Comedy & Movie Diary 2024

0-Die : 1-Cr@p : 2-Watchable : 3-OK : 3.5-Nice : 3.75-Cool : 4-Good : 4.5-Very Good : 5-WOW
Key#'s : 1-walkout : 2-hate it : 3.5-acceptable : 3.75-worth the $s : 4.5-light-headed from laughing

Legend : T=ticket : F=coffee/food : C=Commute, ie, public transport/car(car rate=$2/10km)

Summery lists :- TV Movies - Cinema Movies - Show summary - 

I'm the SIA of comedy watching, ie, I don't want to be famous, so please don't doxx me photo-wise or I'll cry - lol -, ie, I would prefer not to have photos posted. Thanks.

22.04.24 : Harry's Comedy - Mondays : Harry's & Hotel Harry(Surry Hills)

The crowd was low energy as per usual, but it was ok. Eric Hutton is always good, as was a US/CAN comic - maybe Renee Patterson? -, even though she a iPhone wanker - lol -, ie, they don't realise the closed ecosystem is designed to rip customers off, hence all the recent litigations and laws against Apple. For me it was one of those things were you are enthusiastic in the morning, so buy a ticket, but by the night you wished you didn't have to go. Then the low energy crowd coupled with the 'start of winter' cold bleak night makes it feel a bit depressing. Oh well, them's the breaks - lol -. [Crowd : 3 - Me : na] [T-$22 + F-$0 + C$3]

18.04.24 : Comedy Night - 4 Pines Newport : Block's Bar Manly

I didn't think this room was running anymore because there were no more ads in the usual places, then by a dumb-luck search I find out it's still going, just that they only advertise on the cannedlaughter.com.au site. Basically you would've had to been there to see the plaque they hold up, or by luck find it online. This is another 'where are they now' shows like last night - lol -, and it was a lot better. This time the crowd were into it, ie, not reticent like last time, and that made it feel more uplifting. The ones that got the most laughs were Gerard McGowan and Jacob Perry, with the rest all being pretty nice. Good. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$20 + F-$9 + C$3]

17.04.24 : Best Comedy Night In Marrickville on Lvl 1 : Lazybones Lounge Restaurant & Bar

We're trying this place again to see if the crowd got better, ie, a real comedy crowd or the bad music crowd from downstairs, and they were better, just still a bit quiet - but not for the reason you think -. It's hard to explain, but I don't think I've seen such a patient listening crowd that wanted to have a good time, in the face of a show that wasn't super funny, ie, they didn't have much to laugh at but WILLED themselves to have a good time. Sam Kissajukian killed as per usual, and Tom Orr was ok, but it felt like they saw him here before, ie, knew the material/repeat stuff. Most of the other guys were way out of left field with highly non-PC and very dark stuff, and even though they did get many laughs, no one really complained. Even though I come from the non-PC era, I find that stuff out-of-place these days, but so long as it's very funny/clever - usually an ironic take on it -, I will still oooh/laugh it, ie, I know it's inappropriate, but it is still funny. By halfway I was feeling flat/tired and wanted to leave, and when the last guy said he wasn't going to do any material, ie, he just critiqued his bad lineup choice for the night, I thought I might as well go because there was nothing to laugh at. I don't think anyone minded that it wasn't high laughs, so I doubt it was a problem. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 2.75] [T-$23 + F-$5 + C$4]

16.04.24 : Dr Karl’s Great Moments in Science : Seymour Centre(Chippendale)

It was good this year, because 100% of it was all new. Every year Dr Karl writes a new show, the problem is that 30% of it is a repeat from form the previous year, so in effect you are only getting maybe 30min of interesting if you know about the repeat.
This year it had some AI, and how it can mimic anything, and how that mimicking can scam people. Eg, they setup an online video meeting with the finical officer of a big company, where the other 3 people in the meeting were his bosses faked by AI, and in that meeting they got him to transfer $43,000,000 to their account. Yes they got away with all the money. He himself is also being mimicked in videos selling artery cleaning tables, and the next subject was about how Social Media will not stop putting those ads on their sites so long as they are being paid by the advertisers, ie, he can't get them stopped even though he put a complaint into Meta. He told us where the "Flat Earth" BS came from. Basically it came from a modern book about Christopher Columbus where the author wrote some BS that other sailors were scared to sail far because they thought they would fall off the edge of a flat Earth. Well the truth is that many ancient civilisations independently proved the Earth was spherical 2500 years before that book using basic measurements, measurement that anyone can do today except for "Flat Earthers", so in effect no one was scared of sailing off the edge in Columbus's time. Dr Karl produced a picture of off-shore wind farms, and you can see the curve because half the towers have dropped behind the sea level. He also produced a pic of models that "Flat Earthers" produced, and Antarctica is a snow ring around the outside of a plate, ie, it's beyond FKed-up stupid.
I didn't stay for the Q and A at the end because it's usual kids asking questions, ie, not that interesting. Can't tell what the crowd was thinking with the applause, because Dr Karl ended it so abruptly that everyone was stunned and didn't clap much. [Crowd : na - Me : 4] [T-$0 + F-$5 + C$3]

14.04.24 : Comedy Knock Knock : The Trocadero Room(Enmore)

Bec Charlwood(MC), Sarah Gaul, Eric Hutton, Jen Carnovale, Sam Kissajukian, John Cruckshank 

Jen AGAIN! - lol -. I keep buying tickets without looking at the lineups properly, because all I saw was John Cruckshank, and because he always 'kills', I kinda had to go - lol -. I also didn't realise Eric Hutton and Sam Kissajukian was also on the bill - lol -, and they were a bonus surprise, ie, they are extra good also. As for the show, it started a bit quiet, but by the middle of the first half they found more people for the crowd and that made it a little better. It was pretty good, it's just that if the crowd level was better, ie, more laughs/noise, it would've been a 3.75 just from the talent/quality level. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$13 + F-$16 + C$3]

13.04.24 : The Great Comedy Club : Yia Yia's Dive Bar & Kitchen(Marrickville)

I didn't realise this switched to a Sat, and I'm really not a fan of going out on the weekend, but this is one of those friendly/nice rooms so I kind-of have to go - lol -. This room runs the 'many comics short set' format, and that covers up if any comic is flat, ie, you soon forget because it chances so fast, but they didn't really need it because everyone was exceptional. It also had a good crowd that wanted to be there, ie, were enthusiastic, and did respond with laughs. This is the point where I run out of things to say so I pad-it-out with mentions - lol -. Dane Hiser is from the old days, ie, Bridge Hotel in the 90s, and I wonder what happened to his 'Salisbury State Secondary School Sausage Sizzle On Consecutive Sundays' gag, ie, he has a lisp, and saying "S"s could get people in the front row sprayed - lol -. I remember when Jen Carnovale started, and how I had trouble with Carnovale & Culp - The Cloud Girls abstract/alternative style, but now that she's gone conventional she's rather good at it. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$17 + F-$17 + C$4]

12.04.24 : TGIF! - Thank God It's Friday! : ABC Studio Ultimo

Host: Richard Glover - Guests: Tommy Dean, Rebecca de Unamuno, Tahir - Music: Gregg Arthur

I only go for the high laugh percentages of these shows, so when I saw Tahir I had to go. And even though Tahir was good, it was Bek that was the standout. I was watching and thinking how sharp Bek still is from when I first saw her at Belvoir in the early 90s, and how un-sharp Wil Anderson got in that same amount time - in the TV recordings that I can't mention, lol , he just didn't have any come-backs anymore -. In the 90s there was a Theatresports series called Boys Vs Girls, and it was girls against the likes of Wil Anderson, Adam Spenser, etc. Those guys were as sharp as a tack in those days, and it was really only Bek that could toe-to-toe with them. I think you have to blame Wil's doctor, because he said to smoke the herbs instead of getting the hip joint replacement - he cited that it might only last 20 years so he should wait until he's older so he will only need one -. The problem is giving someone permission to self-medicate is the most stupidest thing you can do, because they think 1 is good, but 2 is better, and now Wil's mind has turned to mush. One of the better ones. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$3 + C$3]

11.04.24 : Manly Comedy Club : New Brighton Hotel - Shark Bar

Marty Bright(MC), Ruven Govender, Bec Melrose, Carolyn Swindell, Al Del Bene

Pretty much everybody killed. The younger comics 'crushed', but it was the older comics that absolutely destroyed. Basically they were the same demographic as most of the crowd, ie, older, and because they all related to the subjects people were dying on the floor - they had to stop so an old guy could recover, lol -. Super good. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 4] [T-$31 + F-$5 + C$3]

