Sooz Kempner appreciation thread

[Mr Banlon]

Heard her first as a guest on the excellent Evil Men podcast a couple of years back and she was ace, so I checked out her podcast with Masud Milas and Chris Stokes 'Mystery on the Rocks'. Well worth a listen.

[PaulTMA]

I got into her after hearing her on the great Queenpod over lockdown.  I particularly liked her story about enthusiastically performing the album track Death On Two Legs at her audition for We Will Rock You, which was met with a "why the fuck did you choose that" reaction

[thr0b]

I got into her after hearing her on the great Queenpod over lockdown.  I particularly liked her story about enthusiastically performing the album track Death On Two Legs at her audition for We Will Rock You, which was met with a "why the fuck did you choose that" reaction

Yep, that was my gateway to Sooz. It was a real shame when it came back post-Covid and she wasn't able to be there full time, and now they're not doing anymore of them ever. Bah

(Not her fault - the group collectively were just too busy post-lockdown to be able to do a big podcast together, due to having actual work rather than being stuck at home.)

She's great.

[Good Hank]

Yeah, I think she's great. I first came across her through her thread about her time as a Christina Aguilera tribute act in Tenerife or wherever. She seems very talented.

[Yussef Dent]

The Christina Aguilera thread was where I first heard of her too, utterly bizarre story that one. Her appearance on Bilal Zafar's PES United séance as Dot Cotton was absolutely bloody hilarious.

[Mobbd]

PlayStation show now available from GFS:
https://gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/w.cgi?showfull=54217

[non capisco]

Her recent interactive Twitter thread characterising Laurence Fox as a playground bullshitter was the most fun I've ever had on that site. 

[bgmnts]

PlayStation show now available from GFS:
https://gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/w.cgi?showfull=54217

Nice one, cheers!

[Mobbd]

From Warming Up:

Sooz Kempner and I were very indiscrete and so even though that podcast is out in February, a lot of it won't be!

https://richardherring.com/warmingup/16/10/2023/index.html

This would have been at the RHLSTP recorded last night, the 16th. Was anyone at this? Tell us about the indiscretion please!

[Mister Six]

Hardcore fucking onstage.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Went to see Wrong Songs today at Brasserie Zédel in Picadilly, a ridiculously posh restaurant where Richard Thomas (of Jerry Springer The Opera fame) had written a whole bunch of songs, and got Sooz to sing them. And it was fucking dreadful. And I wish I was joking, but I can only presume that Thomas hasn't listened to any musical comedy in the past forty years, I was astonished at how bad so many of them were. About 80% of the songs were less than thirty seconds long and used the formula of "really thin premise" / "sweary or edgy punchline", and some of them were so lazy I was quite stunned Sooz was okay with singing them. One song was something like "Socio-Economic Chocolate / Inequality Street" and I found myself muttering "fuck off", while three of the songs ended with "Hitler" as a punch line, and another closed with "Mein Kampf" and I'm still shaking my head in disbelief as to how awful it was. The final song was taken from a musical that Thomas, Sooz and Grayson Perry are workshopping and planning to stage in 2025, and I can only presume that along with a decent payday (tickets were £25!) that's why Sooz is involved with this, but jesus, I hope she sees the light and runs a million miles away from this dogshit. 0.5/5

[Mobbd]

Sooz being a GBOL on Digi Level 2 this week. She makes Gannon go all shy.

First segment: https://youtu.be/_sjJZQK57xY?si=MsfCC8xNaZp2I56g&t=855

Second segment: https://youtu.be/_sjJZQK57xY?si=Suuuckssw7RPwygv&t=1783

[Mobbd]

About 80% of the songs were less than thirty seconds long and used the formula of "really thin premise" / "sweary or edgy punchline", and some of them were so lazy I was quite stunned Sooz was okay with singing them. One song was something like "Socio-Economic Chocolate / Inequality Street" and I found myself muttering "fuck off", while three of the songs ended with "Hitler" as a punch line, and another closed with "Mein Kampf"

This sounds a bit like the original Kombat Opera sketches circa 1994 only with Sooz doing the Lori Lixenberg role.

