I called this article perfect pyramid, for the alliteration, but also because it serves to introduce the combination of the wonderful Mr Eddie Perfect and his triangularly named co-stars Tripod. I spoke to Eddie Perfect about his upcoming visit to Tasmania and his fusion to parody group Tripod to become ‘Perfect Tripod’.
A Tripod is defined as ‘a device of some kind with three legs or supports’, the related pyramid is defined by geometry ‘as a solid with triangular sides that meet in a point’, and that would seem to be a perfect description of Tripod, an act made up of three solid supports which meet in a point with their comedic and musical parody.
As to the additional member of the group Mr Eddie Perfect, well he has a ‘perfect’ name.
The name ‘perfect’ finds its origin from a variety of sources, from the middle English, where it meant ‘apprentice’ and following from that ‘one that had completed his training’ and so was in fact, fully trained. It also means ‘well versed’.
And so it is that Eddie Perfect is both fully trained in a variety of disciplines and is definitely well versed in the same.
On the onset of our discussion Eddie is bemoaning the fact that a theatre in Melbourne’s Bourke Street is being earmarked for removal to make room for apartment buildings. Its not a foregone conclusion but one that bothers Eddie who has many memories invested in Melbourne’s theatres, from childhood days as patron to more recent times as a performer.
On the subject of theatres, Eddie gushes over the holy grail for theatre folk, that being our very own Theatre Royal ,which he calls ‘the best’ for it’s wonderful history and as he notes, it’s exactly right number of seats, suitable for a variety of productions. He is delighted that he and Tripod will be appearing at the theatre.
Eddie is indeed a Renaissance man, singer,composer, comedian (including political parody with Max Gillies) and performer and before all that his desire to be a visual artist and more precisely, printmaker/illustrator.
The combination ‘Perfect Tripod’ has had a great start to their tour performing 4 stupendous shows in Melbourne. Audiences were treated to an almost totally A cappella performance, with the whole arrangement in Eddie’s words ‘out there’ and voices stretching to an extra range of 3 octaves. Eddie says the experience has been a change for him compared to singing his other songs that have had ‘a dark,unsettling and sometimes discomforting presence’. Although some of Australia’s best known and loved songs will get the parody treatment Eddie says due respect is shown when required.
When not busy performing and writing songs, Eddie spends time reading biographies to understand how artistic people deal with failure, not that you would expect anyone called ‘Perfect’ to do so but Eddie tells me there have been disappointments such as missing out on relished roles, but by doing so let him follow a different and sometimes more rewarding path. Eddie concludes it’s ‘sometimes good not to get what you want.’
Eddie is working on writing songs for Baz Luhrmann’s musical of ‘Strictly Ballroom’ and this perfect man is finding he has developed song writing ability to the extent, that he can, in some cases ‘turn over a song a day’.
You can see ‘Perfect Tripod’ as part of ‘Festival of Voices’ perform ‘Perfect Tripod Australian Songs’ at the Theatre Royal on Friday 6 June – Saturday 7 June.
Paula Xiberras