27.12.23 : Magic Mic Comedy - Wednesdays : Potts Point Hotel

It was ok, just pretty low-key. This was last minute, ie, had nothing planned so did something, and none of the other options looked that good, ie, repeats from the last week, so I took a chance, ie, this place can be a bit hit-n-miss, and chose this one because I haven't been here since last year. Nothing really to note, maybe that it was odd that Ryan didn't get many laughs, and that Alan didn't bring his older set that did well at The Great Comedy Club, ie, he was trying new material, other than that everyone else was fine. [Crowd : 3.5 - Me : 3.25] [T-$22 + F-$8 + C$3]

09.04.24 : Northies Comedy Club : Northies Cronulla Hotel

Simon Kennedy(MC), Kurt Sterling, Tom Whitecombe, Eric Hutton, Gary Eck

Yeah I know, Gary two days in a row - lol -. You buy a ticket a month ago and forget the lineup, then you buy another this week for a different room and totally forget you've got Gary 2 days in a row. This place is weird, like this is the second time a bunch of people paid for tickets and didn't turn up - probably because it was a bit cold and rainy -. At $20 I'm definitely turning up - lol -. This place doesn't have a big-laugh crowd, and with the diminished crowd it was even quieter, and as for what it was like, basically only Eric got the crowd truly laughing with his quirky/strange/out-there material - lol -. What was even weirder was that Gary didn't do that well noise-wise, ie, he only got chuckles and smiles. His set was practically all crowd-work, as opposed to last night that was all set material, and because crowd-work is milder than set jokes, I think the crowd's attention wasn't grabbed at the start - it was like the crowd didn't even hear, or wasn't paying attention, because the few set jokes that always get laughs got dead silence -. The quiet crowd didn't help, but I don't think they care if it's not super laughs, they just like to be out of the house somewhere close/ local, ie, no effort entertainment. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$19 + F-$4 + C$8]

08.04.24 : Comedy Night @ Taffy's Bar (April) : Taffy's Bar(Neutral Bay)

Marty Bright(MC), Patrick Golamco, Bec Charlwood, Rory Lowe, ?, Gary Eck

It was a high level of comedy, but as usual the rich areas don't make the level of noise equivalent to that level, ie, they should've been louder. Pat had new stuff and was 'fire'. I think that was the best delivery Bek has does of her routine, ie, it was delivered with emphasis that made the sections more powerful. I haven't seen Rory's set before, but it's very strong. I was a bit surprised that Gary mainly did his set routine, because usually most of his sets are ad-lib crowd work. But if you think about it, this is a new room so no one would know his set routine, so there was no need to mix it up with crowd-work to avoid the dreaded 'no laugh repeats due to the crowd knowing the material' problem. Good. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 4] [T-$15 + F-$5 + C$3]

04.04.24 : Kirribilli Club Comedy Night : Kirribilli Club

I don't know what happened, but they said the sold 92 tickets, yet 1/3 didn't bother turning up. But that wasn't the biggest problem, it was that the lineup wasn't strong. You would think you could blame the diminished, but still sizeable crowd, for being on the quiet side, but they wanted to be there when one Indian comic got them laughing, meaning you can't really blame them when there wasn't much to laugh at. When they told us who the headliner was, ie, a young comic, I knew it wasn't going to end strong, so I left to avoid disappointment. You can get away with a weak first half if you have a strong finish/headliner, ie, they forget the start when people leave in a good frame of mind, and when you have such a big room, ie, 60-70 people, it's always advisable to finish strong so people come back. Apart from the Indian comic the MC was ok, but he's a regular, so all the regulars already know his stuff, ie, repeats at the same venue isn't great because people don't laugh after they know the material. [Crowd : 3 - Me : 2.5] [T-$21 + F-$5 + C$3]
                                          At least the sights and cappuccinos are good - lol -.

04.04.24 : Monkey Man - movie

Action - Thriller : An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.

It's not specifically one of those sadistic type films, but it does lean toward the realistic drama than fun action film. Basically it has a lot of ambience and story reveal, ie, it doesn't travel very fast, and the hero is no skilled killer type, ie, ordinary action, so it's not very exceptional until the end where it does get a bit John Wick fun. Overall it was ok but felt long - this could be just me because always doing shows means I get impatient for the next bit -. [2.75] [T-$10 + F-$4 + C$0]

03.04.24 : Joke Off Comedy : Kelly's on King(Newtown)

It was a bit of a quiet one, ie, 6 people in the crowd, but it was ok. [Crowd : 3.25 - Me : 3] [T-$16 + F-$10 + C$3]

02.04.24 : Aaron Chen - Secret Show : Kinselas(Darlinghurst)

I guess everyone had the same idea as me, ie, can't afford his big State Theatre shows but this is so cheap we have to go - lol -, because it was packed/soldout. About 3/4 or 2/3 was from his 16.08.22 : Arron Chen - Special taping: Comedy Store : Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.25, which was ok, but now with his new 'moving to America' material it's a lot better/stronger. Good. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 4] [T-$17 + F-$3 + C$3]

31.03.24 : Easter Sun Cappuccino : Circular Quay, Newtown
The queue for the Manly ferry was too packed so I walked around the SOH and had a coffee in Newtown. [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

31.03.24 : Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - movie

Action - Adventure - Sci-Fi : Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.

The originals were boring simplistic one-line stories, this one is 50 one-line stories - lol -. It was better than I expected, not that it's brilliant, more that something was always happening so there wasn't any time to get bored. It starts with that non-serious feel, that this is a ridiculous film so lets have some fun, but after that there is less of that over-the-top fun dialogue, ie, they start taking the ridiculous premise more seriously - lol -. It's kind-of like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire(2024), in that it's nothing significant, but ok to watch. [3.25] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

30.03.24 : Ron Josol - Award Winning Canadian Filipino Comedian : Kirribilli Club

If I had to sum up Ron, not super funny, even though he did have some top-notch laughs, but more on the interesting side because of the novelty of hearing new weird stories from somewhere different, ie, new is good even if it's not high laughs. I thought it was weird having a solo show by diverse comics in a predominantly rich white old demographic area, ie, maybe it won't be popular here, but it was pretty much the most full I've seen it here - a lot of Filipinos turned up -. Plus it wasn't actually a solo show because there were support comics in first half, with Ron doing the whole second half - basically it was like the once a month Thur show -. Ron is pretty lively, a bit rude, and with the stories being mainly being about his life growing up, Filipinos achievements, eg, comedian Joy Koy, and Filipino customs, eg, eating balut, which is embryo birds boiled in their shell. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$28 + F-$6 + C$3]

29.03.24 : iD Comedy Club - Friday : Kinselas Hotel(Darlinghurst)

Last night I said I wasn't going to go shows that end late anymore because I get too FU if I get home after midnight, then the very next day I buy a ticket to a show that is specifically a late show - lol -. Thankfully it was a non-stop one-block short show that ended early, so in fact I didn't get home any latter than any other normal show. As for the show the crowd was too quiet, so if a comic didn't have strong jokes they absolutely tanked to dead silence, as some comics found out. I don't think the audience was upset if a joke wasn't great, it's just that it sounded, or un-sounded - lol -, worse than it was. It was ok. [Crowd : 3.5 - Me : 3.25] [T-$28 + F-$4 + C$3]

29.03.24 : Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - movie

Adventure - Comedy - Fantasy : When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

There is nothing particularly funny in it, yet alone any of the clever sarcastic stuff from the original, and it's not really a 'Must See', but they put enough story in it that I wasn't bored. It's ok as a time filler. [3] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

28.03.24 : Mic in Stand Comedy Club : Friend in Hand Hotel

Andrew Barnett(MC), Bonnie Tangey, Umit Bali, Sam Bowring, Jen Carnovale, ?, Dave Henning, Jacques Barrett

It started good, but then a comic attacked a couple and that put a bad taste in my mouth.She was fed-up always being the person starting the clapping - I try to clap first because it sux clapping on your own -, and was talking to her friend about it, but instead of apologising he told them off. They were filming for anti-socials, ie, they needed it quiet, but it's not like they were drunk and being disruptive, ie, they were being supportive and helping out with the clapping, but after the sixth comic it was too much. The night did recover somewhat with Jacques Barrett, but coupled with the late finish/long night is was a bit sh!t for me, ie, I remember the bad more than the good parts. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$21 + F-$11 + C$3]

27.03.24 : Best Mates Comedy : Wayward Brewing Co(Camperdown)

Freya Reviews(MC), Laura Hughes, Kirsty Carr, Ian Mu, Brendan Hancock, Mandy Scotney, Bec De Unamuno

