Henry Yan, The First

Hello, and welcome to a podcast. My podcast A debrief where I get people in the car and I've got Brad Oaks in the back. Killo, he's in the back. He's only in the front. And Henry wait, but what do we Henry yam, Well, we debrief after the gig.

Gone for a drive to a little gig. Then drive with golden debris. It's golden debre, it's golden tree.

It's golden treeld And so we talked before the gig and we talk about what we think it's going to be like, and then we do the gig, and then we get in the car. We talk about the gig to it sounds like you.

Never to it.

But that's all right. It doesn't matter. You don't have to. I don't care.

I do like how this podcast has two penguins.

I got two penguins in my car. That's my favorite animal? Is it the penguin? Oh?

Man, that's good.

Penguins.

They're pretty chill.

They are.

I read somewhere that I can't remember what racist people call it, but they call the penguin the business goose.

Oh that's funny. I love the business goose. Now, Brad, tell everyone where we're going we're.

Heading to We're going to an R. S.

L Eristle, which okay, so now give the mic back to Henry because we're going to get I don't know if Henry would even you know, where are you from? You're in New Zealand right here?

Yeahs, I just had an idea. I need it write down.

I've got an idea. Hang, this is we're seeing the magic happening in front of us. Brad was he writing down? Penguin, penguin, goose? I can't read that.

I just wrote, penguin is all Torso. I thought, yeah, the penguin is all Torso thought, that's a very funny idea, like most.

Like most birds.

Yeah, yeah birds, Henry.

Where are you from? New Zealand?

Auckland?

Oh yeah, I've been in Auckland. Yeah yeah, yeah, I went to make I went to New Zealand in the seventies. My dad when he retired from the Air Force, he got his super and and we went on a Kenticky tour of New Zealand.

Oh Dad's cool.

Yeah, And but Kentucky was It wasn't like just young people routing each other. There are other there are other families on the bath by memory.

Well, how you went with your dad?

Mum and dad? Yeah, and my brothers. Yeah, I was in grade four A. Yeah, seventies. It would have been like nineteen seventy.

In New Zealand. That sounds like you're practicing to go on a proper ent Yeah.

And then the continued tour was only on the north end of South Island. Dad and man, I've got a van. We drove around.

Oh that's cool. Yeah, that's cool.

But and I remember it was amazing. New Zealand was incredible.

It's the best place in the world.

Why aren't you there?

Ah? Yeah, people tend.

To leave, you know. But they were all, well, there's so many keyweks here doing well.

That's because only the good ones make it up.

Well true. Some were saying, I can't remember it was Ray O Lee or someone was telling me you go back to New Zealand. The scene's on me good anymore. Yeah, because all your fuckers are over here now. Yeah. Yeah.

The thing about Ray he's so hacked, Like, man, I hate that this podcast.

We know you're joking. We know you guys all meet on a Monday night and plan out down for we do we do you have a white Ball with O'Neill Oaks's photos up there. These two guys are easy targets.

Well, however, already taking you guys out?

Okay, what's the plan.

It's with their wide combs. It's like when they the Hearers came over in the eighties and yeah, took everyone out.

They wants to play with mellow. You get a TV show, good one, good one, and just employ other. New Zealand is very good, very good. Who's going to suck up to the working gog people? I'm onto it?

Have you seen on Swelling?

Oh?

Yeah, it's true. Guy, another show to take her?

Come up with a spelling show? Yes, yes, who's Maybe he's the captain, Maybe he's the general?

Is here the general? Yeah? I thought so.

And you're one of the workers. Americanody tries to get to the meeting, but she doesn't make it very often because she's really busy.

Now, yeah, I'm just the cleaner, you know, I'm there. I'm like, I'm here if you need.

And there must be a few guys that win don't even know that they're just going why and I famous I'm key Another factor guy in the Comedy Festival Melbourne recently did a show called Another Key we comedian. Who was that? That was? That was? Yeah? I'm like, what there's one that isn't famous?

Well, it's crazy because Kimi comics are liked here, but in new.

