Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Chris Rock turns Roxbury Hotel pub air blue with F-word

From The Daily Telegraph
"IN A REACTION worthy of Gordon Ramsay, stunned crowds at a Sydney pub were "rocked" by the random arrival of comedian Chris Rock on Friday night, dropping more than a few expletives in their excitement over the surprise gig.
Arriving at the Roxbury Hotel, Glebe stage unannounced, sans fanfare, the visiting US superstar had jaws dropping, then sides splitting during the random stand-up act. According to Confidential spies, the 25-minute routine featured the "f" word more times than a Ramsay cooking episode - playing fun with everything from Barack Obama to Australia's origins as a convict country. Ahead of his first tour of Australia, Rock, known for his no-limits, confrontational style, was accompanied by an entourage of seven and the star was dressed smartly in a black trench coat.
Roxbury Hotel staffer Chris Strickland said he thought the venue was being "punked" when Aussie promoter Artie Lang called on the night to arrange the secret slot. The Saturday Night Live star did not explain his motives for the impromptu, preview gig, but it proved a cheap thrill for the lucky 100 in the pub on the night. With tickets to his State Theatre shows, which opened last night, costing fans $120 per person, the Roxbury show had set the unwitting pub punters back just their measly $15 entry fee. He plays to another sell-out Sydney audience again tonight, before flying south to Melbourne for two gigs starting on Sunday."

Read the full article from The Daily Telegraph on News.com.au here.