On the way out I overheard, "that last girl was good", 3 times, and that girl was headliner Bec De Unamuno, ie, she killed. Actually everyone was good, Freya was MC-ing it up, Mandy went away from the usual scripted stuff - new is good for me -, Ian always seams to change it up, ie, not repetitive, and Laura and Kisty were solid. Brendan can be in your face at times, but tonight she was ok. Good. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 4] [T-$16 + F-$14 + C$6]

25.03.24 : Comedy Riot - Jugs & Jaffles : Enmore Hotel

Jess Fucks(MC), Jen Carnovale, Micky Bartlett(IRL), Daniel Muggleton, Frenchy

Best/funnest on the night was Micky, Dan, and the fast talking MC Jess - it's pretty impressive how quick she is -. I haven't seen the Frenchy before, and I don't know why I don't see him around the traps. I'm not sure if I missed one comic - looking at the poster the next day it shows 6 comics -, but I left half way through Frenchy so as to not miss the last bus, because I thought he was last. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$13 + C$3]

24.03.24 : Valley Heights Rail Museum : Valley Heights

I kind-of figured that it was going to be on the small side - 7 locos and maybe 7 carriages, of which half were plain freight, but if you squeeze it you can get a morning out of it, ie, I did 3 laps of the exhibits, train ride, and turntable demo, and finished just after lunch. The train ride is about 500m so they go up and back, twice, ie, 2km. There is also a model train layout, some larger models, and other paraphernalia. [Crowd : na - Me : 3] [T-$16 + F-$0 + C$3]

22.03.24 : Taskmaster AUS S03E09 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh

All week they've been lining us up in the order we check-in, so I waited until the line was approx 60 long before joining so as to get the good side of the room. But this time they didn't bother putting us in order so I ended up on the bad side of the room. Thankfully I was on an isle seat and had no heads in front of me, but all I saw was the cast's ear-holes. The PA was working for the recordings this time, but they turned it off for the banter between takes so I couldn't hear any gossip between the cast. It looks like they figured-out they record 3x the footage that they could possibly use, and weren't as pedantic,  and that made it end the quickest of all the recordings I've been to, ie, 6:55pm. It was ok considering the position I got. [Crowd : na - Me : 3.5] [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

PS: I was last so had no time to sneak a pic, ie, the recording started straight away.

21.03.24 : Taskmaster AUS S03E07 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh

I think it was ok/good, but I don't know because I couldn't see or hear. I got the bad seat block against the far wall so I was behind the contestants, where all you can see is that back of their heads. Then there was a tall guy in front of me(see pic), that not only blocked out most of the set/cast, but also the large video screen they use to playback the pre-recorded tasks. Basically all I could see was Tom Gleeson through a gap - you can see his chair behind the stagehand -. Then to make it worse the audience PA died early on so you had to try hear what was being said directly from the set, and when the constants are facing the other way you just can't hear every word, ie, it gets tedious when you are not part of the show. I got some stuff out of it, but it was pretty much a write-off. [Crowd : na - Me : 3] [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

20.03.24 : Taskmaster AUS S03E05 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh

This one wasn't tedious at all, and it wasn't because it ended at a reasonable time, ie, 7:00 compared to 7:20 and 7:45. This time we had Steve Philp, and he kept the crowd going for the full record so that everyone had fun. The crowd still isn't at series 1 level, which will probably never happen again, but this was the best recording so far. [Crowd : na - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

19.03.24 : Taskmaster AUS S03E03 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh

Well Tom Gleeson confirmed series 2, which is coming out soon - someone mentioned May-ish -, and was moved to Melb because there were no studios available in SYD. 

It was fine, but basically it's too long a recording. Like the first 2hrs is fun, but that last hour gets so tedious that the crowd don't even want to clap anymore, ie, they only made an effort for the recording stuff and pretty much ignore Jake Howie's attempts to join into stuff to entertain them - I think they would've just preferred to hear the unimportant small talk between the cast -. Also when the mystery 'must be kept a secret' cast was introduced, the middle aged couple next to me said they didn't know who they were. In the UK there is lots of comedy panel/games shows where comics get known, but here we only have Have You Been Paying Attention, and possibly the very limited comedy cast in The Hundred with Andy Lee, and that means no one knows half the comedians. They also didn't add a common entertainer/non-comedian to the cast for the public recognise, like in series 1 they had Jimmy Rees, who is more known as a performer than a comedian. The crowd also isn't as good as series 1, and that's the way the producers want it. The crowd was so hyper fangirling for series 1, ie, laughing, oohing and aahing, they had uninformed/stupid people saying a laugh/reaction track was added. So they got Jake Howie, a milder warmup guy compared to Steve Philp who can get any crowd hyper, and that kind-of kills the room vibe, ie, not as fun. It's free, so it is what it is. [Crowd : na - Me : 3.5] [T-$0 + F-$20 + C$0]

19.03.24 : NSW Festival Comedy Show 2024 : Sydney Town Hall

Jean Kittson(MC), Cam Knight, He Huang, Sarah Gaul, Bruce Griffiths, Tommy Dean, Peter Berner

It was a bit of a mild one, and I think it was mainly due to the crowd being mild, ie, they didn't react/laugh much. It also didn't help that quite a few seat were empty, ie, it was soldout, and they kept sending you notifications that you could return tickets for reallocation, but because tickets are free people were too lazy to return them leaving seats empty. Also because it was free, people from other interests came, ie, no exposure/interest to current comedy - the older lady next to me was a music goer, and she said she didn't get the jokes -. Also people were old and the comics were youngish, so some couldn't relate. It was fine, but Penrith was better. [Crowd : 3.5 - Me : 3.5] [T-$0 + F-$0 + C$3]

18.03.24 : Taskmaster AUS S03E01 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh

I don't know what happened, but this is the third recording, yet series 2 hasn't been on TV yet, if ever - lol -. Series 1 was late 2022, ie, 05.12.22 : Taskmaster AUS S01E01 - live recording : NEP Studios Sydney Eveleigh, and I got emails for the next studio audience around mid 2023(July?), but they were in Docklands Melbourne. I was pissed I couldn't afford to go to Melb, and assumed the recording was switched to accommodate a larger studio audience, ie, it was over subscribed and sold-out in days - Tom Gleisner said they had to record the recent Thank God You're Here at Docklands because they needed a bigger studio for the large crowd -. Then latter I was at 19.10.23 : Sporties Comedy Club : Moorebank Sports Club and Steve Philp sees me and comes over for a chat - Sporties is in the middle of woop woop, ie, Hammondville, and it was only me and another girl that he recognised, so were the only other people he could talk too. So I asked about Melb Taskmater, ie, a bigger studio, and he said it had the same sized crowd as SYD, and that they moved it there because all the studios in SYD were booked. Now they are recording another Taskmaster, ie, series 3, and yet I haven't heard a word of the Melb series 2.
This is all None Disclosure stuff - they said the NDA is so people are surprised by the cast, yet they will be promoting it for a month beforehand spoiling their own surprise - lol -, so I can't say much, but I can tell you what it was like. There were some annoyances, ie, Tom Gleeson overly questioning one contestant, and pushing false logic to justify rulings, but overall it was good, just very long. Basically they allow the comics to keep talking in the hopes of something funny being said, and that made the approx finish time of 6:30-ish balloon out to 7:45, ie, 3hrs of material for a 45min show - ouch! -. [Crowd : na - Me : 3.5] [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

17.03.24 : Comedy Knock Knock : The Trocadero Room(Enmore)

Sam Bowden(MC), Gen Fricker, Daniel Muggleton, ?, Dan Rath, Micky Bartlett(IRL)

Basically I was tired from 14 days straight of night shift comedy - lol - and wanted to stay home, but the lineup was so strong I had to go - lol -. On Sat I went to 15.03.24 : The Nick Bartlett Show : Gasoline Pony(Marrickville), but the other option for that night was Micky Bartlett(IRL)@Comedy Store. Basically due to that being expensive($35), and it had other comics I had just seen days before, I went to The Nick Bartlett Show, so now I'm doing this as a cheap version of that gig - lol -. Sam Bowden had new historical material, which I liked a lot. Gen Fricker was smooth. Daniel Muggleton was good. ? was nice. Dan Rath was 'fire'. Even though I remembered most of Micky Bartlett's set, he was also good. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 4] [T-$13 + F-$21 + C$3]

16.03.24 : Free To A Good : ITS - Improv Theatre Sydney(Redfern)

It wasn't a blistering one, but it was better/funnier/more interesting that the last show, and what makes it even better for me is that's it's not another standup show, ie, it's something different in comedy. Good. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$20 + F-$5 + C$3]
PS: We found out Dragon Friends is as good as dead - I've seen this coming for the last couple of years because the quality went downhill -. Basically it's still running, but the people that made it good left due to now having real jobs, and when they did it on Twitch without all the important people it was very unfunny and unwatchable.