They're yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a cultural cringe. It's probably the same with the Yeah yeah, but we can't go to where can we go? Though? We can't go anywhere?

Yeah, you could probably go UK. They might like you.

I've done the UK, You've done a UK brad Avenue. Yeah, And it's kind of like they kind of like put up with you. But I mean I like obviously like Adam Hills.

And I think day over there, yeah, and I think there's some kiwi's doing very well over in there.

Who was that woman? Who one task master?

Who's that name?

Is very funny?

Well? And also old mates you know from the Concords. Oh yeah, Ree Darby, Yeah yeah, he'd be on your phone call, he'd be on your meeting. He'd just be zooming in there for a few minutes.

He's yeah, yeah, he's already led the way him in the Concords.

He'd probably be like Charlie and Charlie's Angel just a voice, just yeh.

From Is it really you or is it an AI version? Reese? No, mate, it's really lean. It's really bleep on here. I was in hunt for The people.

Were also by news before they gone.

Really yeah, they were loved by Australians. Yeah, they're very fun nice guys too anyway, I mean when they came out here anyway. So how long did you comedy in Auckland?

For? Maybe about there years? This is my fifth year, so I think maybe.

And so you're an engineer?

Yeah yeah, yeah, by what sort? Mechanical? But I don't like it. You know, what did you do?

You still work as an engineer?

Yes? You know, I am not big and famous like you guys. Sure sure, I don't know to mention. I just came from Dave's house and man, one story Maine, I would like that's the type of house I would like to rob.

So you're still working as an engineer.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's really hard. I need to find a part time made yeah yeah yeah yeah, because I find like you just don't have enough time, like.

Well, you be exhausted engineering.

Yeah.

The worst thing is like you're using your your peak brain powerful stuff that doesn't matter.

Do you work for a big company or the government or.

Now it's a smaller company.

Okay, do they know you do comedy?

Oh yeah, it's not.

Some think he's meant to be funny, this blake. He does comedy again with Brad O'Neill on Saturday Night.

I know.

I think the key is when you have a job, you don't tell them you do comedy.

Well, they'll find out they will doing this podcast, and then they turn up to your gig. Oh man, but you're funny. So if they turn up.

I found when I started having a job, and when I had jobs, telling them when I was a comedian excused a lot of things I did badly.

Yeah, yeah, true. And also, Henry, you know what, it's good to have a job to motivate you to become a comedian more and more, because you know, you you that's good that you've had a job, because there's nothing worse. And there's quite a few examples in the comedy industry of someone who goes straight into comedy and never worked in a ship job. And your job's not even ship. It's a profession engineering, but engineering is full on.

Though yeah, it's too much. That takes a lot of responsibility responsibility. And the problem is when you do comedy as well, you do it poorly. You do engineering poorly because you just don't hang on.

There's a building on a collapse because of.

Your I'm a mechanical so this car.

Yeah, mechanical, mechanical.

Did you have a job when you were Oh yeah, yeah, what did you do?

Yeah, this podcast is not about me.

No.

I I studied to be a teacher, and then I worked for the Red Cross as a field Officely it was like public education job, you know, giving to And then I.

Sold some hot dogs.

Yeah, there was a part time job in the hot dog shop. And then I I worked at a private PR company, but then I got sacked. And then when I started comedy, I always had like such as like warehousing jobs, and I worked at I worked at tape because my dad was a tape teacher. But Brad was a union organizer.

Yeah, I was a union organized I also sold some hot dogs, so I've got I've got a bit.

Of I never did a full on professional job while doing comedy. I got sacked from my professional job and then I started doing comedy, and so I always and I kept getting offered not a lot, but I kept getting offered, you know, full on pr jobs where you have to be there like, you know, nine to six every day. So he's kept saying.

No, no, Henry. Do you know there's a guy, Max is Zadmik who I think. He's an automotive engineer as well, does a bit of comedy.

Max, he's a lovely man.

You talk about engineering with him?

Yeah, no, no, no, we just talk comedy. Yeah, yeah, I tell him you gotta stop doing those jokes.

What a motive engineer and what some of do?

You're working right now? Ringwood? But that's where I grew up.

