A-List Comedians Start New Comedy Band

The new band features Australian comedy royalty, including Tom Gleeson, Andrew Hansen, and Sammy J.

Tom Gleeson(Credit: Token Group)

Sammy J, Australian musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter, has started a band with a couple of other A-list Aussie comedians.

In a post shared on social media yesterday (12 January), Sammy J revealed his bandmates’ identities, the musical comedy act’s band name, The Grats, and their first tour dates.

“New Year, new band,” Sammy J began. “I’m teaming up with Gatesy (Tripod), Andrew Hansen (Chaser), Rusty Berther (Scared Weird Little Guys), and Tom Gleeson (Tom Gleeson). We’ve written some songs and we’re kicking off with two shows at Adelaide Fringe.”

Locked in for 10 pm sessions, the Adelaide Fringe shows will take place at The Spiegeltent at The Garden of Unearthly Delights on Friday, 27 February, and Saturday, 28 February. You can find ticketing information here.

The Grats have been described as the country’s “musical comedy supergroup — a powerhouse blend of wit, music, and sore fingers.”

The Adelaide Fringe synopsis about the group continues, “Together, they form a one-of-a-kind collective that celebrates sharp satire, harmony and hilarity in equal measure.

“The Grats: musical comedy royalty. Also, Tom Gleeson.”

The new band isn’t Tom Gleeson’s first rodeo. In the late 90s, Gleeson was a member of the pop-rock outfit The Fantastic Leslie with Andrew Hansen. So, in some ways, The Grats is about getting the old band back together, but with a few new members.

Meanwhile, Sammy J has released several CDs and DVD compilations. In 2020, his song Pink Clouds won in the comedy category for the International Songwriting Competition. A year earlier, his album Symphony In J Minor was nominated for Best Comedy Release at the 2019 ARIA Awards.

Hansen, a regular writer and performer on The Chaser’s War on Everything, has spawned criticism for his expressive The Eulogy Song, which has been updated on multiple occasions, and composed the music for and starred in The Blow Parade, a scripted radio comedy series he made with Chris Taylor that premiered on triple j.

His career has also led to appearances on Triple M, Nova, and ABC Radio Melbourne, as well as stage shows.

Of course, The Grats also stars well-known musical comedians, Steven “Gatesy” Gates from the musical comedy trio Tripod, and Rusty Berther, one-half of Scared Weird Little Guys.