Following a triumphant reunion in the UK last year, scooping the Edinburgh Comedy Award Spirit of the Fringe prize and receiving widespread critical acclaim, Australia’s controversial export Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS) return to Edinburgh to perform a brand new show, Near Death Experience, at the Pleasance Forth at 10pm from the 2nd -27th August. Tim Ferguson, Paul McDermott and Paul ‘Flacco’ Livingston then come to London to appear at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 1st September.
After busking on the streets of Canberra, DAAS’ career launched at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987. The next year they bagged a Perrier Best Show Comedy Award nomination. Still virtually unknown in Australia, the trio broke there in 1989 with their own ABC comedy series DAAS Kapital, which was hastily banned in Japan and Germany and outraged viewers globally. After two series of DAAS Kapital’s moral mayhem and sell-out tours, the group relocated to New York/London and went on to attack Canada, America and Europe which included a notorious performance at the Barcelona Olympics Festival where their song about dogs was met with a stony silence by the 12,000 attendees.
They disbanded in 1994, but in 2013 they performed a one-off show to launch their DAAS Kapital DVD and have since had sell-out tours in Australia, introducing a new generation to the cult of DAAS. They now have almost a century of combined comedic experience. Their second coming is set to be more wicked and dangerous than ever complete with new filthy faux pas, spirited songs and socio-political commentary.
During the hiatus, DAAS embarked on a multitude of ventures including McDermott hosting ABC’s Australian satirical news show Good News Week, Ferguson penning his autobiography Carry a Big Stick about life with MS (a condition that now requires him to use a wheelchair) and original guitarist Richard Fidler presenting on ABC Radio which he continues to do today. Comedian and writer Paul ‘Flacco’ Livingston is a regular face on television and replaced Fidler in 2014. In 2016 Livingston published D.A.A.S.: Their Part in My Downfall, a no-holds-barred account of their reunion.
Tickets and info for all dates around the world here except Shepherds Bush Empire date on Sept 1 - tickets for that here.
