great things for Wil Anderson. In Brisbane performing his latest live comedy show, Wil of God, the former host of the ABC's controversially axed television program The Glass House is funnier and edgier than ever. In contrast to highly strung shows of the past, Anderson is confident and commanding on stage.

Free of the audience expectations that came with hosting the popular television show and its domineering political humour, Anderson's show is based on his personal account of turning 33. After regaling hilarious stories about feeling old in nightclubs, getting lax on exercise and opting for nights in watching Buffy and eating Pringles, Anderson launches into a powerful and clever social commentary, cutting to the heart of many of the world's atrocities and hypocrisies.

It is Wil Anderson by far at his best. Unconventional and hard-hitting, if you only see one comedy show this year, this has got to be it. (Tonya Turner)

Media...

***** broadwaybaby.com, Edinburgh 09

Wil Anderson is quite simply the best stand-up I have ever seen. Moving through material at a breathtaking pace, the jokes come quick and fast with almost every sentence generating at least one laugh from the packed audience. Scarcely pausing for breath, Anderson holds the stage with an amazing energy, captivating the audience and rousing the audience into a frenzy of excitement. By the time it comes to the end of the show, they are roaring in the aisles and drumming the floor with their feet, not willing to let him go.

A seasoned pro at stand-up, Anderson has previously been nominated for a Perrier Award, named GQ's Comedic Talent of the Year, and sold out venues across the world. It is easy to see why. He has such an ease on stage that it never appears like a “performance” as such; more like a fantastically witty chat with a friend. Indeed, there is an air of spontaneity present that really lifts the show. On the evening I watched, two separate latecomers entered and Anderson broke out of his routine to banter with both of them, unleashing new anecdotes and jokes based entirely around their answers.

He crams many topics into his hour, ranging from obese children to terrorism, gay marriages to the differences between Aussies and Scots. There is a slight running theme of personal responsibility throughout his topics and they certainly flow very well together, despite being seemingly random.

Although there is a touch of unashamed macho-ness about some of his humour, Anderson actually achieves something deeper than mere laughs and delivers something rather profound.. As strange as it seems, this is a stand-up who is actually rather inspirational. He has a knack of finding truths in things that, when explained, are blindingly obvious and rather funny. Bad logic and poor argument are both discussed, and there are two hilarious exchanges with God over his Facebook page and an extended conversation over the day He designed the human body with Anderson pointing out some of the flaws in the design.

When leaving the venue I saw Anderson being beseiged by fans for photos and autographs and I realised that he does fit the image of the person you'd like as a best friend. He'd make you laugh for hours on end, whilst also sorting out your life with some impenetrable truths. For an hour of rich comic insight, head down to the Cow Barn straight away. You really won't regret it.

**** three weeks, , Edinburgh 09

When he first strides on stage, backed by AC/DC's 'Back in Black', flip-flops on his feet and Ashes quips on his lips, you could be fooled that you were in for an hour of macho, knockabout Aussie humour. Yet Anderson delivers so much more in an inspirational evening where laughs are plenty but are grounded by a deeper meaning. He scrutinises bad logic and poor argument to great effect, a particular highlight being when he demonstrates that the human body is not so intelligently designed after all. His 'Wilosophy' appears to be "use humour to overcome prejudice", and it warms the cockles of my heart to see stand-up that is sincere without being preachy, and also genuinely very funny.

**** Wil Anderson, Wilosophy, Fest, The Skinny.

Wil Anderson is like a comic snowball rolling down the side of a mountain, ironic considering his Antipodean heritage. Starting off slowly, with gentle gags that seem worryingly over-dependant on knowledge of Australian culture, he quickly builds up force and momentum, absorbing ever more topics into his routine. As his pace of delivery becomes quicker, even stopping for breath seems secondary to his desire to entertain. Finally, as the set reaches its conclusion with a sharp examination of intelligent design theory’s inherent flaws, you realise that you have been overcome with the careering avalanche of Anderson’s humour and reach its conclusion in a crumpled, giggling heap.

