If you’ve been watching the (frankly going downhill rapid) second series of Flight of the Conchords you may have come across this song in the fifth episode which was directed by Michel Gondry. You may also have noticed this comedy song is very similar in sentiment to the Limerick messers’ Rubberbandits comedy club anthem ‘Too Many Gee’. The Flight of the Conchords version is called ‘Too Many Dicks on the Dancefloor’. The song is different but the idea is the same.
Before you claim blogger paranoia, the Bandits themselves genuinely believe there’s some degree of borrowing here and it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Comedian David O’ Doherty is friends with The Conchords and is a fan of the Rubberbandits. Have a look.
The Rubberbandits will be playing in Dublin next month with David O’ Doherty in the Button Factory on the 10th of March and with DJ Mek in Eamonn Dorans on the 16th of March. In other related news, remember the Martial Arts Kid video from Monday? Well his name is Achilles from Killarney and he has a diss track of the boys after the jump…
Finally, 5 actual rap songs that are actually worse than ‘Too Many Gee’.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Haha come on now. I agree series 2 has been hit or miss. More miss. But with the format I saw that coming. Gondry episode was great though. Murrays still the man.
frankly going downhill rapid
I’ve never thought it to be funny.
Be proud,be proud.
The Bandits themselves genuinely believe there’s some degree of borrowing here and it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
But then neither is blogger paranoia!
Though methinks the Bandits should play it cool and let the bloggers take the baton on even if they do think their creative bank has been snaffled.
Am i the only one who finds the new series funny? The cup episode is funny as fuck.
The songs haven’t been half as good as the first but maybe thats because we didn’t have the album before hand. The series is still cracks me up.
It’s just another excuse to post the Bandits.
The Bandits track and Conchords song are nothing alike musically and barely thematically. I know they are just probably just joking about this but it would be hypocritical for a “band” taking the piss out og In Da Club to accuse someone of ripping them off.
The new series of conchords is suffering from difficult 2nd album syndrome. It’s by no way going downhill fast but the songs that work are brilliant; Too Many Dicks, the one where they meet the girl in the park, and the Cup episode was classic Conchords.
No more Mel songs though.
Ya I would say the conchords had defo heard too many gee when they made this. I love the conchords but I prefer the bandits, they are just plain weirder. I think Conchords doing this is a compliment to the bandits more than anything.
If they took influence from the Bandits then that’s all good and well but when the hell are they gonna show some respect to the genius that is Barry Achilles.
Be Proud…
Sound for the blog Nialler. Just to let it be known the video was made by one of our fans not us, He was the one who brought the issue to our attention. We have our suspicions on the matter but like Jerry C says above its a lovely compliment if its true.
It’s pure blatant like! and how come yer man “Aaron” done that thing with the band in inverted commas? is he trying to be smart by sayin they’re not a band to be taken seriously? Bloody Kiwis stole the rugby match against Munster in Thomond Park last year and now they are stealing inspiration for their songs from a “band” from Limerick. This will not stand!
say Says Sez Snes you still looking forward to seeing the Conchords next month?? 🙂
Ya but that’s only cos i’m gonna fling a shitty nappy at them onstage, it’s d Limerick version of the symbolism of bjors burning their bras to make some kind of a statement against sexism or something, i never listen to my bjor when she’s in a mood
Limerick in the house! S’up!
i dont think it’s ripped off to be honest.
Sorry Nialler but ….The following video(s) from your account have been disabled for violating the YouTube Community Guidelines:
* Flight of the conchords have plagiarised the Rubberbandits – (pappy25)
This is the second Community Guidelines warning sanction your account has received within six months. Accordingly, the ability to post new content to YouTube from this account has been disabled and will not return until two weeks after you acknowledge this message. Please review the YouTube Community Guidelines and refrain from further violations, which may result in the termination of your account(s).
For your reference, a copy of this message has also been emailed to the address associated with this account.
Sincerely,
The YouTube Team
Man i’m badass, i can’t even log in or check my messages. I bet it was their manager Murray.
Well I see. Pappy’s comparison video which contained snippets of “too many dicks” was removed for terms of use violations yet all the other videos of “Too many dicks” in its entirety which were not officially uploaded by Conchords or their label have not been removed, even though they too qualify as a terms of use violation??? Conspiracy or what? Conchords are Guilty as charged and are afraid of a libel case I’d say.