Man. You can go, yeah, go and see the statue of me. Yeah, I'm actually mitcham and so I was. Brad MIT's the next suburb to Ringwood.

Yeah.

The problem is I don't have enough money to attribute every day, you know.

Yeah, yeah, no. Do you get a train out?

Yeah yeah yeah.

Ringward's not too bad.

But the question is when do you when.

You stop working? When you're start doing enough money to live?

Oh yeah, you're like wealthy parents or na, I'm so poor.

What did your dad do for a job?

He's like a handyman.

Yeah, that's like an engine simple to my dad, who was a film trainer. Yeah, they could have been engineers, these guys, but they just didn't have those opportunities.

I feel like, yeah, because they're probably more like they know more about engineering than of course.

But what about your mom? Is she still working?

She's like a housewife.

So yeah, it's like my mom.

But we're yeah, we're pretty poor.

You're poor.

I don't think we I could. I couldn't.

You can't hit up them brothers or sisters.

Yeah, one older one, younger brother. Older brothers an engineer. My younger sister is also an engineer.

Love.

Yeah, Dad and Mom, we're so proud. Henry is a letdown. He's trying comedy dude. Man, Oh yeah it was crazy. Yeah. Yeah, they probably wouldn't have understood it.

They did not. They didn't think toking could get you money.

That's so funny. Well, you just gotta keep going. Didn't you win? Raw? Raw?

That's pretty good. There's three of you as engineers, so you kind of like the Beg.

Yeah, the band.

They're a band in Australian English, band that had a lot of hits staying Alive. You are young, but the Bees, you know, they had high voices and they are three brothers who saying together.

But question, is RAW even that prestigious? Yes, it is well to win it.

It is as as I've always said, and someone said this to me, all competitions are ship until you win one, and then they're good. Well, you're gonna look at some of the people that want not everyone who wins RAW goes on the great things. But like Anna Gadsby one wrong, Josh Thomas did Josh Thomas? Did you win RAW? Or you come? A few famous people came second too, didn't they? Brad, like like Celia Pecola.

Maybe? I mean it was cool, it's awesome. Yeah, who was in your year?

Who did.

Shout out to my boy?

You know, I don't know him?

Okay, William Wang?

Oh, I know William Wang Mega.

Yeah, I know her.

She's funny. Well that's pretty good competition. No, I think winning role is a good thing. Absolutely. Did you go to Edinburgh?

Then? Yeah?

That was that.

Oh it was really interesting. I bombed, like really hard for the first two weeks.

SA you bombed or bonded? Bombed?

Bombed?

Yeah, because I was just like what I should laugh? That's fair. I love bombing. But I think I realized like they have never seen an Asian that speaks with like, yeah, the accents, so they just couldn't get past.

Yeah, it's like what's his name KOs talking about when he goes to America. I can't cope with his face and his accent together.

And it's kind of annoying having to start a gig, like just waste some time talking about that.

Yeah, I've got a key accident and your key exit is not even that strong.

Yeah it's not that strong. Yeah, yeah, I.

Would never I just thought you were astrayan what about you?

Yeah, and yeah, I mean yeah, that's the annoing thing. So you know, but yeah, because ideally you just want to talk about stuff you want to talk about, yeah, you know, but sometimes yeah, if you're not a superstar international sensation like Davon Neil.

Yeah yeah, yeah, right yeah right. Of course. Henry's famous for asking me how much money I earned and I told him I got to say that that was a very good year when you asked me, yeah it's been that good. You're not as good. But were you shocked when I told you? And I love your statement. You said, but I don't see you any gigs and said I don't do the gigs at your door. I'm not doing totally republic.

You don't do it.

You gotta do it.

Why, I don't know, just to feel humiliation, I.

Used Well, open mics weren't a thing when we started. We started our own, didn't we, Brad, Really when we started we started, I started like the s Mythtery anyway, whatever, comedy cabaret and we call them comedy nives, but now you think about it, their open mic nights.

But they're open mind we called them tryout nights.

Yeah, but we kind of assimilated into paid work, maybe a little bit quicker than people do these days.

