Flight of the Conchords have been forced to postpone their UK and Ireland shows. (Photo / Supplied)

Life imitates art as Flight of the Conchords postpone shows

Author: NZN,
Publish Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2018, 12:00PM

Flight of the Conchords have been forced to postpone their tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland after Bret McKenzie broke his hand in a seeming case of life imitating art.

McKenzie and Conchords partner Jemaine Clement had been on a multi-city tour in March and April when McKenzie took to Facebook on Monday morning (NZT) to say he broke two bones falling down some stairs "in a very rock 'n' roll" way.

"The doctors have informed me that I won't be able to perform for several weeks," he wrote.

"I'm sorry not to be able to do these upcoming shows, but I'm looking forward to coming back and finishing the tour when I have two fully functioning hands."

Thirteen upcoming dates across the UK, including shows in London, Manchester, Dublin, Glasgow and Liverpool, will be affected, Tickemaster said.

One of the UK shows was also scheduled to be filmed and turned into a new HBO special due to screen in May.

coming back and finishing the tour when I have two fully functioning hands. -Bret McKenzie

Full Info: https://t.co/WFuKFltCT3 pic.twitter.com/j8WbgRnFBy
— FlightoftheConchords (@fotc) March 18, 2018

It also seems McKenzie's recent mishap has a parallel with his Flight of the Conchords character Bret.

Before the outfit hit mainstream fame with their Flight of the Conchords television series about a folk-rock band trying to hit it big in New York that ran for two seasons on HBO until 2009, they had a series on BBC radio.

And in one 2005 episode band mates Bret and Jemaine go sightseeing in the Tower of London with their manager Murray Hewitt.

Soon Bret becomes fascinated by a bow and arrow and accidentally shoots himself with it.

"Tragedy has struck," a narrator on the comedy episode announces. "Bret now with an arrow in his shoulder is badly injured losing blood quite fast."

As they rush Bret to hospital via the London metro, the band mates soon wonder whether the injury will prevent Bret from playing at gigs and accuse manager Hewitt of recklessly allowing Bret to endanger his musical career.

"This is bad management," they say.

"You're a bad employee for harming yourself," a stuttering Hewitt responds.

Let's hope the duo's real-life managers prove a little more sympathetic to McKenzie's broken hand.