Anderson is clearly an erudite comic but is highly eclectic his choice of ways to amuse. Drawing on the humour of the crude, surreal, subversive, reflective and just downright childish, the resultant melting pot feels like two hours of comedy shrink-wrapped into one. Indeed his feverish delivery guarantees that some jokes slip past so quickly that you may think you have missed them; only to find out later that evening that they have burrowed their way into your unconscious, as you find yourself laughing out loud in what could be described as comic aftershocks.

Anderson’s theme of individual responsibility is expertly woven throughout and gives unity to topics as wide-ranging as obesity, torture and economic policy. This subtle, coalescing motif marks out Anderson as an accomplished comedian and allows his humour not only to entertain, but also to make us question some of our preconceptions on some difficult moral problems.

**** Wil Anderson, Wilosophy, Hairline.org.uk

Wil Anderson is a rare comedy gem in the Underbelly’s crown. Since his 1999 nomination for a “Best Newcomer” Perrier Award, each show has been meticulously crafted to reflect his own views and theories about the world that lies at his feet, whilst always including the incredible wit and comic timing that is his signature..

There is something magical about the way that Anderson can join topics such as gay marriage, intellectual design, the financial crisis and foreplay into one seamless and impressively intelligent comedy show. The audience laps up every word as Wil reflects on his own life experience and beliefs in the wonderful show that is, Wilosophy.

He delves into the complexities of religion, the seriousness of childhood obesity and the manipulative use of language to blur the true meaning of any statement. A seemingly jovial (and slightly devilish) audience poll about opinions on foreplay suddenly becomes an exceptionally hilarious example of how a single word can instantly change your opinion on the subject.
This is a comedian who makes you think. He challenges you to consider not just that the grass may be greener on the other side, but why it is greener. Within the same breath he will provide you with exact statistics and facts on some very serious political issues, and effortlessly top it off with a deliciously immature observation that, frankly, makes you pee yourself.

Wil Anderson’s comedy has matured nicely, like a good wine. He might have inadvertently become the philosophical hippy that he denies so fervently, but he certainly is the funniest thing since sliced bread.

REVIEW: Wil Anderson- Wilosophy. Written by Gemma King, 2009

I used to see Wil Anderson perform a fair bit in small Sydney venues, but that was four or five years ago. Since then my relocation to Melbourne has put a hiatus on all things Wil.
I was eager to see whether anything had changed: the man, the material, the mood, the thongs… Reassuringly, the thongs were still there. And he was as animated as ever, jumping about, arms flailing, barking wide-eyed with that trademark rapid-fire delivery. Still taking the piss out of Australian politicians and sports heroes and, yes, still dissing Shannon Noll (though admittedly, not with the same gusto), Anderson appeared to be the same hyperactive Energiser Bunny that I used to know.

But as the show went on, new layers appeared. He mentioned having a tough year in 2008. He threw a quick g’day to two mates who’ve passed on. He’s single now, and has been (allegedly) celibate for seven months. And, what’s this?
I think there’s been an epiphany.

There has always been a strong political component to Anderson’s work. But Wilosophy is imbued with a social conscience extending to the environment, animal welfare,
gay rights, homelessness, and a host of other huge subjects
that weren’t a feature of the happy-go-lucky Wil of times past. The jokes were intelligent and wickedly funny, but there was a genuine frustration behind it, a deep-seated urge to address some cause greater than himself.

Done badly, this new approach could easily backfire. There’s
a real risk of seeming didactic that could bring the walls of resistance up, especially for a comedian known for innocuous banter and silliness. But Anderson manages to balance this sudden maturity with outrageous humour that has the foundations cracking from uproarious laughter. He got us all thinking, and laughing. The new formula works.

The finale is as ‘Wilosophical’ as it gets – a political, financial and social summary delivered with faux sincerity from a stool
á la Dr Phil’s Final Thought solidifies Anderson’s new role as ‘manic soap-box preacher with jokes’.

