Hard Knock Knocks

What good can come out of a dare? Well, for Dave Ivkovic, a stand-up comedy career spanning over 20 years. Today, Dave travels all over Australia for comedy, and as you'll hear, has been a regular 'face' at The Comic's Lounge in Melbourne.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, Dave, who also happens to be a Jiu Jitsu sensei, provides some life and comedy career advice by reminding us that 'knowing is the enemy of learning' and 'if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room'. Yup, we go deep!

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It's a paradox, but some of the best comedy can come from difficult and challenging times. This has certainly been the case for Doug Chappel - born on the metaphorical wrong side of the tracks and witness to crime and abuse first hand, Doug was able to focus his attention on the lighter side, and is now one of Australia's busiest comedians.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode we discuss Doug's relationship with the notorious Mark 'Chopper' Read, performing at over 20 Melbourne International Comedy Festivals (MICF) and surprisingly why getting out of Melbourne during the festival can help, not hamper, a comedy career.

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TV commercials, movies, stage and stand-up comedy - not to forget, although he's prefer that you did, an appearance on Hey Hey, It's Saturday's 'Red Faces' - makes  CJ Fortuna a man of many talents. More recently, he's starred in the stand-up comedy movie, The Heckler, the screwball comedy, Spin Out, won Best Actor at the Japanese Short Film Festival for Big City, and featured in a web series called Hactresses. This man is busy.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview CJ Fortuna shares how he got started in the stand-up comedy, why he thinks alcohol can be a hindrance not help to a comedy career, as well as a quick plug for his own comedian interview series called 'Comedians in Bars Drinking Beer'. It's almost as good as this one.

Get in contact with CJ through his Facebook page for stand-up comedy, or Active Artists for movie and TV parts.

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If you lived in Australia during the late eighties and early nineties, then no doubt you know George Kapiniaris. An actor by training, George, or Kappa or G-Kap, as he is known around the block, first played the serious part of 'DJ' in The Flying Doctors before creating the comically slapstick character Memo in the stage show, 'Wogs out of Work', and later TV show, 'Acropolis Now'.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, George discusses stereotypes, playing characters from the underworld, rules of comedy, and his upcoming tour, Straight Outta Compo. He also sheds light on the term 'Skip' and how he flipped bigotry on its head, making this word part of the Aussie lexicon.

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Greg Fleet is Australia's bad boy of comedy. On stage and off, 'Fleety' has made a name for himself for pushing the boundaries and living life to its fullest. TV, movies, theatre, breakfast radio, and twenty-nine Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows later, its hard to imagine how he had time for his now infamous drug addiction. But he did, because he's no ordinary comedian. Some might argue that in a sick way this curse made him even funnier. Coincidentally, 'sick comedy' also happens to be one of his fortes, as you'll learn from this episode.

We know you'll enjoy this in depth School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview with the NIDA qualified, Daphne killing, zombie hunting, accidental comedian, known as Greg Fleet.

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It's a long way to the top if you want to rock 'n roll. Comedy's just as arduous. Coincidentally, Steve Hughes has done both. Starting out as a drummer for extreme metal band, Slaughter Lord in Sydney, Hughes became obsessed with faster and faster metal, before getting interested in comedy and performing stand-up between band tours. Eventually, being font of stage, rather than at the rear, dominated his life, and the 'Steve Hughes Comedian' that we know today was born.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode we go deep, and talk about death metal, political comedy, commercial and feminist agendas, political correctness, and social justice warriors. We also talk about Steve's own battle with depression and mental health, as well as drug use - both legal and prescribed. If you're just starting out in your comedy career this is a cautionary tale. Comedy's not all TV specials and bowls of blue-only M&Ms in the Green Room. This is comedy in the raw.

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If there's one word to describe Mayumi Nobetsu it's 'persistent'. In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, you'll hear how the quiet Japanese teenager first became obsessed with Monty Python, before basing her schooling and career choices on the comedy scenes of New York, Kuala Lumpur and finally Melbourne. You'll also learn how she conspired with Monty Python's own Michael Palin and how she manages her lack of confidence as a performer.

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Chances are you've laughed at a Dave O'Neil joke. This is because not only is he a seasoned stand-up comedian, but dave's been writing for Australian TV comedy shows since 1994 - television shows such as Jimeoin, The Eric Bana Show Live, Full Frontal, Totally Full Frontal, The Mick Molloy Show, The Micallef Program, and most recently Open Slather and You're Skitting Me. Thank god his band broke up and he lost his job - the prelude to his comedy career - or Australian comedy wouldn't be as funny.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, Dave O'Neil explains why he hates being a morning person, but loves looking like a lesbian, and how his shtick has moved from 'slacker' to 'suburban dad'.

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At times, the universe can send out subtle signals, that help guide our life's journey. That's not what Urzila Carlson was thinking, standing in her underwear and huddled with co-workers in a locked office bathroom after an armed robbery, in her home country of South Africa. The universe was shaking and slapping her, screaming "get the hell out of here".

Thankfully for her future fans, Urzilla did just that, emigrating to New Zealand before embarking on an award winning comedy career - a career that would see her win New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards for Best Female Comedian in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016! Don't ask about 2015.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview, South African born, New Zealand resident, and celebrity on Australian TV, Urzilla Carlson, shares her inner mantra, fake contracts, and "putting your balls against the wall" if you want to make it in stand-up comedy.

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Some people seek greatness, other's have greatness thrust upon them...on a stage in Narrabri, New South Wales. This is the yarn of Dane Simpson - one moment a DJ, the next a supporting act for veteran comedian Kevin Kropinyeri, and a short time later the 'Deadly Funny' NSW winner. Dane's success on the comedy circuit has been swift, which highlights this man's raw talent.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast we talk about Dane Simpson's family and Aboriginal influences, touring Australia, and making popular Youtube videos with his mates and partner, that have helped boost his stand-up career. And if after listening to this episode you'd like to book Dane, he can be reached via his Facebook page

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