“We couldn’t believe our luck that HBO, with all this money, was trusting these random dudes from New Zealand to put something together for them.”
Rhys Darby is reflecting on the early days of Flight of the Conchords - back when it was just a bunch of mates hustling gigs in tiny venues, long before HBO and sold-out shows.
The Kiwi comedy legend popped into the studio for a chat with Sean Hill, kicking off his new podcast 'The Comedy Club', where Sean sits down with some of the best in the business to talk all things comedy. And Rhys had plenty of stories to share.
"That was a group of us, a Kiwi contingent, and we had each other’s backs. We helped each other out."
Before the band was a band - or even a radio show - Flight of the Conchords was just Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie playing around with musical comedy at the same comedy festivals where Rhys was doing his one man shows.
They clicked and supported each other’s shows. And when Edinburgh came calling, they packed up, grabbed mates like Taika Waititi, and gave it everything.
Rhys recalls the moment the magic started to form. It wasn’t in a big studio or fancy venue - it was in a flat kitchen, recording with a MiniDisc.
“We were sat at the kitchen... sitting in the kitchenette and I’m on one side of the floor. And we just did it.”
From there, the buzz grew and word of the Conchords’ act spread fast.
“We packed every night.”
The BBC took notice, giving them a shot at a radio series. That’s where Rhys officially joined the band as “Murray,” their wonderfully useless manager.
The BBC gig turned heads, and before long, HBO was on board - though Rhys says they didn’t exactly know what they were getting into at first.
“The show was thrust upon them... and James Bobin, the British guy who co-created it, was steadfast in positioning me in the role.”
The rest, as Rhys puts it: “is history.”
🎙️ Catch the full episode with Rhys Darby now on Rova. 📲 Follow @thecomedyclubpod on Instagram and check out extended clips on YouTube
