Scared Weird Little Guys
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Comedy, Music |
| Founded | July 1990 |
| Founder | John Fleming, Rusty Berther |
| Defunct | May 2011 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia, North America, United Kingdom |
| Products | Musical comedy performances, albums |
Number of employees | 2 |
| Website | www |
Scared Weird Little Guys (commonly known as SWLG or The Scaredies) are a comedic musical pair from Australia, established in July 1990. The group is composed of John Fleming, who provides vocals and plays guitar and mandolin, alongside Rusty Berther, who also sings and plays guitar and banjo. Their final live concert took place in Brisbane in May 2011, followed by a special benefit performance in Melbourne in October 2016 and a three-day reunion event at Brisbane Powerhouse in March 2019.
History
In 1987, Fleming became a member of "Four Chairs No Waiting," an a cappella ensemble that included Rusty Berther. This group performed aboard a Fairstar cruise ship and toured RSL clubs throughout Sydney, appearing frequently during Expo 88 held in Brisbane. By 1989, both Berther and Fleming joined "The Phones," a prominent Australian a cappella act that gained television exposure on Channel 7's Bert Newton Show. After the disbandment of The Phones in 1990, the two artists concentrated on developing musical comedy acts.
The duo embarked on extensive tours across Australia, North America—completing more than twenty festival and college circuits—and the United Kingdom, where they toured three times between 1997 and 2001.
Their name is inspired by a phrase from the Al Pacino movie Cruising.
On 1 August 2010, they revealed plans to retire after over two decades together, initiating the nationwide farewell tour titled 'Enough Already' through mid-2011. Alongside this tour, they released their concluding album, Enough Already, which includes live recordings from shows held in Mount Gambier, Horsham, and Warrnambool.
Having performed more than 4,600 live shows, their final public concert occurred in Brisbane on 22 May 2011. Despite retiring from public performances, The Scared Weird Little Guys still appear at corporate events, private gatherings, and occasional charity concerts.
During the 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Rusty Berther made a rare solo headline appearance for 1 Night Stand: A Musical Comedy Showcase.
Media appearances
Since their inception in 1990, the duo has been frequent guests on both television and radio platforms.
Television appearances
They have showcased their talent on nearly every major Australian live TV program, including:
- Hey Hey It's Saturday
- Good Morning Australia
- The NRL Footy Show
- Sale of the Century – notably appearing within the giftshop segment
- The Micallef Programme – featured as mystery guests
- You May Be Right – acted as the resident house band
- Rove Live
- Just For Laughs
Notable performances
They maintained regular appearances at festivals such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and performances within the Spiegeltent. Additionally, they energized an audience of 90,000 people with a 45-minute set during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
In the late 1990s, they created 'Score,' a production combining music, humor, and symphony orchestras. They also performed as The Scared Weird Little Guys Superband, which expanded their lineup to include a full rock band accompanied by a horn section. This act became a regular feature at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and included guest spots from international and Australian comedians such as Ross Noble, Rich Hall, Maria Bamford, Rove McManus, Jo Stanley, Jimeoin, Lano and Woodley, Bob Downe, Alan Brough, and Adam Hills.
Albums and EPs
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Bloody Jeff |
|
| Scared |
|
| Macadamia |
|
| Live at 42 Walnut Crescent |
|
| Bits and Pieces |
|
| Scared Weird Little Songs |
|
| Enough Already |
|
Awards and nominations
Throughout their career, the duo earned multiple accolades and nominations, underscoring their influence within the entertainment sector.
ARIA Music Awards
Since 1987, the ARIA Music Awards, hosted annually by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), honor outstanding achievements and creativity across Australian music styles.
! |- | 1995 | Scared | rowspan="2"| Best Comedy Release | | rowspan="2"| [1] |- | 2004 | Bits and Pieces | |-
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards celebrated accomplishments in live performance from 1975 until 2016. In 1999, Scared Weird Little Guys were honored with the Comedy Group of the Year award.
(wins only)
|- | 1999 | Scared Weird Little Guys | Comedy Group of the Year | |-
External links
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