Yeah, because we would go and do the Comedy Cafe would have an amateur night on Thursdays, The Joke had one on Tuesdays, and then you'd have to go and do like the Star and Guard. They'd have two amateurs on. Then you know, they'd be like pros headlining and MCing and stuff.

But they were all. It was all mixed in with and the audiences.

Yeah, they're good audiences, not not just other comedians audience, not only.

You know, there's there's a lot more gigs these days, Henry, but a lot of them are only attended by you know, and people crazy laughs and die hard.

And openly yeah yeah and open. I run a lot of gigs myself, so that's where I do mind new material.

I don't have to that's so good.

Yeah, I don't have to go to whatever dirty secrets on a Tuesday or wherever you go.

Oh yeah, well having open mics, do you do? I do a lot. I do pretty much most gigs in Melbourne. So yeah, I just tried to gig as much as I can, Like it's a good idea. I try to hit like on a on a slow week, maybe five.

Wow, that's good. That's what you should be doing.

On a good week, maybe seven, eight maybe.

So you used to see Ulessia Carduccio. He used to do He's he was a king. Yeah, it was a king of billy Billy starles Billy's out there on the streets. Yeah yeah, actually doing gigs on the street. He would.

Yeah.

But do you get on it like the lounge and place like that.

And I've been on lounge once, Okay, the basement, I get on basement.

Yeah.

I was just on basement last weekend.

So and.

Republic yeah yeah, So I think like.

These are all Melbourne rooms for anyone.

Lounge not so much. It'd be nice to get on again. I don't know, like I don't know how to get on though, Like I'm not that good at networking.

It's yeah, it's yeah, it's a skill.

But network.

Just turn up and go yeah, I know, Dave and I really like your shirt, And then they don't.

Should I just case like you should probably?

I just get what was you back for? Hey? What about the magpie?

Yeah?

They go, well, can I get you a drink? I was always pretty good at networking, but I don't do it much anymore.

Because you don't need to.

I don't know bread nereworking. That's Brad, Brad were you? Are you a networker?

I'm not the best networking because never been the best kind of.

It's a bit of a true teller. Whereas I'm because I came from a public relations background. I'm good at lying, you know what I mean, lying and bullshooting.

I'm great at lying. I'm look at my routine, it's all live. But I'm just not good at suffering fools.

Fools. My dad could talk to anyone, and I've inherited that that trait.

Just talk to anyone, you do get along with everybody, and hey.

Signed for ripping. You're on the right way, guys, I'm so excited.

Yes, but yeah, it's networking.

I think I think you are networking because everybody knows you in the in the open mic scene.

And who me Henry people know Yeah, and you know what, you're not an asshole, so you'll be all right and it's funny. So I think you'll be all right in the long run.

And you're not.

You're not.

You wouldn't be one of those rude very important not to be rude to people, because you know, if you're rude to people, they'll remember it and then they won't you know, if they become someone, they won't give you a gig.

But it's like, why would you. Yeah, I feel like people are rude to people all the time. I feel like, yeah, I don't know, I don't see it, like, yeah, it's just not good.

No, Well, I'm sure your parents were polite and they taught you well. I mean, you know, if someone's mean to you, you can kick back, but yeah, or stupid or just being rude, like giving you a.

Bad introduction for example, getting on, like when you get on.

No, I know, you when they say on this next bloke, I this guy say, you know, we've had a lot of funny comedians and we've also got Dave and Neil tonight. You know that kind of thing. A dude, I had. It's great, go on.

I had this one where the guy introduced his like this next guy, I've never seen him that. I can guarantee he's not going to be as funny as the guy you just saw.

So money.

I don't want to call him out, but I love the guy.

Okay, to be fair, he's never seen men rude anyway. Were you shocked at the amount of money that comedians earned because I said to you when I told you and I said, why that's huge? Or kiddy Flanagan, Oh yeah, man there the next level up.

You should talk to me. So shocked?

Actually hugely was just because I was on a gig.

What do you mean millions of dollars? He always goes to me, I tell him, so much money? Did you earn?

I say, he and the rest I know that's it. No, that's it, Husy.