I couldn’t help feeling a bit of unwarranted pride. I didn’t raise him. He’s not my project. But standing in front of me was a performer who’d grown exponentially, who’d found the middle ground between bitter dissatisfaction and zen-like acceptance and turned it into comedy. The thongs were still there, but the feet inside were those of a different man.
Respect.

Chuckle Factor: 9.5 / 10

WIL ANDERSON: WILOSOPHY ****
The Age 2009.

There has been a tendency in past, recent, comedy festivals for the local stars to rest on their laurels, trot out some familiar older material and generally coast along.

Not in Wil Anderson’s surprisingly heartfelt, regularly courageous and consistently funny new show.

Anderson’s performance, at times aiming for an earnest State of the Nation, mixes scathing social commentary and jocular potshots.

He will throw up a collection of newsworthy- and usually alarming- tidbits of information before swatting them away with a biting punchline.

His delivery is, as always, strident. He regularly jumps up and down on the spot or prowls the stage like a caged lion to drive home a point.

Yes, his crowd draws heavily from the left and, on Sunday, Anderson cleverly tapped into that group’s disillusionment with the short-term populism of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

But he is hardly exclusionary. Don’t think he’s pleased with the Libs. Other highlights: derisive jabs at Family First, organised religion, and hilarious rants on society’s perception of drugs and alcohol. Brilliant.
(Andrew Murphett.) The Age 2009.

REVIEW: Wilosophy, stuff.co.nz 2009

Wil Anderson took the audience at the Herald Theatre in Auckland on a rollercoaster ride through global warming, the recession and intelligent design. Reviewer Tracey Bond was there.

A household name in Australia, with sold out shows from Melbourne to Edinburgh to Montreal, this was Anderson's first taste of the Kiwi comedy circuit.

In Australia he hosts a TV show called The Gruen Transfer, where rival advertising agencies pitch to sell an un-sellable product.

Last year one episode saw agencies pitching an invasion of New Zealand.This is a comedian who doesn't shy away from tricky subject matter.

Pacing the stage in jandals - he later took them off, not because he felt totally at ease with the audience, but because the stage was sticky - Anderson tackled some pretty hefty subjects: the global recession, climate change, sex education, religion and euthansia.

His rapid-fire delivery could probably be put down to the fact that he was drugged up to the eyeballs due to a bout of flu.

But boy, this boy can talk. And he's quick on his toes.

Talking about women serving on the frontline of the army, he asked the audience, "Do women serve on the frontline in New Zealand?"

To which the audience muttered 'We don't have an army."

"Ah yes," replied a slightly startled Anderson. "But you have the All Blacks instead - and everybody is scared of them."

The first night's show - Anderson later told Stuff.co.nz that no two shows were likely to contain the same jokes - made a lot of Australian pop culture references, some of which went over the audiences head, but you can't go wrong in New Zealand if you're an Australian comic poking fun at Australia.

Think of it as comedy with a conscience

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YOU WIL(L) BE IMPRESSED
Wil Anderson: Wilosophy, Reviewed by Venus Stephens, 12 May 2009

I have taken to using eye cream in my skincare regime. The bane of middle age has visited me; fine lines have started to creep along my face. The perils of enjoying the Comedy Festival ...

I am out to see Wil Anderson this evening, for company I have my long suffering friend Sarah who is quite hard to please when it comes to making her laugh. We enter the Herald Theatre to night club volume Hip hop. I assume (wrongly) the music is a theme of tonight's performance.

Lights fade, come up again and there he is, black attire 'cafe set' style, borderline metro-sexual with thongs on (he's Australian).

Initially he looks surprised; it is his maiden visit to New Zealand and he seems for an instant taken aback by the turnout: the house is full. He gains his composure and from there takes us through his 'Wilosophy'.

Non-stop, Anderson commands our attention with his conscious musings, jazzed up on cough syrup and Codral to medicate a cold, he waxes lyrical about everything! He waxes on it, and does not fudge a fact.