15.03.24 : The Nick Bartlett Show : Gasoline Pony(Marrickville)

From the blurb on the event it didn't look that good, and there were better options for tonight, the problem was the better options were comics I saw last week and even last night - lol -, so I went with something different. What it was was Nick doing some sort of talk show, ie, after each act the performers were asked questions from the audience suggestion box. There was free/long form Impro, which wasn't done very well, ie, they didn't know the tricks to make a boring story entertaining - when you've seen the best it's hard to watch beginners -. There was very short standup slots, ie 3min. There was a roast where the contestants forgot to roast each other and roasted Nick instead - lol -. It was basically Scary Strangers show. There was also people from the Yeah Mad Youtube channel doing small appearances. Overall it was pretty lose, ie, it was a shemozzle, but because it was my first time it had novelty/new experience energy, so it was ok to watch for a one off, ie, I wouldn't like to go on a regular basis because the shambles would get tedious quickly. Not many laughs - Nick was the best part -, but at least it was something new. [Crowd : 3 - Me : 2.5] [T-$17 + F-$3 + C$3]
                         Improv                                                                    Standup

                       Yeah Mad                                   Talent show                                       Roast

14.03.24 : Manly Comedy Club : New Brighton Hotel - Shark Bar

Marty Bright(MC), Billy Darcy, He Huang, Daniel Muggleton, Michael Vincent, Julia Wilson 

Because the comedy is never that good over here in Manly, ie, the crowds are dead, I'm starting to think I only go for the scenic ferry ride - lol -. Tonight was totally different, there was a big crowd, and they were very alive with laughing and clapping, ie, they made a great laugh-track, which made it even more funny. Everyone pretty much killed it, so that when Marty gave out a discount code for next month it looks like it sold out that night, ie, I don't have an internet mob - I'm still on 3G lol - and when I got home at 12:30am is said ticket sales are closed - ouch! -. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 4] [T-$31 + F-$10 + C$3]
PS: There is tickets now.

13.03.24 : Sydney Tramway Museum : (Loftus)

All I can say is that the Light Rail to Randwick isn't much better than a 112 year old 1911 tram, ie, they both rattle, shake, and are noisy - lol -. At the Sydney Heritage Fleet Shipyard they mentioned this tram museum, and because I was bored last night I looked it up and it's only open today Wed and Sun. So I quickly organised myself, ie, scrambled in the morning - lol -, and went. There were steam trams and electric. Trams from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, San Fran Cisco, Germany. There was even trolley buses, ie, buses converted to run on electricity and with an aerial that runs on overhead wires.  As far as what's like, the NSW Rail Museum is better, but it's ok if you are into this sort of stuff or want to kill 1½hr. I actually liked the 10.03.24 : Kanangra - The last of Sydney's K Class double-ended ferries : Sydney Heritage Fleet Shipyard(Rozelle) better, because it's a tour where they explain stuff, where as here there is no tour so you just walk around and read stuff, ie, no behind the scenes stories. They were fixing the tracks so we only got a short ride of a couple of hundred metres. It's Ok. [Crowd : na - Me : 3] [T-$15 + F-$0 + C$3]
                               1911 ride-on tram                                 Balmain tram later used in a rifle range

                            San Fran Cisco tram                                                        Trolley bus

12.03.24 : Penrith Comedy Gala : The Joan - Penrith Performing & Visual Arts

Simon Kennedy, Sarah Gaul, He Huang, Gary Eck

Gary was told to keep it clean, but when talking to an older woman said her husband was a "pussy hunter", because her last name was Hunter and he hunted her - lol -. Simon and Gary were killer. He Huang wasn't as good as she usually is - she had to do a long set which is delivered slower -, but she still was plenty good enough to get the crowd laughing. And Sarah was nice - some songs weren't as relatable to such an old crowd, eg, the recycling song, but the last song was relatable -. Very good. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 4] [T-$0 + F-$5 + C$3]

11.03.24 : RatKorp - Rat Klub Comedy : Moshpit Bar(Newtown)

So it wasn't a fluke that so many people turned up last week, because a decent sized crowd turned up tonight also. The crowd was weird - so what's new lol -, because they liked it, but didn't want to make any noise, ie, barely any clapping but they listened intently. Quite a few repeats - so what's new lol -, but they made me laugh so all were fine. Freddie McManus again stepped up with dynamic delivery,  mixing things up, and new material. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3] [T-$10 + F-$14 + C$3]

                                                 RatKorp still shredding documents - lol -

10.03.24 : Kanangra - The last of Sydney's K Class double-ended ferries : Sydney Heritage Fleet Shipyard(Rozelle)

For something different, I went to a ferry restoration tour - lol -. I think I was the only one with an engineering and metal fabrication background, because everyone else said they had a ferry/maritime interest. A bit of info:- 'double-ended ferries', ie, a prop on both ends with controls on both ends, is an Australian invention, which got copied by other countries, eg, Hong Kong, Singapore. They have way more stuff than a railway museum - I was jealous of all the lathes, mills, etc -, but maritime stuff isn't as popular as trains, ie, it's harder for them to get funding. They replace one hull plate at a time, by removing it, making templates of the plate's curvature, roll it dead flat, use the old plate as a template to cut and drill a new one, bend the curves back, and rivet it back on. Even though marine isn't my thing, it had all the metal trades I'm interested in, eg, casting, machining, fabrication, engines, so I found it pretty interesting. 

To tell the truth I didn't come for the boat, I came for the box it's floating on - lol -. I worked for the company that built that floating dock in Homebush Bay, and did make a few internal bulkheads, so I thought I would walk on it's deck again after nearly 100 years - lol -. The way it works is they put the floating dock in a dry dock, drain the dry dock, open hatches on the floating dock, refill the dry dock thereby sinking the box, float the boat over the top, drain the dry dock again so the boat lands on the box, and refit it's hatches. Then it's just refill the dry dock and that floats everything. The reason they went with commissioning a floating dock is because the boats are restored by voluntary labour that takes way way longer to do, so commissioning/building this floating dock was way way cheaper than hiring a dry dock for decades, ie, it was built to restore the James Craig and that took 20 years - lol -. He said the dry dock costs $44K/hr, ouch! -. From memory it's 300 tonnes, 20m wide, 60m long, and I can't remember if it's 2.5m or 2.75m high - it's probably 3m high lol -. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.75] [T-$25 + F-$0 + C$3]

                Photo from - Kanangra 1912 - Saving the last of Sydney's famous 'K' Class Ferries

09.03.24 : Free To A Good : ITS - Improv Theatre Sydney(Redfern)

Because I couldn't hear last time at the back, ie, it was frustrating and isolating not knowing why people were laughing and having a good time, I made a push for the front, and it was way way better when you can hear what is going on. As far as material it wasn't one of the exceptional ones, but because I could hear and concentrate I was engaged all the way through, and that made up for the material, ie, material 3-ish, enjoyment 3.75-ish. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$20 + F-$5 + C$3]

08.03.24 : TGIF! - Thank God It's Friday! : ABC Studio Ultimo

Host: Richard Glover - Guests: Gary Eck, Jennifer Wong, Tommy Dean - Music: Victor Valdes

These recordings are rarely high level laughing, and it's only when it gets a good guest is it worth going, which is why I'm only targeting shows where the guest are a known quantity, ie, good. The problem is, even though they have been good in that past, it doesn't mean they are going to be good for this show. Like Gary has been very good every time he's been here, but tonight he didn't do much, and that makes the show reliant on Tommy Dean. And even though Tommy Dean is good, he's only been good 50% of the time here. Unfortunately tonight it wasn't one of those 50%s. Basically it was all a dull affair, ie, bordering on tedious. You can't tell the crowd's score because they are trained to over exaggerate the applause, but not even the crowd laughed much, ie, it kind-of confirms it wasn't a good show. [Crowd : 4? - Me : 2.5] [T-$0 + F-$3 + C$3]

07.03.24 : Kirribilli Club Comedy Night : Kirribilli Club

Everyone was nice, but it was the heavy hitters, ie Peter Green and Sean Woodland, that got the biggest laughs. Peter Green has done some unconventional comedy, ie, hid in a black garbage bag on stage for 2 hours with his head wrapped in bubble wrap and aluminium foil just for a surprise reveal joke - lol -, but I have never heard a joke as unconventional as getting to his sheep joke - lol -. It went along the lines of, "there's two sheep in a field, and they walk off", and it would end there, then 10min latter we're back to the sheep, which again ends abruptly, then finally at the end we get the sheep joke, ie, it all made sense then - lol -. You don't need me to tell you what Sean Woodland is like, there's plenty of posts here about him, lets just say he has an old time comic style that is always a hit. Sometimes I feel like I only come here for the cappuccino and the view - lol -, but tonight the laughs were good also. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$21 + F-$5 + C$3]

