Broken Records is an odd name for Cameron James’ musical-comedy offering at MICF 2025. To an unfamiliar audience (at least), this singer and guitarist has some fresh thoughts, delivered in a range of musical styles, which often earned good laughs.
James is very comfortable on stage, capable of an easy back-and-forth with his (smallish but enthusiastic) Wednesday-night audience. He fluently presents stories about his upbringing and married home life.
These would often lead naturally into one of James’ original compositions, and the style of this would inform his costuming choices. Having lyrics on a video screen gave us an extra opportunity to catch all the gags.
Some tunes in the set seemed a bit curious, like one on the benefits of certain home appliances, performed with distorted electric guitar. However, most of the show has a well-developed theme concerning the challenges of being a man these days.
In this line, James had a high-quality impression of country music, describing the difficulties Aussie men have in showing appreciation for their mates. A nice section on not being able to cry showed that it is possible to overcome your childhood programming, if the stakes are high enough. There was also an unexpected consequence of this time that provided a satisfying conclusion.
James seems to show some influence from acts such as Flight of the Conchords or Dead Cat Bounce. However, the material in this well-polished show certainly has a particular Australian slant.
With the Melbourne International Comedy Festival about to finish for another year, musical-comedy fans with a free evening will find any of James’ Broken Records well worth a spin.
Cameron James: Broken Records
ACMI – Swinburne Studio, Fed Square, Melbourne
Performance: Wednesday 16 April 2025 – 7:30pm
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Cameron James (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte