{mosimage}In a decision that is likely to damage the international standing and
reputation of the Comedy Festival for decades to come, the Drowsy Drivers were awarded "Best Newcomer" of the Festival at the Barry Awards on Friday night.
"Northcote Country Soul" shared the award with "The Trade", which by
all accounts is a very funny show. "Where’s the consistency? Where’s
the justice?" pleaded a clearly-distressed Ross McFerran at a
hastily-arranged news conference in the Grand Hyatt Ballroom.
"We
thought things couldn’t possibly get any more perverted," interjected
drummer Kevin McFerran, "but – evidently – we were way, way wrong. The
Comedy Festival judges need to take several good, hard, probing looks
at themselves."
"Northcote Country Soul" ran during the first week of the Festival, with a return late-night season in the last.
Heavily sedated, singer Casey Bennetto attempted to address the
media, but was only able to summon whimpers of grief and remorse, and
was soon ushered out of the ballroom under the protection of Italian
dance-pop supersvengali Enzo Palastri.
"You animals," Palastri snapped at the press as he headed for
the door, "don’t you have any simple human dignity? And watch out for
the new album, ‘Baby, Baby, Baby’, by pop sensations 5 WAYZ. Now show
some decency."
The band later issued a statement which read, in part, "If
there is an opportunity in the near future to rename the event the
Melbourne International Tragedy Festival,
we recommend that it be taken, for there can never have been a more
calamitous error of judgement on the part of Festival adjudicators in
this city. We are outraged and disgusted."
When quizzed on rumours that the show had been asked back for
another return season in May, keyboardist Enio Pozzebon spontaneously
vomited. – []