Hugging Comedians
  • NOW.. ONTO THE COMEDY
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  • NOW.. ONTO THE COMEDY
  • HUGS ACHIEVED
  • CONTACT
Hugging Comedians

now.. onto the comedy

Free Comedy Thursdays @ Rochester Hotel

6/16/2016

 
Two word review: Honest comedy
Hugs achieved: x 3

Comedians are people too and the comedy at the Rochester (located at 202 Johnston Street, Fitzroy) helps you connect with them. The Rochester is a great venue to bring your friends to have a couple of beverages, maybe some food and then once you’re finished, stroll upstairs for quality comedy.
 
If you can be pulled away from the three open fireplaces, the great selection of beers and the faux SHARK HEAD ON THE WALL downstairs at the Rochester, there is much joy to be had with the comedy on Thursday nights upstairs.

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Similar to Comedy @ Spleen on Monday nights, this is a donation affair – you pay with the cash you have (preferably notes but coinage will do – a $5’er from me was all I could pull together). One thing Comedy at the Rochester has over Spleen…. FREE POPCORN!
 
The venue is small but suits close and personal comedy. There are no bad seats and there is easy access to the bar (if that’s your style). And in case you can’t make it all the way to Fitzroy by public transport, it is a $6 Uber from the CBD, so you’ve got no excuses!
 
Now, as always, onto the comedy featuring a couple of highlights of the night at Rochester Comedy on 16 June.

Our MC for the night, comedy lover and all round good-guy Ivan Aristeguieta was an excellent host. It is Ivan’s passion for comedy and his appreciation of good people and food, which makes him a warm and approachable MC but also, it gives his comedy authenticity.  Having only chatted with him briefly, you get the sense that Ivan genuinely wants an audience to feel and enjoy the comedy at hand. It was a pleasure to meet him and I recommend you try and catch his live gig on 2 July if you’re keen to check him out. Also, most importantly… HUG ACHIEVED
 
Damien Power’s set (the headliner act for the evening) was emotionally challenging but very funny. In parts, Damien’s set was rough. Not to mean that his comedy was poorly put together, but the excerpts about his life made you want to get up on stage and give him a big hug. The hilarious image Damien portrayed of the upcoming apocalypse will stay with me for a while!
 
Hold the phone…. Dave Thornton? Is that you? Despite almost being in disguise, Dave rocked a fantastic feature set and was an excellent surprise guest!
Michael Hing’s (Hingers) brutally honesty comedy was a particular highlight of the night. Not that I am biased (well, I possibly am) but I appreciate comedy that comes from true and real emotion. I had never seen Hingers perform live (outside his participation in Good Game Live at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016), and he outshone my expectations. He put forward a blunt and insightful set that made me laugh but also have a greater appreciation of the reality of being in the public eye. Hingers put forward a top effort and I’m looking forward to having him come back to Melbourne. HUG ACHIEVED
 
I was unsure of what Rob Hunter would deliver when he arrived on stage. Rob’s on stage persona is quite nervous but he nailed punch lines out of nowhere. Despite lacking some flow at times (particularly when he followed some comedy gold with a bit of granite), Rob pulled off a surprise dark horse performance.
HUG ACHIEVED

 
Thanks to Brendan for organising the night and Aaron Gocs for helping collect the donations!
 
The Rochester Comedy night is underrated and will/should be packed in no time.
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Comedy @ Spleen: 30 May 2016

5/31/2016

 
Two word review: Worth it.

If you can take one bit of advice from this website, go see Comedy @ Spleen.
 
For comedy enthusiasts, this will be covering old ground but Comedy @ Spleen is an institution… and if it isn’t, it should be. Held on Mondays at the Spleen Bar (41 Bourke Street, Melbourne), it offers two hours of laughs with comedians (sometimes from around the world) pumping out quality jokes as well as providing an opportunity to test new material.
 
For some, Comedy @ Spleen is appealing because it is so cheap.  You pay what you feel it deserved (minimum gold coin). The cost is important, as it should stop audiences from becoming hostile if they do not enjoy the comedy at hand, in classic “I paid for good comedy” style. Nevertheless, an alcohol filled audience is still prone to the poorly timed heckle.  My recommendation, at the end of the night give more $ than the minimum, you’ll have a good time and the cash will be appreciated.

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Now, onto the comedy… It would be unfair to go through and ‘review’ each of the comics who performed on 30 May. Rather, I want to give some props to some of the highlights of the night.
 
Aaron Gocs MC’d the evening, taking over from one half of the Little Dum Dum Club Podcast’s Karl Chandler who said hi*! Aaron did a top job dealing with the thirsty crowd (for both comedy and booze). Despite times where he mumbled and lost some confidence, Aaron used self-deprecating humour to great effect and his comedy shone when talking about his kids and his love for them. He may have a mullet, but the man appreciates the important things in life. Aaron did a great job keeping the energy up and making me want a Big M.  *Karl didn’t even call anyone a dickhead… I was impressed! 
 
The stand out for the night for me was Danielle Walker. The snippets of Danielle’s set online do not do her comedy justice as she smashed her short set @Spleen. Danielle hit some uncomfortable limits for some audience members but thrilled others. Very keen to see her offering for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2017.   
 
Adam Rozenbachs’ set was clever and relatable. Having not seen much of his work before, Adam produced a solid series of jokes without breaking a sweat. Despite wanting to avoid the phrase ‘professionalism’, Adam nailed the short set and gave the audience what they were after. There was no indication Adam was trying out new material, so if he was, kudos. Will have to download an episode of his AFL Podcast ‘JunkTime’ and check it out.
 
Mike Goldstein’s set worked well for the packed gig, got solid laughs and appeared relaxed on stage. The guy seems like a likable character and an experienced comic. No fuss but very funny stand up.
 
I rate Demi Lardner. This I’ve already covered here, after seeing her 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Show ‘Life Mechanic’. Demi’s stature makes it difficult for the latecomers to see what is going on, on stage, but if this is all I am pulling her up on, you know she nailed her spot.
 
The choice of Ivan Aristeguieta to close out the show was a good one! Ivan brings lots of energy to the stage, which draws the audience’s slightly inebriated attention. Ivan used audience interaction to support his set well, and while claiming he was trying out new material, appeared to get laughs beyond his expectation. Ivan has a show on sale for Melbourne-based punters on 2 July if you’re keen to check him out. Would love to sit down with Ivan to chat, to talk about comedy but also to ask…what is the bouncy ball all about?

Hugging Comedians will be returning to Comedy @ Spleen…. when those Monday night beers wear off…


    editor

    Andy
    Melbourne-based comedy enthusiast.

    If you are a Melbourne-based comedian or a comedian just passing through, please get in touch! I'll buy you a coffee, we'll talk about comedy, and I'll write up our chat for others to enjoy (hug optional but recommended).


     

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