WHAT have James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful, Aqua’s Barbie Girl and Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry got in common?

They, like 71 other hits, use the same four chords.

It’s a fact which comedy band, the Axis of Awesome, have turned into one of the highest rated comedy YouTube songs of all time in their hit, Four Chords.

And the trio will be playing it at the Arts Centre, as well as a whole host of new material, on September 17 as part of their Viva La Vida Loca Las Vegas tour.

Lead singer Jordan Raskopoulos said: “Originally we each auditioned for the X Factor individually and Simon Cowell said none of you will work as individual artists and he put us in a band together... Actually, we were at uni together but the One Direction story is so much better.

“We come up with our material in all sorts of different ways. Some of it is observational. It might come from hearing a song on the radio or hearing something funny that would make a great song.”

The Axis of Awesome have a global fan-base – they have previously enjoyed sell-out seasons in Edinburgh as well playing the Adelaide Fringe, tours of Germany and the UK, the Sydney and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, the Sydney Opera House and much more.

The title of Viva La Vida Loca Las Vegas, their biggest tour to date, combines Elvis, Coldplay and Ricky Martin songs, which will all make an appearance during the show, as well as well-known favourites and new songs.

“It’s a comedy show but we’re also a band. It’s kind of like a rock concert but we play characters and they get to see the interaction too,” said Jordan.

“It’s a scripted comedy show, a play about a concert.

“We have been shooting a series called Axis of Areas for YouTube, which is a series of music videos, and will be online from August.”

– EMMA DUNN

 

  • Tickets to see The Axis of Awesome at Swindon Arts Centre are £15. Call 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk.