Neil Hamburger

Neil Hamburger in Portland, Oregon

Neil Hamburger is a standup comedian character played by comedian and musician Gregg Turkington.^[1]

Style

Hamburger's live act, which is quite different from his many albums, features a barrage of question/answer jokes aimed often at celebrity targets, including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson, Smash Mouth, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Jim Morrison, and Steven Tyler, as well as depressing barbs aimed at his ex-wife. His pacing is off, and he clears his throat nonstop through his entire routine, often to keep overzealous fans from shouting out his punchlines. He has performed in front of audiences worldwide from Madison Square Garden to Jimmy Kimmel Live and the confrontational aspects of his act have drawn cursory comparisons to Tony Clifton.^[2] One of his most famous gags is the "Zipper Lips", in which he asks an audience member a question. If the audience member doesn't respond, Hamburger derides them for being a "zipper lips". A common phrase used by the comedian is "But that's my life!"

Career

His first full length, America's Funnyman, was released in 1996. He has released a number of albums on the Drag City record label.

Hamburger is a frequent guest on the internet talk show Tom Green's House Tonight. In 2006, Hamburger started doing his own show called Poolside Chats with Neil Hamburger on The Channel at Tomgreen.com. Guests on his show have included Tim and Eric, Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, Buzz Osborne of The Melvins, and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

Hamburger also appeared in a series of three video advertisements promoting the release of the 2006 album by Drag City stablemate, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, The Letting Go.

In 2007, Hamburger opened for Tenacious D during their Pick of Destiny Tour. In the movie The Pick of Destiny, he made a brief cameo appearance before Tenacious D came on stage to perform. He has already performed at Madison Square Garden, a show that the New York Times referred to as likely "the greatest night of his career."^{[citation needed]} However, his performance was poorly received elsewhere, with booing and heckling ensuing in countries such as Ireland and England^{[citation needed]}.

Tom Green, Thora Birch, and Hamburger in 2006.

The Australian punk band Frenzal Rhomb have used Hamburger to open their sets and appear in their video clips for their songs "Punisher" and "Ballchef", and Frenzal Rhomb members Jay and the Doctor have called him live on air on their radio show on the network Triple J to report on current events in America such as award ceremonies.

In 2007, Hamburger appeared in the music video for "Conspiracy of the Gods" by the band Trans Am.

In September of 2007 and 2010, he appeared at the Global ComedyFest in Vancouver, Canada. In 2010, he appeared at Just For Laughs in Montreal, and later that summer, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe resulting in rave reviews in The Scotsman and The Guardian^{[citation needed]}.

In spring of 2008, Drag City released an album of country and western originals and covers recorded by Neil Hamburger in a "celebrity vocals" style. During the sessions, Hamburger was backed by musicians including Prairie Prince of The Tubes and Todd Rundgren's band, David Gleason, Atom Ellis of Dieselhed and The New Cars, Rachel Haden from that dog.

He also recorded a record doing guest lead vocals with Australian band The Hard-Ons while in Sydney in January, 2008.^[3]

In August 2010, Hamburger appeared on the Alternative Stage at the Reading Music Festival in the UK, where his entire set was booed and derided by the capacity crowd, with chants of "You're shit and you know you are!". As the set progressed bottles and other projectiles were hurled at Hamburger, before he completed his set. The stage's host, Andrew O'Neill came on after the set, simply asking "Didn't you all enjoy hating that?"^{[citation needed]}

In December 2010, Special Entertainment released an iPhone App called Shaky Advice from Neil Hamburger that functions much like a Magic 8 Ball, with 30 video clips of Hamburger giving comical advice.

The Neil Hamburger character plays the role of Osric in the 2012 film, Hamlet A.D.D., a live action and animated version of William Shakespeare's Hamlet.^[4]

Opening Act

Neil Hamburger has performed as the opening act for the following artists.

