Biography:Rodney Rude

From HandWiki
Short description: Australian 'blue' stand-up comedian, poet and writer

Rodney Rude
Rodney Rude.jpg
Birth nameRodney Malcolm Keft
Born (1943-01-29) 29 January 1943 (age 81)
Nowra, New South Wales, Australia
MediumStand-up, music
NationalityAustralian
Years activeearly 1960s–present
GenresObservational comedy, blue comedy, insult comedy
Subject(s)Australian culture, current events, pop culture
Websitehttp://www.rude.com.au

Rodney Rude (born Rodney Malcolm Keft, 29 January 1943 in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australia -born blue stand-up comedian, poet, writer, and musician.

Rude is best known for his bawdy humour and has released 12 albums and five videos all distributed locally by EMI Records. Rude has been nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release nine times between 1987 and 2009, and has won two Mo Awards.

Early career

Rude began his career as a hooker in Baghdad performing with traveling tent shows on the showground circuit in the early 1960s, singing and playing guitar. His habit of altering the lyrics of songs to amuse himself and his audience prompted him to become a comedian. He left Australia in the mid-1960s to tour the world, and to live and work in the United States , Canada , and Europe under various stage names. In 1981, he was asked by Barry Wain to return to Australia to set up Sydney's Comedy Store, and started working as the club's compere.[1]

Style

Rude's comedy is energetic and aggressive, peppered with expletives and his trademark rat-tat-tat laugh, and typically suitable for adult audiences only. Recurring stage props often included a small ukulele for short musical pieces, hats too small for his head, oversized clown shoes, and material from his grandfather's joke album. There were several regular characters that appeared in his act; most notably 'Bishop Rude' while wielding a toilet plunger, 'Harry Muff (The Diver)' - where Rodney would dress in a shirt to below his waist and short pants with belt around his knees - and 'Half Rude', where Rodney would bend himself at the knees into a fabricated set of prosthetic legs with foam around his backside to create a false pair of buttocks. Rodney's interaction with his audiences is a key part of his act, including the famous 'limericks' toward the end of each show. Positive hecklers were frequent at any Rude Concert because his quick-fire responses were an integral part of his act, making it something of a badge of honour to have Rodney heckle you as an audience member. His catch-phrase "You know what I hate?" preceding some of his jokes was always responded to by the audience calling out in unison, "What do you hate Rodney!?"

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certifications
AUS
[2][3]
Rodney Rude Live
  • Released: July 1984
  • Format: LP, Cassette
  • Label: EMI Music (EMX 430018)
  • Recorded at Di Di's, Sydney
1
I Got More
  • Released: August 1985
  • Format: LP, Cassette
  • Label: EMI Music (EMC 271)
  • Recorded at Middleback Theatre
7
Rude Rides Again
  • Released: November 1986
  • Format: LP, Cassette
  • Label: EMI Music (EMC 297)
  • Recorded on the Gold Coast, Queensland
24
Not Guilty
  • Released: December 1988
  • Format: LP, Cassette, CD
  • Label: EMI Music (GET 791446)
30
A Legend
  • Released: October 1991
  • Format: Cassette, CD
  • Label: EMI Music (GET 797987)
  • Recorded in Perth, Australia
36
Classic Rude: The Best of Rodney Rude
  • Released: 1992
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI Music (7809874)
  • Compilation album
Live - Rats Arse Tour
I Don't Give a Rats Arse
  • Released: 1996
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Kemalda Pty. Ltd. (CAT#011)
  • Recorded during the 1995 Rats Arse Tour
64
More Grunt
  • Released: November 1998
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI (4982752)
  • Recorded live on stage
23
Ya' Mum's Bum
  • Released: October 2000
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI (5296642)
  • Recorded live on stage
22
Rude Bastard
  • Released: October 2002
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI (5435452)
  • Recorded live on stage
17
  • ARIA: Platinum[3]
Twice as Rude
  • Released: October 2004
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI (8754772)
  • Recorded live on stage
35
Frog Sack
  • Released: November 2006
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI (09463819382 1)
  • Recorded live on stage
30

Video albums

Title Details Certification
Rude Rude Rodney Rude on Video
  • Released: 1984
  • Label:
  • Format: VHS
Rude Rides Again
  • Released: 1987
  • Label:
  • Format: VHS
I Don't Give a Rats Arse
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Kemalda Pty. Ltd.
  • Format: VHS
Get Rude On - Live on Stage Vol. 4
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Kemalda Pty. Ltd.
  • Format: VHS
  • ARIA: Platinum[4]
Rodney Rude Goes the Growl
  • Released: 2008
  • Label:


Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Rude has been nominated for ten awards.[5]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1987 Rude Rides Again Best Comedy Release Nominated
ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album Nominated
1989 Not Guilty Best Comedy Release Nominated
1992 A Legend Nominated
1999 More Grunt Nominated
2001 Ya Mum's Bum Nominated
2003 Rude Bastard Nominated
2005 Twice As Rude Nominated
2007 Frog Sack Nominated
2009 Rodney Rude Goes the Growl Nominated

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Rodney Rude won two awards in that time.[6]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1985 Rodney Rude Best Comedy Act of the Year Won
2006 Rodney Rude Outstanding Contribution to Australian Comedy Won

References

External links

Preceded by
Purple Rain by Prince and The Revolution
Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
20 August – 2 September 1984
Succeeded by
H'its Huge '84 by Various artists