No rock but still Rollins at laughfest

Here's something from the forthcoming TV2 International Laugh! Festival which is bound to bring a smile to your face. Guess who is on the bill?

Yep, it's rock hardman Henry Rollins, not one you'd first pick as a kneeslapper - unless he's moved down that way after slappin' upside yo' head.

But as longtime followers of pugilistic rock know, Hank has a career outside of thunderous confrontational punk thrash. It's in thunderous confrontational spoken word. Actually that's not entirely true: it's more in discursive, cynical, spoken word in which he bemoans the state of the world and those too wimpy to survive in it. It's a howler, unless you take it as seriously as he does.

The Laugh! festival runs in Auckland and Wellington from May 1 to May 20 and among other acts confirmed are Adam Bloom, from Britain, who was invited in 98 after being spotted at the Edinburgh Festival.

However, his career rocketed away after receiving a Perrier award nomination and numerous other high-profile nods from above. Finally he's coming our way to join Jimeoin (Australia), Girl on Girl Action (United States), Rich Hall (United States), Four Noels (Australia), Yellow Man Group (Japan) and Certified Male (Australia) on the big, broad bill.

The festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 1, in Auckland with the TV2 Big Comedy Gala, "a star-studded opening night extravaganza" featuring the best international and local talent at the St James Theatre.

This year, in addition to the gala, there are other group attractions. The Shoebox Laugh! Divas is a lineup of the funniest females of the festival hosted by Cal Wilson (Sunday, May 13, Auckland). And the inaugural Class Clowns shows are a search for Auckland's funniest teenager hosted by Stacey Daniels (Saturday, May 12, Auckland).

The black-tie event Gastrocomique is back at The Heritage Grand Tearoom on Monday, May 7, to raise funds for the Variety Club's Children's Charity. Funny people read from their favourite funny books in Humourists at Borders on Sunday, May 19.

The festival ends on Sunday, May 20, with the TV2 Billy T. Showcase, which celebrates the outstanding talents of five up-and-coming comedians in honour of Billy T. James. This year's five nominees - Rhys Darby, Benjamin Crellin, Jan Maree, Jon Stubbs and Jeremy Elwood - are hopefully tickling your ribs to the extent of a $7000 grant to further their careers.

The full festival programme will be launched on April 3. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek on (09) 307-5000 from March 19. Be there, or we'll send Hank around to ask you why not.

Finland's Bomfunk MCs, who won an export Emma (the local equivalent of a Grammy in their homeland) for selling 2.2 million copies of their Freestyler single in Europe, have been confirmed for an Auckland show in mid-April. It was big here, too, and their album B-boys and Flygirls has been trucking out of stores across the planet, proving skateboard-inspired sounds are universal. Brush up on your Finnish: the Bomfunk MCs play the Auckland Town Hall, on Sunday, April 15.

Irish singer Mary Black, widely considered one of that country's finest interpreters of a lyric, will play two New Zealand shows in late April/early May.

Formerly of the group DeDannan, she launched a solo career in the mid-80s with a string of critically acclaimed and popular albums. Especially noteworthy were her second outing Without Fanfare and No Frontiers of 89. Black's gift has been to pick material by little-known songwriters and bring them to the world stage.

Mary Chapin Carpenter has described Black as one of the most passionate and gifted performers she had been privileged to know. And Black has recorded and performed live with Emmylou Harris, was invited by Van Morrison to sing with him on Celtic Heartbeat, and by Joan Baez to guest with her on Ring Them Bells.

Black plays the Aotea Centre, Monday, April 30; and the Opera House, Wellington, Wednesday, May 2. Tickets are on sale Monday through Ticketek, $55.90 plus ticketing charges.