• A Perfect Circle
• Bad Religion
• Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
• Danielson
• Faith No More
• Fantômas
• Flipper
• Frenzal Rhomb
• Georgie James
• Guided by Voices
• Hard-Ons
• Iron and Wine
• Legendary Stardust Cowboy
• Melvins
• M. Ward
• Mr. Bungle
• Mutants
• NOFX
• Optiganally Yours
• Pinback
• Puscifer
• Smog
• Trans Am
• Tenacious D
• Tim and Eric
• Tomahawk

Discography

Albums

• Great Phone Calls featuring Neil Hamburger (1992)
• America's Funnyman (1996)
• Raw Hamburger (1998)
• Left for Dead in Malaysia (1999)
• 50 States, 50 Laughs (2000)
• Laugh Out Lord (2002)
• Hot February Night (2007)
• Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners (2008)

EPs

• Looking for Laughs EP - Amarillo Records (1994)
• Bartender, the Laugh's on Me!!!! EP - Planet Pimp Records (1995)
• Open Ended Interview with Neil Hamburger (promotional 7") - Drag City (1997)
• Neil Hamburger Pays Tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales EP - Planet Pimp Records (1998)
• Inside Neil Hamburger EP - Drag City (2000)
• Hamburger Remembers Nixon 7" - I Don't Feel a Thing Records (2002)
• Souvenir Record (tour split 7" with Pleaseeasaur) (2008)
• American Exports 7" (with the Hard-Ons) - Red Lounge Records (2009)

Appearances

• RRRecords - America the Beautiful (compilation) (on "That's My Life") (1994)
• Planet Pimp Records - Good Tyme Jhambhoree (compilation) (on "Promo Spot #1" and "Promo Spot #2") (1995)
• Amarillo Records - You Gan't Boar Like an Eabla When you Work with Turkrys (on "Looking for Laughs" and "Great Phone Calls") (1996)
• Giardia - Muckraker #8 (compilation) (on "Ten Minutes after Checking into the Motel 6") (1997)
• Tedium House - My Baby Does Good Sculptures (compilation) (on "Comedy Fated from the Stars") (1997)
• The Phantom Surfers - XXX Party (on "Special Guest Guffaws") (2000)
• Mark Prindle - Only the Good Die Young: An All-Star Tribute to Mark Prindle (1973-2058) (on "Special Celebrity Endorsement") (2001)
• Joe Beats - Indie Rock Blues (on "It's Expected I'm Gone / Open Ended Interview") (2005)
• Comedy Central - Comedy Death-Ray (compilation) (on "Neil Hamburger") (2008)

Filmography

DVDs

• The Show Must Go Off!: Neil Hamburger Live at the Phoenix Greyhound Park (2003)
• The World's Funnyman (2006)
• Western Music and Variety (2009)

Movie Appearances

• Circuit 8: Volume 8 (as himself) (2001)
• The Amazing Adventures of Pleaseeasaur (as himself) (2006)
• Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (as himself) (2006)
• Coco Lipshitz: Behind the Laughter (as himself) (2009)
• Hamlet A.D.D. (as Osric) (2012)

TV Show Appearances

• Behind the Music (VH1)
• Free Radio (VH1)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
• Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld (Fox News)
• Tom Green Live! (ManiaTV!)
• Tom Green's House Tonight (The Comedy Network)
• Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (Adult Swim)
• Tim and Eric Nite Live! (Super Deluxe)
• The Comedy Can Television Series (The Comedy Network)
• The Movie Show (SBS One)
• Recovery (ABC Television)
• Special Sauce (Starz)

See also

• Poolside Chats

References

1. ^ Logan, Brian (20 August 2010). "Neil Hamburger: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/aug/20/neil-hamburger-edinburgh-review. 
2. ^ Hour.ca - Stage - Laughlines: Neil Hamburger
3. ^ http://www.discogs.com/Hard-Ons-With-Neil-Hamburger-American-Exports/release/1752069
4. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892062/

External links

• Neil Hamburger's "Unofficial" Site
• Neil Hamburger at the Internet Movie Database
• Neil Hamburger at MySpace
• Guardian UK article
• Audio interview with The Sound of Young America
• Poolside Chats with Neil Hamburger
• Mundane Sounds' Neil Hamburger Interview
• November 2006 Interview About Madison Square Garden Performance
• Ten Questions With Neil Hamburger, 2007 at Rigid Morality
• 2007 Interview with One Trick Pony
• April 2008 Interview with L.A. Record
• April 2007 Interview with Jon Niccum
• October 2007 Q&A with StarPulse
• August 2008 interview with The Hartford Advocate
• Audio tribute and interview by Slander Bob that was broadcast on May 3, 2009 on KAOS Radio Austin
• Review of performance at Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, N.Y. November 11, 2009