I liked those sketches ("cunting cunting cunting cunting cunt!") but I do wonder if they were (a) of their time and that (b) part of the fun was seeing disrespectful young people calling it in despite their obvious talent (especially against a backdrop of highly polished big-budget TV comedy and those fringe acts who would court it).

I can see how this might not work in an expensive restaurant, now that Thomas is old, post JSTO and Olivier Awards and whatnot. I wasn't there but I'd give it a chance. You know, for £8, not £25.

[C_Larence]

fucking hell you weren't lying

think i would literally never leave the house again if i got tricked into paying £25 to watch someone sing "thank god i'm an atheist" and that be the whole joke.

FOR LENT I'M GIVING UP LENT?????????????????

[idunnosomename]

Huh I thought I reacted to SMBH's review. (V good thanks for writing it)

Anyway this collaboration between Thomas and Kempner has been going a while so sadly will continue.

https://www.thecoronettheatre.com/whats-on/rhapsody-in-you/ (a Christmas one from 2018 so obviously further back than that)

He's obviously a witty musician but god the act of just going *arpeggio opening* Im a CUNT! *tonic chord* is possibly the worst thing i can imagine. The Aristocrats tier

[lauraxsynthesis]

Pleased for her with the Dr Who gig. I spent this last New Year's Eve watching her Twitch thing which if I remember right was Barbra Streisand karaoke? Anyway it was lovely. One of these days I ought to see her live.

[Pink Gregory]

Pleased for her with the Dr Who gig. I spent this last New Year's Eve watching her Twitch thing which if I remember right was Barbra Streisand karaoke? Anyway it was lovely. One of these days I ought to see her live.

She's going to be at Chippenham Comedy Festival in July I'm told, small but hilariously expensive train ride for you!

[David Pielingtonburygrot]

I found myself muttering "fuck off", while three of the songs ended with "Hitler" as a punch line, and another closed with "Mein Kampf" and I'm still shaking my head in disbelief as to how awful it was.

Gentlemen, you can't not appreciate Sooz Kempner in here, this is the Sooz Kempner appreciation thread!

[Small Man Big Horse]

fucking hell you weren't lying

think i would literally never leave the house again if i got tricked into paying £25 to watch someone sing "thank god i'm an atheist" and that be the whole joke.

FOR LENT I'M GIVING UP LENT?????????????????

Christ, it's even worse than I remembered it. The way it cuts to another song the moment one ends feels weird too, like they're trying to cover up that they rarely get laughs but by editing it that way it makes it more obvious.

Gentlemen, you can't not appreciate Sooz Kempner in here, this is the Sooz Kempner appreciation thread!

I generally like Suze a lot, and really enjoyed seeing Mega Drive and Playstation live, though when I saw her perform her club set recently I didn't get on with it - https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=54529.msg5503157#msg5503157 - It's weird really as I love musical comedy a huge amount, but prefer it when she performs more traditional style stand up.

[Pink Gregory]

Yeah unless she can really make something new out of it I can't see how she can keep the singing stuff going in her new material.  There's quite a bit of crossover between Super Sonic 90s Kid and Playstation (though I've only seen Playstation as a fairly developed WIP) as well.

Like I said I think the thing with her club set is that it's designed for people who aren't going to be familiar with her, but increasingly she is getting a bit more well known.  I wonder if she'll move away from standup if she gets a bit more work elsewhere.  Interested either way.

[madhair60]

more like snooze kempner, haha

nah she's good

[idunnosomename]

Gentlemen, you can't not appreciate Sooz Kempner in here, this is the Sooz Kempner appreciation thread!

she's still a good performer, and clearly an accomplished singer too, honestly I appreciate her enough to recommend she's above working on this self-indulgent unfunny shit. Although if it gets bums on seats and money in, fair dos to both of them.

[Otisberg]

But what would Liza Minella say about Theresa May's Nadine Dorries as Kate Bush in Eastenders?