06.03.24 : Joke Off Comedy Competition - Grand Final : Kelly's on King(Newtown)

It was a long show, but a good one. From the crowd it felt like every contestant was 4 stars laughs, ie a high level, with Peter Meisel a 4.5 laugh level. For me, because 'I've seen stuff man' - lol -, it was 3.75 and 4, ie, above average to good, ie, still very funny. Dave Woodhead was excellent as MC, Tom Cashman was good as support, and Lochlann McAllister was good as ex champion from 2023. I wasn't actually going to go because of it's early stated start time, ie, I had something else to do, but since I was in the area I took a risk that it would start later, which it did, and it was very worth it. Good. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 4] [T-$35 + F-$9 + C$3] [extras $12]
                                                                       Contestants

          Winner-Stella Wu, Runner Up-?, Judges choice-Maddie Dockrill, MC-Dave, Tom, Lochlann

05.03.24 : Northies Comedy Club : Northies Cronulla Hotel

Daniel Townes(MC), Rohan Arneil, Tom Orr, Fiona Cox, Mick Meredith 

It was a decent sized crowd, and they did want to be there, it's just that they didn't laugh much, and that's when I started wondering if this is another Oatley Hotel situation. Basically at Oatley it was always the same people in the audience, and when a comic came back, which was often because the room ran so long, they remembered/knew their routine and didn't laugh. Even though I don't know how long this room has been running, it seams to have a lot of tables with women every time, and because Tom Orr was here a couple months back, and he got the quietest response, it kind-of feels like repeat syndrome - lol -. Mick obviously got the most laughs with Fiona the second best response, but everyone was fine. On a side note, Oatley is how Gary Eck got so good, and that's because people stopped laughing when he returned there so he started riffing with the audience, and now that's the best part of his set - lol -. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$18 + F-$15 + C$3]

PS: at 2hrs travelling in each direction, I don't think it was a good idea to take the train, ie, a long night.

04.03.24 : RatKorp - Rat Klub Comedy : Moshpit Bar(Newtown)

It's never going to be a big night here because it's kind-of a new material night, which is actually better for me because there is less repeats. I was wondering why there was all this RatKrop stuff on the Facey page, and it's because it's a kind-of mock corporation skit by Ryan Sim, ie, they are not weapons dealers - lol -. Best on the night was Dan Rath, Ian Mu, with mentions to Jen Carnovale - did new material -, Laura Hughes, Jack Wright, Kevin Jin, Concetta Caristo. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3] [T-$7 + F-$4 + C$3]

                           Guy Pearce and his secretary shredding documents at RatKorp - lol -.

03.03.24 : Comedy Knock Knock : The Trocadero Room(Enmore)

Sam Bowden(MC), Aaron Gocs, Danielle Walker, Andrew Hamilton, Bec Charlwood, Joe Daymond(NZ)

The crowd was quiet right from the start, but when some people keep talking and had to be kicked-out, it kind-of killed the night, ie, even less laughs. Not even Hamilton could get the crowd going - now I'm wondering if this is the same crowd as at 26.02.24 : Comedy Riot : Enmore Hotel just up the road, ie, repeats, or maybe they were spooked by his gaol(jail) like appearance -, but right at the end headliner Joe Daymond(NZ) did break them and get the place going. I think Danielle Walker popped in to do a guest spot, and even though half her set was trying to control more talking people, she did bring some new material. I haven't seen this Bec Charlwood before - lol -, but the first half of her set was new material. When someone changes their hair I have trouble recognising them, and even now I can't remember her face, ie, I remember her 2nd half repeat material more than her face. Not as fun as last time, plus I missed my bus and had to do the long walk home, ie, made the night even more sad. The crowd were 3-ish clapping all night, but Joe got the room 4s at the end, ie, it averaged 3.75 total. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 2.75] [T-$13 + F-$16 + C$3]

29.02.24 : Pyrmont Comedy Club : Pyrmont Bridge Hotel

Dan Muggleton, Tom Witcombe, Steph Broadbridge, Fady Kassab, Sean Woodland

It was a strong linup so it was always going to be good, it's just that the crowd was a bit rambunctious at times and talked over the comics. You are going to expect comments with Sean, because his view point on some stuff it a bit non-PC, but they even drowned out Dan at times, who is an expert on controlling unruly crowds because his room in Kings Cross can get rabble-ly. It was only those two, but it was a bit annoying. Dan was good with his 'ideal group size' routine. Tom is very smooth in delivery now. Steph forgot her "living the dream!" line, but at the very end when Dan was getting individual applause for each comic - probably after all the first half comics left -, she got equal applause and woo-ing(4.25) as Dan and Tom. Faddy and Sean got a bit extra applause(4.5), with Faddy absolutely killing it, and Sean doing very well. I would've given it a 4 if it wasn't for the crowd talking. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 3.75] [T-$25 + F-$5 + C$3]

28.02.24 : Best Mates Comedy : Wayward Brewing Co(Camperdown)

Freya Morton(MC), Pat Golamco, Jen Carnovale,  Loz Booth, Tom Cashman, Wandi Cao, Ian Mu, Nikki Britton

This has happened here before, but only half an audience turned up, ie, not much of a laugh-track, and them sitting at the back didn't help. Even though it didn't feel as warm and fuzzy as it usual is here, the crowd felt like it understood it wasn't a big night so probably weren't put-off by it, ie, they will probably come back again. Freya was doing MC duties again, and this time came up with 2 new games to play with the audience, ie, think of an opening line for her dating profile, and a test to see how rich or poor you are by asking you what type of fridge you own, eg, water dispenser builtin, rich, freezer on top, poor - lol -. Pat Golamco, Jen Carnovale, Tom Cashman - thankfully no d!ck measuring stuff lol -, all had solid new material. There was a visual disconnect with Wandi when she started talking about 'passing a lamppost', ie, taking massive sh!ts, but after that she was good. Ian Mu did his full set without the tragic part, and it was rather good. Loz was Loz. I don't know if it's because I haven't see Nikki for such a long time, ie, I forgot her material, but I think that was the best set I've seen her do, ie, it was good. If the crowd were better/louder it would've been a 3.75 - 4 is a must see show -. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$16 + F-$10 + C$6]

27.02.24 : Sweeney's Comedy : Hotel Sweeney(Town Hall)

Unfortunately only 5 people turned up, and even though it's not a deal breaker for me, the 'dead air' does affect the show. Even though there wasn't a crowd generated laugh-track, things can get bad if the comics give up, ie, deliver nothing. Thankfully everyone delivered something, and because it was mainly new stuff - new is good even if it's not particularly funny, because I haven't heard it before -, it was good enough for me. Andrew Hamilton was the best on the night, because he threw-out his new material in his usual big, affable, friendly way, like nothing was wrong, ie, no crowd. The theme for the night was new stuff, and Andrew Hamilton, Maddie Dockrill, Amelia Navascues, and Tom Orr were all good in that respect. I couldn't get over the tragic situation Ian Mu is in, but I liked him too. I've been to a shows where I was the only paying customer, so it's not like it was off-putting, ie, never come again stuff, and the few other guys here were regulars that keep coming back, ie, they've seen this before, so it's not likely that it was a deal breaker for them either. Them's the breaks - lol -. [Crowd : 3 - Me : 2.75] [T-$0 + F-$9 + C$3]

27.02.24 : Drive-Away Dolls - movie

Action - Comedy - Thriller : Jamie regrets her breakup with her girlfriend, while Marian needs to relax. In search of a fresh start, they embark on an unexpected road trip to Tallahassee. Things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals.

