Hard Knock Knocks

The Nelson brothers - you've seen one, you've seen them all. Well, that's a bit unfair. They might look alike, but as you'll hear in this School of Hard Knock Knocks interview, The Nelson Twins, as they're known on the comedy circuit and Australia's Got Talent, have quite differing personalities, and tastes in women!

Starting out in the little town of Walbundrie, New South Wales, the twins have performed their comedy all over Australia, Europe, South East Asia, and most recently China - where they represented Australia by attended an international twins festival. Yep! It does exist.

So buckle up Hard Knock Knockers for this very fast, somewhat chaotic, interview with not one, but two stand-up comedians, Chris and Justin Nelson. And if you're interested in hiring the Nelson Twins for your next event, visit their website: www.nelsontwins.com.au.

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Michael Shafar is a stand-up comic and writer for The Project on Network Ten. But this success hasn't happened overnight. Like most stand-up comedians it started off with bombing at his first open mic, and then two years of performing at every opportunity that presented itself. His next step was hosting 'The Leak' on community television station, Channel 31, before climbing the ranks to commercial television.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks stand-up comedy podcast, you'll learn how religious cynicism, disinterest in a law degree, and an unhealthy consumption of news, can lead to a great comedy career. And if you want to see Michael Shafar in person, his next show is at the Butterfly Club's 'Melbourne Comedy's Rising Stars' on June 3. He can also be reached at www.MichaelShafar.com.

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If you haven't heard of comedian Simon Taylor before, then you soon will. Seven years into the comedy game, Simon has already made his mark in Australia and the USA, writing for Shaun Micallef and Jay Leno, and building a solid stand-up comedy reputation in the mean time. In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast, you'll learn how Twitter can improve your joke structure and how luck can be improved through preparation - at least according to Simon's dad. Simon is generous with his insights and provides excellent advice to any new stand-up comedian looking to further their career, and he gives this advice from the other side of the world, in New York, while looking at a squirrel. You'll enjoy this interview.

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Eighteen months ago Evan Hocking became a full time comedian. Leaving a permanent job Evan "packed the job in" and took the biggest leap of faith a comedian can make in his or her early years. Since then he hasn't looked back, performing solo shows at the 2016 and 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, with 'Evan is a Place on Earth' and 'The Morning After', respectively.

But it's not all pizzazz. If you're a budding stand-up comedian, just starting out, this School of Hard Knock Knocks interview with Evan is great, because you'll learn about the early challenges and stresses facing new comedians. You'll also get an understanding of the level of commitment to self promotion and marketing that is needed to be noticed in a very busy market. Evan Hocking is extremely honest and transparent, so I think you'll enjoy this interview.

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From humble beginnings, performing at open mics at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, to winning a guest spot alongside Dave Chappelle in New York, Johnny Kats’ comedy career is incredible. You’ll hear the word ‘lucky’ a lot in this School of Hard Knock Knocks interview, but the reality is Johnny is persistent – he simply doesn’t give up. New York, London and Melbourne – Johnny has performed in the world’s comedy hot spots and then some. And he’s also had a successful radio career to boot.

So, Hard Knock Knockers, if you’re thinking of starting a stand-up comedy career, or are already on your way, sit back and enjoy this podcast. And don’t forget to give us a 5 star rating on iTunes, Stitcher, or any other podcast platform you happen to use. Here he is, Johnny Kats.

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Dave Callan's first show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) was in 2000. Seventeen years on, he's performed internationally, hosted on Triple J radio, and been a regular on TV.  In this candid School of Hard Knock Knocks interview, the Irish born and Perth raised comedian shares insights into his comedy career and why you should only be an asshole for two years after fame. If you're starting out in comedy, or even if you're a seasoned veteran, this is the episode for you.

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Dilruk Jayasinha is one of the hottest stand-up comedians in Australia today. His talents have led to sold out shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and a regular guest spot on Network Ten's quiz show, 'Have you been paying attention?'.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks interview, you'll hear how Dilruk first got started in stand-up comedy, how he followed his dream, and how you don't necessarily need to sleep your way to the top.

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Chris Franklin has an inseparable relationship with his flannel shirts. The self described bogan, who has performed his beer swilling larrikin humour all over Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Scotland and even war torn Afghanistan, is one of the most well recognised Australian stand-up comedians today, thanks to early success at Raw Comedy and, surprisingly, the ARIAs.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast you'll hear how a private education didn't get in the way of a solid working class upbringing, and writing comedy doesn't need to involve writing at all.

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Brad Oakes is one versatile comedian. Starting as a stand-up comedian, Brad graduated to writing skits for TV shows Full Frontal, the Comedy Company and Hey Hey It's Saturday. He's also had a stint at radio, albeit, briefly. Today, Brad is a regular comedian on the circuit that includes monthly guest spots on South Pacific cruise lines. And in between tanning himself on the upper deck, he coaches some of Australia's busiest comedians - he just won't tell us who.

If you like what you hear in this podcast, you'll be pleased to know that Brad will also be a guest comedian at the May 21 - 25 School of Hard Knock Knocks stand-up comedy course. So enrol and get your own one-on-one coaching with the comedians' comedian.

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Samuel (Sam) See is a Singaporean stand-up comedian who has found fame on the comedy circuit and Singapore TV. With only four years in the game, he is already a regular at all of the comedy clubs, has multiple shows at the annual Singapore Comedy Fringe Festival, and hosts 'Ok Chope!', a TV show so good that it could be banned!

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks Sam shares the challenges of performing to a multicultural crowd, how censorship sucks, and how being gay in this conservative society, is not a hinderance to his comedy career.

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