The Doug Anthony All Stars (or Doug Anthony Allstars, DAAS, D.A.A.S. or stylized as D⋆A†A☭S) were an Australian musical comedy group who performed together between 1984 and 1994. The band was an acoustic trio comprising Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson on main vocals and Richard Fidler on guitar and backing vocals. They were known for their aggressive, provocative style; their habit of involving audience members and their tendency to attack topical and sometimes controversial issues in their comedy.
DAAS began performing as buskers on the streets of Canberra in 1984, while they were attending university. After winning the Pick of the Fringe award at the 1986 Adelaide Fringe Festival, the group relocated from Canberra to Melbourne, but it was not until they travelled to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987 that they first achieved success. They quickly gained popularity in the United Kingdom, where they made numerous television appearances, but remained virtually unknown in Australia until 1989 when they were made regular performers on the Australian comedy show The Big Gig. These appearances gained them recognition, and they remained a popular feature of the show until 1991 when they left to create their own ABC comedy series, DAAS Kapital.
The group released four live recordings and one studio album, DAAS Icon, which achieved some independent success in Australia but was briefly banned in Britain. They also released a collection of dark short stories in 1989, entitled Book, which took a markedly different tone from their comedic stage performances. They also made two live concert videos and one film, The Edinburgh Years. The group split up in 1994, following a final farewell tour of Australia. Although they reunited in 2003 to perform together at a benefit concert and were interviewed together in 2008 in support of their DVD, the three have ruled out the suggestion of a reunion tour.
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