It's nice enough to watch, it's just that it doesn't illicit any emotion in you, ie, it's not particularly funny, yet not unfunny, it's not sweet, yet not harsh, it's not compelling, nor not uninteresting, etc. Basically you would think it's some adorable/sweet type movie because of the two girls, but in actual fact it doesn't charm or captivate, it's just a nice movie. I didn't regret seeing it, but it didn't make me cry - lol -. [3.5] [T-$10 + F-$5 + C$3]

26.02.24 : Comedy Riot : Enmore Hotel

Freya Morton(MC), Andrew Hamilton, Sam Bowden, John Cruckshank, Steph Broadbridge, Dan Rath

They had 3 of the 4 heavy hitters - no Luke Heggie -. Cruckshank instantly killed and got super laughs from the crowd. It took a minute before the crowd warmed to Hamilton, but then he killed the rest. I think people get scared when he says he just got out of gaol(jail), and looked like it too - lol -, but when they find out it was only shrooms, they get into the crazy story of what happened. It took a while before the crowd got into Rath, but they came around near the end of the set. He has the odd style of quick comments where you need to hear every word, and I think the crowd had a problem hearing all the nuances and sharp comments because the sound wasn't great. I had trouble with the sound all they way, ie, missing words, and that was because it was a bit muffled, ie, it wasn't sharp/treble-ly. What was weird with the crowd was that the room was packed, but at the second interval half f-ed-off. It was like they saw it was late and had to go home because they had work tomorrow. Steph was next after the exodus, and you would think it would kill her set, but the remaining people got into it and laughed quite a bit. Freya was nice, but being MC reduces the effectiveness of your material because it has to be spread-out in long MC duties. Sam was also nice, but he is rarely a heavy hitter. It would've got a higher score if I could hear, but it was still pretty good, and it was hard to gauge the crowd after half left. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$10 + C$3]

24.02.24 : The 7 Comedians Show : The Juniors(Maroubra)

Peter Meisel(MC), Thao Thanh Cao, Christina Zheng, Kieran Daughton, Christina Van Look, Sean Morahan, Richard Lindesay

The room isn't as comfy as Roseville Cinemas - it was striped for renovations lol -, but at least the show was funnier. The crowd was the same as Roseville, in that they wanted to be there and listened, but were a bit quiet, ie, I think they were happy with what they got. Peter Meisel was best on the night, and that was with MC duties - you can't beat the old-timers with the one-liners -. Thao, Kerian, and Christina Van were good, and because Richard was doing a tight 10min rather than the stretched out MC gig, he was much funnier. The downside, due to being old - lol -, is that it starts late and ends late, and when buses quit here at 11pm it's the long way home plus a 30min walk - left 11pm got home 12:30pm -. Also there is a lot of preamble/admin talking, and the first time it makes you feel like you are part of the family, but by the second time it felt like it slows down the show, hence the long show late finish - 2:30hr long -. Pretty good. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$26 + F-$5 + C$3]

22.02.24 : Banana Peel Comedy : The Long Goodbye(Darlinghurst)

It was that weird but good crowd. They wanted to be there, ie, no one walked out, and they listened intently, ie, liked it, it's just that they didn't make much noise, and coupled to that fact I wasn't in the mood to laugh - 3 buses forgot to turn up so I was late -, it was a bit of a quiet night. All this cr@p didn't matter, because you can tell the crowd was pretty satisfied. [Crowd : 3.5 - Me : na] [T-$0 + F-$12 + C$3]

18.02.24 : Comedy Knock Knock : The Trocadero Room(Enmore)

Sam Bowden(MC), Steph Broadbridge, Tom Cashman, John Cruckshank 

Everyone is a heavy repeat for me, so I'm not going to say much, but the packed audience seemed to like it a lot, ie, they got into it and made noise. It's always worth it with John Cruckshank, even with the repeats, because he kills it and I always find him super funny. Steph brought the ukulele, and I vaguely remember seeing it from what feels like a decade ago. Now I'm wondering if I saw her when she started - my memory is shot, hence why I still laugh a repeat jokes because I forget stuff and get surprised by the punchlines lol -. It was fine. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$13 + F-$16 + C$3]

17.02.24 : Lunar New Year Comedy Festival : The Concourse(Chatswood)

Jason Leong(MC), Diana Nguyen, Henry Yan, Ting Lim, Kevin Jin, Chris Nguyen,  Harry Jun, Annie Louey    

After I bought a ticket I thought this might not be a good idea because half the lineup was the same as last year, but what are you gunna do - lol -. Well it was sufficiently different that it was fine, considering the conservative/quiet-ish crowd that usually turns up here - the few white people laughed more than the predominantly Asian crowd -. Harry Jun was the best on the night, ie, 4 woofs, with Annie Louey next. Chris Nguyen didn't get as many laughs as Lidcombe last week, but was still good enough to get third. I just realised Kevin Jin has been doing a new routine, which is not as good as the old one, ie probably the reason of not doing well at Lidcombe, but tonight he was good enough to get a decent response. Diana Nguyen had a new routine compared to last years MC-ing, and new is fresh/interesting. Henry Yan and Ting Lim did shorter sets, but were nice also. And Jason Leong as pretty nice as MC. There was adequate laughing, but it wasn't as much as you would expect from a crowd this size, and I don't really know if it was the crowd or the comics - I didn't laugh as much as Lidcombe so maybe it just wasn't as funny -. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$44 + F-$4 + C$3]

16.02.24 : The 7 Comedians Show : Roseville Cinemas

Richard Lindesay(MC), Thao Thanh Cao, David Poltorak, Fiona Cox, Dane Hiser, Sean Morahan, Joe Comino

By the time I was umming-and-ahing at going to 16.02.24 : Chinatown Comedy Club : The six:twelve (Harbour City Cinema),ie, expensive $38 and recent repeat comics, it soldout - doh! -, so I switched to a place I've never been to that cost nearly the same($36) - lol -. I've been meaning to go to a 7 Comedians Show for a long time but the price kind-of put me off, ie, stuff over $30 is getting on the rich side for me, but because of my 'see different places' motif I sucked-it-up - lol -. It's got that family-run friendly vibe, ie, they treat you like they know you, and a lot of people turned up, ie, maybe 70-ish, and they try to do their best, it's just that most of it was on the mild side. This didn't phase the audience at all, it's like they knew what level it was going to be so were happy with it, but for me the lack of a laugh track was noticeable. On the bright side Joe Comino absolutely smashed it, with Fiona Cox next best. Richard Lindesay, Thao Thanh Cao, David Poltorak, were notable, just not high laugh comics. The friendly vibe, the comfortable venue, and the large crowd made it worth it, it's just that I needed a stronger lineup to make me happy - these first impression reviews are a bit disingenuous because it's a sample of only one show and could be an oddity -. It would've been around 3.25, but Joe Comino was so good he bumped it to ok. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$36 + F-$0 + C$3]

PS: I timed the end of the show perfectly so as to make the last bus, but 3 trains got cancelled, and because I had no alternative options from isolated Roseville, I had to wait. A train did turn up 1 hour late, but because the only route back was a long one it took 2½ hours, ie, got home 12:30am.

15.02.24 : Birchgrove Comedy Night : The Riverview Hotel(Balmain)

Andrew Barnett, Jacques Barrett

I've got my new manifesto, ie, seen every comic a hundred times so might as well see every comedy venue I can find, and this has to be the oddest/unconventional comedy room I've been to. First of all it's a restaurant, and a not very big one, ie, maybe 30 seats, and a not very big crowd turned up, ie, maybe 20, and crowd were all old, ie, only old people can afford a rich area like Balmain, but all of that wasn't a problem because they were friendly and enthusiastic and responsive, ie, gave good response to any half decent joke. This is pro comics, so it was a level above, but there are only 2 comics, and because it's a restaurant that only serves meals when the comics are not performing, it has a late start and a decent sized break so there is time to serve meals. What was even more odd for me is that it's a restaurant, and that I was hogging a table by not buying dinner - everyone else in the room ate -, and that made me feel weird/uncomfortable. Andrew Barnett was good and the best on the night. Jacques Barrett had a lot of new stuff, and was fine, but I reckon if he did his old material, ie, mispronouncing words, the Ivy, etc, he would've done better, ie, would've been best on the night. I would say the comedy/crowd was good, ie, 3.75, and would come again, it's just the weird situation/feeling is hard to over look, ie, my reduction in woofs. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$30 + F-$16 + C$6]

PS: Jonas Holt - seen him 100s of times at the Bridge Hotel 20 years ago lol - did setup/roadie stuff, and I kind-of wished he did a spot because he's good.

15.02.24 : Madame Web - movie

Action - Adventure - Sci-Fi : Cassandra Webb develops the power to see the future. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies, if they can all survive a deadly present.