Yeah, he was complaining the other day about how his super is like three million dollars or something. Was going to get taxes on my super.

Is three hundred grand. We had a great conversation in the radio Stuo once with Nathan Buckley. He was a former Collingwood captain and coach, right, and he said that Husy Gates, I reckon, are you earn more money than you Nathan? And Nathan goes a million dollars in sponsorship alone. Okay, you win more on anyway? Well, no, you can do good money in comedy.

That would be the dream.

You've got everything going for you.

Yes, okay, oh yes.

Yeah you got And also you've got diversity. They love a bit of diversity. Now try being a fat white guy that me and Oaks. Yeah fine in the nineties.

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, your time is done.

Henry, mate, we'll be we'll be supporting you. Give the next Aaron Chen and we'll be Can we drink? Henry will take the phone call Ronnie, Ronnie, we used to support us, you know, Ronnie Chang. Yeah, that's of course.

How did they get so far?

Well, Aaron and Ronni are both very funny for a start, they're both nice people, and right, I don't know about Amber. Ronnie is very good at business. I gotta say, oh.

Yeah, he a business sense, networking all yeah.

And he was. It was just a combination of not lack but timing. I reckon with Ronnie, don't you reckon Brad Ronnie.

I don't know about Aaron. I don't know Aaron very well, but I know Ronnie always had a plan as well.

Yeah, he's a lawyer, so he's not stupid. Timing in terms of when he turned up so not the timing of his jokes. It's like the timing of when he turned up on the scene in the world, because we Australia had never really had an angry Asian comic like he. You know, we had Asian comics like Arndau Asian Australians, but they were kind of friendly and happy. You know, where's Ronnie's like? You know, he used to say, what

Man.

The gala is like so cool, a like have you done the Girl? I was able to do the New Zealand one this year, but haven't done the Melbourne one. But it really helps shift tickets.

Yeah, but not it used to be massive, but not so much anymore, I think. But if you get your clip online, there's always someone that takes off. I reckon. Yeah, every year happened happened to Tommy Little too? Actually, oh he took off from the gala. Yeah, it's just like six times and never took off at least I did it.

You'll be right, I reckon, Yeah, Yeah, I'm just trying to be funny, like I think, just.

Keep doing gigs.

Yeah, because you know how people like like they like focus on, like, so what.

Are we going to Sydney. The fuck go on?

Like people focus on socials and all the other stuff, But I feel like being funny is going to give you everything you need for everything that you deserve.

Me that said, you should put clips online? Do you do that all? Yeah?

Sometimes I need to do it more.

Everyone needs to do it more.

Yeah, but I try to. But yeah, growing socials is really hard. I respect people who can do.

It, so do I.

Yeah?

We all do, don't we brain? We all want to do it, but we're not. Again, that's luck and persistence. I reckon. You just got to keep doing it.

Can I ask? When did you peak?

When did I peak?

Yeah?

Next week? When did I peak? I never really peaked, did I brain? Did I? Oh? Two thousand's?

Two thousands?

Well, yeah, I don't know. I don't tell you that. You're a lot in the When was that years ago? Did pick some specs a lot? And then agony articles and all that sort of stuff? I was on the radio? Yeah, maybe ten years ago?

And how long does a comedian peak for? On the look it?

The thing is to try and maintain some kind of profile. Yeah, isn't a brad you just got a it's a you know what, it's like a black guard that no one talks about. Yeah, but like look at Hughesy. So he you know, he's been back on TV and now he's drawing big crowds again. But he dropped off for a little bit probably, you know.

What I mean, Yeah, because he was concentrating on radio or whatever. But he's going to back to what he really likes. But he's kind of stayed up there. And you know, a lot lots Mooney, Kenny Flanagan, you know, Kyle Baron's only just got to like, you know, fart and people selling million digts.

Well, in a way, I started got a profile when it was there were more TV shows and there was only TV. There was no Internet. So when I was doing Fix and Specs and you know I went on a sixty nine times, that's a lot, and that there was no internet, there were no other distractions. Now, you know there's guys like Luke Kidgel and those guys that just do TikTok and Insta whatever clips and they're much bigger than any of us.

