Cameron James – Strawberry Blonde

To the sounds of Savage Garden, Cameron James arrived at the Terminal at Factory Theatre. He picked up a guitar and started playing humorous original songs for the latecomers. It was immediately endearing, but as he confessed, everyone fucking hates that guy with the guitar. 

James’ form of stand-up is haphazard. There is no real thread, topic to topic, but it's the method that suits him, the one with a little chaos, a touch of panic and a whole lot of laughs.

The Sydney comic has a way with words. His descriptions of everyday items such as "loudmouth soup" (coffee) or the "hip-hip guy" (a psychopath that calls their own hip-hips at a birthday) are the cornerstone of his show.

A segment where someone calls the "Instacreep hotline" is a highlight. James' seemingly fluid delivery means that you'll probably get a different show every night – tonight James referenced "the bin" the show was in, an old shipping container that "brought iPods to the country”.

James would return to the guitar a few times during the show and while it acted as a clever way to break up his material, it also pointed towards a talent for writing satirical songs (and playing guitar) that could be a catalyst for future work.

His personable nature comes across in his jokes, his giggles to himself and the kind way he interacts with the audience. We left the intimate Terminal with warm hearts and a smile on our faces to the music of the Backstreet Boys.

Performed as part of Sydney Comedy Festival