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At what point of fame do you draw the line between being a name dropper, and just talking about your awesome life? Perhaps it’s when you have worked alongside some of the most successful musicians in history; Jimmy Page, Madonna, Michael Jackson (who you never actually saw), the guy from White Snake and Robert Palmer, (just to name a few). Or maybe it’s when you have been part of iconic Australian 80s band, Icehouse, or even perhaps, when you become a part of one of the world’s most loved bands; Pink Floyd.

Guy Pratt never wanted to be a bassist, the bass takes too long to sound any good, and when you’re a 15 year old boy, it just doesn’t have the same sex-appeal as an electric guitar. Odds are though, he’s pretty happy now that his parents agreed to the bass, when they wouldn’t get him a guitar….

Pratt is doing his Breakfast of Idiots tour of Australia, not as a musician (though he did bust out some funky beats), but as a “spoken word” artist. What’s the difference between stand up comedy and spoken word anyway? Do you call it spoken word if you’re worried that you won’t be funny enough for stand-up? Or is it because you’re recalling events from your life? Whatever you call it, it certainly made for one hilarious evening. Pratt has an absolute gift for words and comic delivery; it’s not surprising to hear that he’s also a media journalist and has written two books.

He regaled us with so many stories about things that happened to him whilst on the road, such as spending all evening in an anxious loop of packing, unpacking and repacking his bags; only to find once they were taken away the next morning, that he had no clothes left to wear. He ended a tale by informing us that this actually happened to another person, but it was such a good story that he wishes it happened to him. He has claimed this story for his own, so much so that people who were with him on the supposed event now say “I remember that” – memory is a funny thing, especially compounded with the somewhat dubious life of a rockstar.

It’s possible that Pratt may find himself a little unpopular with some of the people he’s toured with if they ever see his show. With endless tales of various musicians’ (who will remain nameless) back-stage chemical habits, and less-than complimentary impressions of them. Although he admitted that his impression of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was actually a lot more like Rick Mayall than Jimmy Page, it really did make the story funnier. Of course, when the torrential rain started pouring down, and thunder was shaking the room he had a moment of panic that Page was punishing him (which either means that he thinks Jimmy Page is God, or it’s a reference to Page’s known interest in the occult).

The stories were further illustrated with little snippets on the bass. Whipping out some amazing tunes, Pratt managed to give at least some of us a whole new appreciation for disco. He suggested that all bassists love disco, and anyone who says they don’t obviously just can’t play. (Cool bass lines are all well and good, but some may say a good riff does not a good song make.)

Pratt recalled a gig with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour a few years ago in the US, staring out into a sea of “The comic-book guy from The Simpsons”, which just about sums up a huge majority of die-hard – œFloyd fans. Perhaps unintentionally, he also managed to describe a good part his current evening’s audience – if not quite that extreme, there was definitely an over-representation of men in their late 30s. One man was so excited when he heard Pratt speak about anything Pink Floyd related, that he stood up and lifted his jumper to reveal a Roger Waters fan shirt beneath… Pratt wasn’t quite sure how to react, but said something both scathing and amusing, which put him in his place. At the end of the show, another guy couldn’t contain himself for another moment; leaping forward with something precious in-hand to be signed, just after Pratt had finished saying he would be back shortly to sign books. Despite the oddity of fans, it must feel pretty good to be that adored.

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