The trailer looked like another crappy 'see future deaths' horror film - I don't do horror -, but when I read the description it said Marvel, which is my cup of tea. I like stuff that has bigger story lines, plus seeing the future adds extra mystery, it's just that parts don't look big budget compared to other Marvel stuff. The weird/cheap stuff didn't really bother me, eg, how did she cross so many borders when she was wanted by the police - lol -, and I was entertained all the way through, so I liked it. [3.75] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

14.02.23 : Friendlyjordies - A Call To Neck Beards(Trial) : Carousel Bar(Darlinghurst)

I saw this show advertised a couple of weeks ago at a big Penrith venue, and before reading the blurb - I thought Neck Beards was about another loser subset, eg, Hipster - lol - I saw it was $50 and had to pass. Then this turns up for only $20, so I actually read the description, and it said conspiracy theories, which I hate - saying stuff without proof is just another religion - lol -, but I read further and it said Byzantine Empire. I quickly guessed this was some sort of history based comedy, something we don't get enough off - I've only ever seen 3 -, so I quickly snapped a ticket because that's my thang, ie, thinking stuff. Well it's scattered but thought out, clever but simple, chaotic but controlled, ie, it switches all over the place. Basically he gives a bit of history, then quickly cuts to exaggerated modern visual metaphor, reference, or side comment, as a kind-of explanation - these are very loose/crazy/insane references, so are pretty funny -. Whether his take on this history is correct I don't know, because I never looked into the Byzantine Empire, ie, I came here to learn - lol -, so only David Cunningham(Project52) would know - lol -. My gut feeling is that he seems a bit self-righteous/opinionated, so may lean in a different direction than what is historical correct, but maybe his take looks into it with more depth, because he added a lot of interference by other empires. Either way it's not so much history but more a comedy, and the constant switching between his historical facts and the comedy kind-of makes you lose track with what happened in his telling of the Byzantine Empire. It's kind-of an intellectual comedy, but delivered by a kind-of common man/Bogan, that is fully packed and delivered quite fast, ie, no time to be bored. Basically if I could see it again on the cheap I would definitely go, because he is very good and I liked it a lot. Excellent. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 4] [T-$22 + F-$0 + C$3]

13.02.24 : Jean Kittson - Live(Trial) : Harold Park Hotel(Forest Lodge)

There was nothing "Trial" about that, that was a fully packed show. You know how young comics mainly talk about dating, the next older about having kids, the next about divorce, well Jean is the next next older group, so there was material about getting old, eg, taking care of ageing parents, etc. It wasn't all old stuff, it was from being a kid to now, and all the embarrassing stories due to her not knowing stuff at the time, eg, she worked in a chemist as a teen, and when a guy asked for "gossamer"(condoms) she gave him Gossamer hair spray, asking if he wanted 'firm hold' - lol -. She still pretty animated and excitable, just like she was on The Big Gig(1989-1991), so nothing has changed even though she's 70 now. It was all pretty top-notch except for the sad story of taking her nan from Sydney to Melbourne - she was young and didn't know how bad dementia/alzheimer is -, but that was just me because I've seen relatives with it, and it's a bit harrowing. Halfway through I was thinking to myself, this is a Pro comic because this is so packed with material and delivered quite fast, and that's something I don't see often  these days with solo shows. This show was well worth going to, because it was very good. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 3.75 ] [T-$21 + F-$4 + C$6]

09.02.24 : Year of the Dragon Comedy Showcase : Lidcombe Community Centre

Harry Jun(MC), Kevin Jin, Chris Nguyen, Pat Golamco, Christina Zheng, Jenny Tian

I wasn't planning on doing anything, but this free, not too far, show turned up on Eventbrite in the afternoon, so I said fook it, grabbed a coffee and got going. You can imagine what the crowd was like for a free comedy show in a local festival, that was not well attended, in a place not known for comedy - some had never been to a comedy show, the decent sized crowd was a bit stand-off-ish/unresponsive. And even though they were quiet/unresponsive, that was only at the start, because the comics got them to loosen up, and by the end they got into it and applauded quite well. The best on the night were Chris Nguyen and Pat Golamco, ie, most laughing, but Harry Jun and Jenny Tian were so close they were all pretty high level. Christina Zheng wasn't far away, with Kevin Jin probably with the least laughs, which is weird because he is usually the best. Really they were all good to get a non-comedy crowd to have a good time, so mission accomplished. [Crowd : 4.25 - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$0 + C$2]

08.02.24 : Banana Peel Comedy : The Long Goodbye(Darlinghurst)

It had a massive 14 comics, ie, fast intense sets gave no time to be bored, and the big friendly crowd added to the fun, and that made it quite good. The problem with walk-in free comedy is that people walk in with no real interest in the comedy and can be disruptive, but with this book-ahead free comedy you kind-of know that the people want to be there and will give the comics a chance. There is going to be a cop-out here, and that's that I don't remember faces that well, ie, prosopagnosia. I'm also not going to remember names even if I could hear them being pronounced. What I do remember is gags, so I going to know the repeat routine before the face - lol -, ie, sorry if I don't mention some names. Lochlann McAllister - thank you The Laugh Inn for posting everyone's name and pic for reference - was the best on the night. I was just saying last week that you don't see Stella Wu much, and she turns up here with with a good headliner set. MC Jacob ? - didn't hear the name and don't think I've seen him before -, was equally as good as Stella. The French guy(pic 11) was good/interesting, simply because it was a different style of comedy. Alan Fang had moves like Jagger, and I don't mean like a dying fish on a riverbank™(Jack Wright) - lol -, more that he is unpredictable, ie, what I like. This time he didn't go for the easy/obvious stuff, ie, big boy stuff, and he even did some good crowd work that cock-blocked one poor guy - lol -. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$0 + F-$5 + C$3]

08.02.24 : The Holdovers - movie

Comedy - Drama : A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go and a grieving cook.

Finally something good. I wasn't going to go because it said Comedy-Drama, which usually means all drama NO comedy, and even though it's not high level comedy, it is still pretty nice. It's about people set in their ways trapped together and finding out there is a lot more to each other than their external jerk persona's suggest, and because they are good characters with interesting back-ground stories it made it very engaging. There is nothing serious serious, ie, nothing off-putting, so I found it nice all the way through. [3.75] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

07.02.24 : Argylle - movie

Action - Thriller : A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she's writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time.

There's just something about it that makes it not super interesting, ie, I found it hard to pay attention all the way through and was writing this review in my head rather than watching it - lol -. It's also a bit of a mishmash, it has silly action comedy, it's a bit serious in places, it has a some clever plot points/concepts, and sometimes it's stupid, ie, it's doesn't seam to know what it is. It's watchable, and the 2nd half has enough happening that I could pay attention, but I'm only giving it a bit over a pass mark. [2.75] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

06.02.24 : Northies Comedy Club : Northies Cronulla Hotel

Jack Wright(MC), Michael Vincent, Laura Coleman, Chris Radburn, Cameron James

To set the mood we have to start with the room/crowd, and they were reserved but wanted to listen, which is a dichotomy because they don't make as much noise as they should. What is a bigger dichotomy is, they don't mind not having a big laugh track and still have a good time. Basically it's only me that I notices something missing. What surprised me was how much material Jack Wright has, ie, enough for a solo show - I guess I'm used to the short set nights lol -. Last minute replacement Chris Radburn and headliner Cameron James were pretty equal on laughs, but I guess I would give it to Cameron because of his long headliner set. Laura Coleman was next funniest, ie, gelled with the crowd, and I wished Michael Vincent did a longer set because he was interesting as a real Australian. Good, just wished for a bigger laugh track. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$18 + F-$4 + C$9]

03.02.24 : Free To A Good : ITS - Improv Theatre Sydney(Redfern)

Demi Lardner, Edan Lacey, Alex Lee, Ben Jenkins, Michael Hing

I wasn't feeling it, but there was extenuating circumstances so it was probably me. Basically I should not have done 4 days in row, ie, fatigue, plus it was packed and I got a bad seat at the back, ie, you are isolated and removed from the show and I also couldn't hear that well, ie, missed the zingers. The thing is I thought last show was good, but when I listened to the podcast it was even funnier, so even though I didn't dig this show - the crowd seamed to laugh enough for a good show - it could be good on a re-listen. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$20 + F-$0 + C$3]
PS: Listening to the podcast it wasn't as good a show as last time, but the podcast was better than being there live - understandable considering the problems -.

