The term “Dead Cat Bounce” was coined back in the 1980s when a high-flying Gordan Gekko-like stockbroker used it to describe a bounce up in falling shares- “even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height”. The name was adopted by this musical comedy group following a sketch involving four stockbrokers and a dead prostitute. However, for all who witnessed the hilarities of Dead Cat Bounce in Player’s Theatre on Monday night, it was apparent there was nothing bereft of life in their performance.
The four members met while in Trinity College Dublin and were four of the founding members of the group, “H-Bam”. From 2002 to 2004, the group had sellout shows in the Temple Bar Music Centre (today’s Button Factory) and successful runs in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Only recently formed in January 2008, the Dublin-based group have been welcomed with open arms by the gurus and critics of the comedy sphere and public alike. The Irish Times noted that their performance was “an excercise in studied brilliance, nailing every music genre from hair metal to power ballad to R&B”. In 2009 alone, they have showcased their talent and mingled with the Comedy World’s finest at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Kilkenny Cat Laughs, London’s Big Joke and the Bulmer’s International Comedy Festival.
The group, consisting of Mick Cullinan (keyboard), Damian Fox (Drums), Shane O’Brien (Bass) and James Walmsley (guitar), perform as a rock and roll sketch band, encompassing various music stylings from stadium rock, boyband pop, indie rock and hip hop with more pizazz and showman swagger than you could shake a stick at. With each song different to the last, characters, role-play, music genre spoof and story-telling are the foundation stone of the foursome’s comedy. Each with a different persona- Mick, the effeminate backing vocal, Demian, the red haired clueless fool, James, the charismatic frontman and Shane, the all-knowing rocker, moustachioed and bandana clad. They work well off each other, like a group of guys that you know and that also make you laugh. This is evident in their banter between songs. Their appeal is infectious as their songs are easily relatable- covering topics such as night’s out, the male idea of masculinity, vanity, the female body clock and sport, as well as bizarre stories of orthopaedic legs and disastrous driving tests. However their shining talent is the meshing of the everyday trials and tribulations with larger than life music performances, turning songs of cases of mistaken identity into rock anthems. The group must be applauded for their observational skills, which are evidently finely tuned and compliment their eye for comedic value winningly. Their songs pick out behavioral patterns and gender identities, which often go unnoticed by the average bystander.
Their performance runs like a well-oiled machine. They have clearly practised to perfection; pitch-perfect inflections, movements and comic timing bring the show to life. Even the smallest details, such as the confident wielding of the guitar, the conviction of the vocals and the striking expressions of determination etched on their faces, elevated them to stadium rocker status.
Their effect on the audience was evident in the thunderous reception, howls of laughter throughout and a standing ovation at the end. There was very much a solid connection established between the group and the audience, as Dead Cat Bounce satisfied their appetite for a night’s hilarity and entertainment