They to theaters, but you kind of see like the like where you should put your time.

Yeah, well that's it, But you're right, you should just put it into stand up, but you should also try and get it. I mean, it's no point being the best comic but no one knows about it. Yeah, so you've got to let people know that you're funny, you know, and that's that's all social media now unfortunately.

But also, like you know, when you watch social media, you don't have to be that funny.

Oh I know, like yeah, but you know what happens there is that they'll get an audience and people will come the first year, but they won't come back the second year. I reckon, because if you're not funny when they turn up, then then they're not going to come back. They'll move on to someone else because there's always someone new on the internet.

Also, how hard is it to retine audience year to year.

Yeah, that's a very good question. It just goes up and down. I reckon, because I reckon when people are so famous, they just get people coming along just because they're out of curiosity. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I think part of it too is that if you want to stay up there, it's people convincing other people to come and see because you're going to have be rustled on die hard fans, but you know they're only going to fill one seat. So if you've got like a table of four, you know, four people are sitting in you know, fit of seats watching you. Somebody has said to three people, hey, whishuld go and see Dave O'Neill. Yeah, so you've got to stay relevant.

You've got it. Yeah, it's important for someone like me doing podcasts but also doing radio you know, on the ABC and stuff, occasional TV appearances. That's what keeps me relevant. You know what I mean? Because I remember saying to a guy in Geelong, well, why why do you reckon? I draw a crowd, you know in Geelong and as opposed to someone else who's you know, has been around as long as me. He goes, well, you're still on things and stuff, That's what he said. You're still on

We're back to the key.

That's actually true. Way a lot of the quis are like.

Yeah, they're all hot at the moment anyway, can't wait for the simments to turn up and fuck.

You got yeah?

Yeah, yeah, that's so good. The Papa guineons. Yeah. Anyway, we're traveling the epping And have you done an RSL before?

You have done one?

What way was that?

I forgot? But yeah it's I did one of these laugh check ones before as well. It's always interesting because I feel like my style is not conventional.

So are you that conventional? Yeah?

I wouldn't say so, but it's also not normal.

Right, Okay, I'll be watching carefully.

Oh man, my idol?

Who is your idol in comedy?

Though?

Who did you look up?

Will we say, like, yeah, probably the guys you mentioned, like god Ray and they're all like the goats in my opinion of course.

Yeah, yeah, Brad, have you done RSL before?

I did an rsl' an American comedian and he looked at all the the the the weapons outside, you know, the cannons and stuff, and I said to him, yeah, we take out beer pretty seriously.

Don't try and get it because yeah, you know, what they are though, they Returned Service Club, but I mean there's not many diggers left to go to the rs L.

And then I went in there and told to take my hat off.

Oh yes, that's annoying. They do that. They respected diggers.

It's part of my it's part of my well yeah, yeah, ourselves good.

They're generally pretty good.

Now it's just rugby or is this no.

No, no, IT'SN stands for Return Service Leagues. So they were set up for soldiers that came back from the war and then but now they're just like a club, you know what I mean, like a sportsman pokey kind of place.

But melbourn people don't play rugby do that?

No? No, no, no they were There is rugby in Melbourne, but it's a fl here. Don't be mentioned in rugby. Mind, don't worry when you go to Queens and look, don't mention that bloody should you play down there? Might rugby?

All right?

Whatever they mention the war, well it's gonna be great and you can't wait to see you and we'll come back afterwards. Everyone stay tuned to see how Henry goes any second ever RSL and Brad's probably one thousandth RL.

Oh man, can't wait to bomb?

No, I tell you're not gonna bomb. Talk. Don't talk yourself down like it. Don't mention the war.

Oh yeah, yeah, you know that's true. But you know, like I had this ru are.

You Chinese just Chinese your parents from the mainland or yeah?

I like how when you said that, I fell a hint of like racism. No, no, just a bit of like weary because you're like.

No, I thought you were Chinese, but you got Australia has never been at war for the Chinese as opposed to japanel.

