The Rubberbandits

The Rubberbandits: comedy, prank CDs ... and the IRA

They're are a hip-hop comedy duo from Limerick who rap about horses and terrorism. Is Britain ready for the Rubberbandits?

From Vanilla Ice to Goldie Lookin' Chain, comedy hip hop has a chequered history. Irish rappers Rubberbandits have already done the hard yards, earning a solid reputation on both the stand-up and gig circuits. And on the basis of this pilot, it's easy to see why: the musical skits are by far the most successful part of a show that otherwise feels a little cobbled together. Songs about everything from mass to Danny Dyer's ego are smartly conceived and slickly delivered. The rest is patchy: a mix of hit-and-miss surrealism and bizarre Bo' Selecta!-style celebrity skits featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen (baffling) and, of course, Dyer (pretty funny), but with prosthetically enlarged foreheads rather than chins. It's hard to see how this could support a series; in the meantime, the reputation of Flight of the Conchords, with its alchemical blend of music, gags and plot, continues to grow.

The Rubberbandits - Pilot review

I get the impression that each character and sketch is the first idea that popped into their heads; this is then immediately filmed without any further thought or work. In fact I hope this is the case because then there may be room for improvement.