02.02.24 : Beachside Comedy Club- Friday Night Showcase : Bondi Liquor Co

Freddie McManus(MC), Ryan Sim, Stella Wu, Ben Kochan, Billy D'Arcy

It was a bit of a quiet one, but it was fine. Freddie McManus was good as MC - I wonder what welders he sells lol -. Stella Wu has a bit of a scripted routine, which can be a problem with repeats, but you hardly ever see her around, and it is good, so it wasn't stale. Ben Kochan is always fun. And Billy D'Arcy came up with a totally new set, which was good because I'm starting to remember his other stuff, ie, repeats. The problem was that I transferred my cancelled ticket to this show and thought I would be ok doing 4 days in a row, but come the day I felt a bit tired - still not fit from the 2 week flu - and would've really liked to take the day off. Either way I tuned-out at the start and only started paying attention at half way, ie, my score might be a bit low. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$21 + F-$5 + C$3]

01.02.24 : Comedy & Cocktails at Cardea : Cardea(Barangaroo)

Cam Knight(MC), Julia Wilson, Tahir

This place is too posh for goblins like me - lol -. It was a pro lineup, and they were all good, it's just that it's one of those posh ded crowd places, eg, Manly, Kirribilli, The Beresford, etc, where the crowd just don't react that much. It's probably an age thing, ie, only older people can afford posh places, and old are more reserved, ie, too uptight to laugh. If you look at Bondi it's kind-of posh, but because Beachside Comedy Club gets a young crowd it's fun. That being said, the crowd did loosen-up/got drunk - lol - in the second half, so they did get better. As for the comedy, you're are getting a pro lineup show, ie, a higher level, but the big bonus was that you get Tahir. Tahir is always worth it because he is one of those super fun comics, and because he doesn't do many gigs - he does some solo shows but hardly any lineup shows -, he is well worth chasing down even if the venue is weird - lol -. Also I missed him at Thursday Night Comedy Show : The Riverview Hotel recently so I jumped at this show. Tahir did the usual improv, but his crowd participation, ie, getting a girl to propose - lol -, had the crowd loosen up, ie, they become less inhibited when they do something crazy, like a standing ovation for the groom leaving the bathroom - lol -. It was plenty good, you just have to live with a smaller laugh-track, ie, would've been a 4 with a better crowd. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$30 + F-$7 + C$3]

31.01.24 : Best Mates Comedy : Wayward Brewing Co(Camperdown)

Freya Reviews(MC), Jack Wright, Tom Elphick, Fiona Cox, Steph Broadbridge, Lauren Rowe, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt, Luke Heggie

The place got popular again because it was packed, and the show was very good especially the first half. Freya Reviews 'crushed' with her crowd work. Jack Wright's new bib-lay(bible) - lol - material hit the mark - he did a sendup of the Virgin Mary for a Xmas show and now has a routine out of it lol -. Fiona Cox is always adorable. Steph Broadbridge brought her strong set, with her 'getting old/dry' material resonating with the older ladies in the 2nd row - lol -. Lauren Rowe's story makes me sad, but she is nice enough that you accept it somewhat, ie, you laugh cry. Somehow Luke Heggie wrote a full 1 hour solo show in the Xmas break, and again it was a killer. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 4] [T-$16 + F-$3 + C$6]

26.01.24 : Beachside Comedy Club- Friday Night Showcase : Bondi Liquor Co

Cancelled. I don't know what happened because there is other shows on Australia Day, eg, The Laugh Inn, iD Comedy Club, etc, but it looks like the guys wanted to take that day off. [Crowd : na - Me : na] [T-$0 + F-$0 + C$0]

25.01.24 : The Great Comedy Club : Yia Yia's Dive Bar & Kitchen(Marrickville)

Mandy Scotney(MC), Freya Reviews, Alan Fang, Andrew Hastings, Kurt Sterling, Divya Murthy, Jarred Keane, Kiyanosh Sahebi, Chris Ryan

It's still got that friendly, supportive, wants to listen, crowd, and that makes all the difference between an average show and a nice/good show. You know when you see someone too many times, even if they are good, you don't find them funny anymore, but then if you see them after a long break they are suddenly good again, well that's why I found Chris Ryan the best on the night. Jarred Keane was pretty close, and Alan Fang was good even though he went with the lowest common denominator stuff, ie, fat jokes, but his job is to make people laugh and he did that very well. To tell the truth I found everyone good, but Divya Murthy and Freya Reviews also stood out to me. Very good and a nice friendly room. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.75] [T-$12 + F-$10 + C$4]

24.01.24 : The Boys in the Boat - movie

Biography - Drama - Sport : A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington's rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

It was never going to be high energy because it's designed to be an emotional historical piece, ie, it's slow and moody, but at least it isn't that slow that it becomes tedious. Basically it's a simple story that you already know from the trailer, so the emotional personal feeling parts can feel a bit like filler rather than anything significant, ie, there are some parts you would like to be faster - that could just be me lol -. It's ok to watch. [3] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$3]

23.01.24 : Sweeney's Comedy : Hotel Sweeney(Town Hall)

The crowd was better than usual, ie, they wanted to listen, so that was a good thing - a comic did attack 2 groups for talking, so it was lucky that it didn't put people off-side -. Nick Capper was the best, but Alex White had some new/good stuff about being the middle man between his hyper woke SYD friends and his very un-PC school friends from his home town of Newcastle. Laura Coleman also had new stuff - new is good when you know everyone's routine lol -. Nick Sun thankfully didn't do any Ayahuasca drug material, ie, I've heard it too many times. Steph Broadbridge's new stuff wasn't connecting that well. Oddly it felt too fast, which is weird because I like fast, so it felt like the concepts didn't gel in the mind - I could be talking cr@p because I don't know what the crowd was thinking, ie, fast may be good for them - lol -. By the end of the night I think the crowd got tired, because they got a bit quiet - it's not a long show, but I think because there is no break it might make it feel long -. [Crowd : 3.75 - Me : 3.5] [T-$0 + F-$4 + C$3]

20.01.24 : Free To A Good - podcast : ITS - Improv Theatre Sydney(Redfern)

Michael Hing, Tom Walker, Nikki Britton, Ben Elwood

There is not really much comedy in SYD other than standup, and that why things like this are a nice change. Hing is kind-of like a young version of Dave Hughes, in that he does anything and everything, and he is really the only person from Project52 that still tries to do weird/alternative shows - there is Dragon Friends, but they've been dying a slow death -. The surprise was Ben Elwood turning up, because, as per usual, he stole the show with craziness. The first half was crazy funny, with the second calming down somewhat. Very good. [Crowd : 4.5 - Me : 4] [T-$20 + F-$0 + C$3]
PS: The show was very good, but listening to the podcast was even funnier.
Ep. 192: Funny Knees - Recorded Live at Improv Theatre Sydney with Tom Walker, Nikki Britton and Ben Ellwood

18.01.24 : Wonka - movie

Adventure - Comedy - Family : With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

To tell the truth I didn't have any interest in going to the film, I only went for the exercise because my legs are jelly from being bedridden for a week. For me it was too simplistic, and that made it quite boring. Plus it's mainly a musical, and I don't like those. Unremarkable for my demographic. [1.5] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

16.01.24 : Dream Scenario - movie

Comedy - Horror : A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

I didn't like it at all. I was expecting some sort of intriguing mystery SciFi, but it's this slow cautionary tale on how Social Media can destroy people. It's another one of those unsatisfactory movies where sh!t happens for no rhyme or reason and without any satisfying conclusion. Also it's a fake "Comedy", ie, they use a comedy genre to get more sales even though there isn't a skerrick of comedy in it. [1] [T-$11 + F-$0 + C$0]

15.01.24 : The Beekeeper - movie

Action - Thriller : One man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as "Beekeepers".

This is a long the lines of the revenge type movies, eg, The Enforcer, etc, and we all like to see that bad guys get what they deserve. Good. [3.75] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

12.01.24 : Mean Girls - movie

Comedy - Musical : Cady Heron is a hit with the Plastics, an A-list girl clique at her new school when she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

I should've researched it, because what it was was 100% musical with 0% comedy. I'll watch anything outside my interests so long as it's funny, but when you don't laugh once it becomes boring. Also by what felt like the 15th song I was pretty cooked and wanted to leave. There were a couple of tween's in the audience that clapped at the end, but even they didn't laugh at anything. Probably only for young girls. [1.5] [T-$10 + F-$0 + C$0]

11.01.24 : Kirribilli Club Comedy Night : Kirribilli Club

Sikpped, too sick. [Crowd : na - Me : na] [T-$21 + F-$0 + C$0]

10.01.24 : Buddy's Comedy : Buddy's Bar(Newtown)

Had to skip because too sick with flu. [Crowd : na - Me : na] [T-$21 + F-$0 + C$0]

04.01.24 : Good Vibes Comedy : Forrester's(Surry Hills)

It looks like Good Vibes Comedy found a new home, and took the good Meraki crowd with it - lol -. In the past it was certain death doing a show in Jan because everyone was out of town, but I guess everyone is broke and stayed in SYD because the room was practically full. It was only after I edited the photos that I noticed, holy c@rp that was a lot of comics, and that means there is no time to get bored with so many switch-outs - lol -. No one really stoodout - I'm not actually going to notice when I've seen everyone at least a dozen times lol -, but everyone was good/fine. The room/crowd had a friendly vibe, so it's worth coming again. [Crowd : 4 - Me : 3.5] [T-$17 + F-$6 + C$3]

01.01.24 : Next Goal Wins - movie

Comedy - Drama - Sport : The story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0.

You don't really need for me to tell you it's a bit simple and formulaic, because most films of this type are - lol -, but what it is is an amusing fun little  film. Not Taika Waititi funniest one, but it's amusing enough that it's fun. [3.5] [T-$11 + F-$5 + C$2]