From N.I.N.J.A Home loans to women's health issues, the bush fires in Oz and his penchant for hip hop, environmental awareness and vegetarianism, this bloke is articulate and concise.

Anderson is well informed and has passion for his 'sport', the practise of raising consciousness and respect for each other and our planet. He plays it out so perfectly, the subject matter in some parts of the show is dead serious but were all rolling in our chairs, trying to stay upright and not wet our pants.

I should mention religion runs as a strong theme in Anderson's performance. In my opinion his views are valid and clear; it takes skill to visit on the delicate issues of humanity whilst retaining sensitivity to all beliefs. Not an easy undertaking, especially to the soundtrack of laughter.

If you like your comedy hilariously cutting edge, cynical but educational; musical, ethical and fair to the right of free speech... DO NOT MISS Wil Anderson. You won't be disappointed and you Wil(l) be impressed.

I would know. A 'family of laugh lines' have just nestled in the corners of my eyes. Where did I leave that cream?

Wil Anderson: Comedy Festival Review
tvnz.co.nz's Anna Gowan 2009

Ando the Comedy Commando stormed the stage at Auckland's Herald Theatre, introducing his audience to a new strand of thought: Wilosophy.

It's pretty simple really: Anderson dissects the hot topics of today, from religion to politics to the global recession to terrorism in an attempt to give us all a wee bit of perspective. And it's hilarious.

After kicking off his jandals and shedding half his wardrobe, Anderson methodically pointed out the illogical nature of his favourite - and most loathed - topics.

Why do the Japanese continue to pretend that whaling is for science only, when they're warming up the barbie in the backyard? Why does "no offence" a disclaimer for criticism? Why do people believe homosexuality is a lifestyle choice?

Why do talkback listeners believe women can't fight on the frontline? How can ambassadors for 'intelligent design' explain blindness, male nipples and the vulnerable position of testicles?

Australia in particular doesn't escape criticism, with Anderson gently ribbing the testing undertaken by immigrants to ascertain who is Australian, and who isn't. "On the day of the test, pull a sickie," Anderson advised. "They'll let you straight in."

He also pondered the race attacks in Sydney several years ago, where a group of Australian men attacked a group of Muslims with baseball bats on the basis that they're "not Australian."

"I looked at those guys and thought, no - you're NOT Australian," Anderson said, quiet for a moment. "For god's sake use cricket bats."

It's this accessible style that works - offering a comical perspective on pertinent issues. While passionate, Anderson's tone is never hostile and he stands by the cardinal rule of comedy: don't take yourself seriously.

Anderson is a natural with the audience. He teased the punters without resorting to the age-old Aussie vs Kiwi jokes. Apart from one reference to Hamilton, New Zealand was off-limits.

Here's an Aussie who'd be welcome back on our shores anytime.

REVIEW: I Am The
Wilrus - Edinburgh Fringe, The List (UK) 2006 **** Review in the List

What's with the show title, I Am the Wilrus? It's not much more than a rather dodgy pun, of course but it somehow sums up the eccentric style of Australian comedian Wil Anderson, who - like the song itself - seems to flit from one random association to the next, yet leaves you feeling strangely satisfied by the end.

Of course, such seemingly effortless freeform riffing is always meticulously prepared, but Anderson papers over the cracks with a cheerful, goofy, energetic presence. A star of television and radio in his homeland, he plays to the large amount of his countrymen and women who have come to see him, although the indigenous cracks aren't enough to alienate non-Aussies. Australian humour, he says, is a scrawled 'I fucked your mother' on a toilet door, with 'dad, you're drunk, please go home' added below.

Yet, matey early riffs on his country and childhood subtly win the crowd over, so when Anderson tackles subjects like religion and racism - often somewhat bluntly - in the same amiable style, he's already won our trust. It's a sharp and pacey torrent of jokes, but delivered with a skill that's worth savouring. (David Pollock)