Yer onto something there. I’m being treated like Lee Harvey Oswald, “I’m just a patsy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bOyIEuNU7E – Claire Hux enter the debate
I Blame HBO – Fight the power Pappy.
In fairness, that Claire Hux video is pretty close.
She released it on 17th of November 2008. Do ye really think the Conchords thought this was such a great idea to rush in creating the track and getting Michel Gondry on board to direct the episode? That’s a bit much.
Anyway, they are a parody band, they are taking the piss out of different music genres. No one slated them for Bowie in saying that there was musical elements that actually ripped off Bowie. If they did rip off/take influence from the Bandits or this Claire Hux chick then credit where credit is due but I think it’s a load of BS.
Yes Aaron,all valid points, but this song was uploaded to the Bandits myspace in mid 2008. You and I both know that a parody song can be written and recorded in an hour so the timing of it is insignificant. As for the Bowie song, that’s just plain obvious, Inner City Pressure is Pet Shop Boys’esque’ (obvious), She’s So Hot Boom is inspired by Shaggy etc etc. , but when a song’s sentiment is inspired by a band that isn’t on the radar there is no homage, there is no collective “ah i see what they’ve done there,brilliant..” It just looks like an original idea
– A thief borrows but a genius steals
To back up what Pappy said above and To reference a quote by Aaron which is
” I know they are just probably just joking about this but it would be hypocritical for a “band” taking the piss out og In Da Club to accuse someone of ripping them off”.
It wouldnt be hypocritical of the bandits to have a problem with this because too many gee is funny because it references bad rap music like “in da club”, but it references this music in such an over the top way that it points out how ridiculous this music actually is. That’s why too many gee works as a comedy song.. its creative. But for the conchords to release a similar song to the bandits (another comedy band) then they would simply be stealing material, not referencing or parodying.
The worst thing the bandits can get out of this is for some eegit to hear too many gee and say, ye are robbing the conchords. The best thing the bandits can hope for out of this is a bit of exposure, I doubt they would bother taking it up legally. They even said above that its a compliment if its true.
They’re not similar at all, what r ye all goin on about!!? Too many gee, too many dicks – one word being replaced there and nothing else in common.
They aren’t similar in any way. The beats are different, the lyrics are different, everything. You believing that this is a rip-off really discredits your intelligence. These Rubberbandits are just trying to steal some of the limelight and they are getting bitter bloggers who live in their mom’s basement to fuel the fire.
MIke don’t take it so seriously dude. For the record, I’ve long moved out of my parents “basement” a lnog time ago!
My parents don’t even have a basement, i don’t think i even know anybody with a basement, average houses in Ireland just don’t do basements.
For the record i live in my parents garage.
Ha ha ha, thats gas Pappy.
I’m pissed because shit like this discredits artists such as FOTC, and stirs up shit with them. Talented artists such as themselves do not need this type of press. You’ve enjoyed their show I’m sure, so is it really fair to them to fuel the fire? Being a music major myself I feel for them. They had probably never even heard of the Rubberbands until now or that track, and then all these accusations from internet folk are rolling around for no particular reason besides maybe boredom or the need to bring down other people to make themself feel better, I don’t know. Either way it’s very disrespectful and doesn’t help any artist. I’m sure you agree.
Theres surely only one way to settle this.
Breakdance fight.
you heard me.
Hey Mike H. (Hunt by any chance?) don’t take it so seriously, t’is only a bit of fun!
There’s NOTHING similar about these two tracks. NOTHING!
Here’s another gem of a song.
Classy ladies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7tEtWUfUkY
Jaysus, nothing must have happened in the world today to be posting this shite on your blog. They’re nothing alike!!!
nothing a like at all. dunno why ud even post a blog about it. sure didn’t the rubber misfits bit tapes for dancin?
erm… you are aware that FOTC is satire, right?
jaybee is tha man! songs are nothing alike, dunno why ud even write a paragraph about it. sure the rubber misfits rip other peoples songs
those songs are nothing alike, the rubberbandits totaly cracked me up, the concords on the other hand didn’t do it for me. The bandits won’t have that worldwide appeal but they have my attention, bring on the next song everything has been shockingly hilarious so far. up the ra says it all. if you can’t laugh at that you’ll never get the bandits.
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Rubbish, Flight wouldn’t plagerise from the Bandits… the songs are mildly similar but in fairness, it’s like saying that all love songs are plagerised from the first love song ever written… from to tempo to style, to lyrics these songs are incredibly different!!