Oh, yeah, yeah, but I think, well, you know from you know, I don't really know much about it, so you know, but I know older generations they are Yeah.

Racist, I wouldn't they AUSI I think of my parents, my dad. Anyway, we're gonna, well see if the races here, we'll go, here we go.

Oh man, Yeah, I can't wait.

Say bye, Brad, bye bye.

I'll see it. I'll speak to you soon.

All right, we're back on the debris. We've done the epping rs L and boy, what a triumph, Henry, you were great.

I just saw my idol Dave O'Neill yes.

Brad is yeah, these guys there are you know, it was a master class for you.

You stood back. You watch Brad, you watch me, you go, Now I know what to do? This is this is well.

It's more of like I've learned what not to do.

Yeah, that's true.

Once you know all the stuff not to do, then you.

Yes, well that's actually a good point too. I remember Rod Quantocks saying to me, don't just watch good communions, watch.

Bad exactly you are.

Yeah, yeah, And we're trying to teach Henry about networking.

Like I was watching these the network.

Network with a barber get free drinks.

Yep, he networked with money.

Yeah, well, let's just mention. I got free drink because the barber is like, what movie were you in again? I said the Nugget. Oh that's my favorite movie. Don't worry about these drinks. And then I said, can I get a meal? Or then some manager stepped in and said, I said, well, what about a stuff discount? So I bought two meals for you guys. Basically, man, thank you for the meal. It was how was the food looked good? That was food brand food was great? See Henry. They

Networking, that's networking.

But see, if you're trying to suck up to me and bro, you should have bought the meals me. Yeah, you should have brought the meals. But like I thought, I was getting for free, let's be honest. And then she bought it that tap and go. Oh yeah, so I'm paying cash it up with my wife to see that on the credit card statement. Why are you spending fifty dollars in the ipping rs L Well, I bought Brad and Henry a.

Meal after I drove them there.

Yeah, drove it, paid for their food.

If your wife ever asks me, I'm going to donate it.

Just now.

You did it for something else.

I've enjoying your fish and chips. But the meal the mill looked good.

Yeah, thank you. It was very young. It was good meal, and then good watching two masters at work?

And how did how would you describe the crowd, Henry? Probably it was your crowd? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the crowd was. We nearly crashed. I only killed both of you. Oh dude, keep going, we didn't we fine?

Fine, well, if these are our last words, then yeah, I would love that.

It's the black Box Recording.

I feel like the crowd was nice and I are older, but yeah they were older. So yeah, well yeah, certain material they liked and then you know, certain ones they don't. No, But sometimes I wonder like it's probably a skill issue.

So you know what it is. It's having a lot of material to call on and then looking at them going, I reckon, I like this, and then and when you do a little bit of that, you do more of that.

But here's the question. Isn't art supposed to be You're showing them what.

You want to show. Yeah, but that's okay when you're doing your own show, But when you're doing the R SLL and epping, you've you've got to pan it to them a little bit that right.

Yeah, yeah, and to an extent, like you can do art and you just go, I'm just gonna paint everything black and nobody's going to look at it because it won't translate to people. Art still has to be translatable to people. They have to be able to get it.

Yeah, you understand that, you're you're intelligent, you're an engineer, You're not stupid. I know you mean, but see, if you're doing your own show, you can do whatever you want. Did you do the Comedy Festival this year?

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah.

Did you do.

Chinese Museum? Actually? Really is that?

Because you're from New Zealand? Are you the only Chinese person in the Chinese Museum?

I think I was one of two.

Okay, what's it like as a room? I've heard people talk about it.

It's not it's okay, it's okay, be diplomatic, all right, it's nice if you have fans, okay, because you're not going to get many walkings.

No, I mean, no one gets walkings anymore.

Town Hall gets a lot of walkings, Yeah, a lot. Like talking to a few of my friends who did town Hall and they're just like, oh man, a lot of them were just walkings.

That's good.

Yeah. I was like, oh wow, that's awesome.

Weren't coming down to be the likes where I was doing Square walk Out? Oh mate?

Well yeah, but it was.

It was really fun and I guess doing it it's crazy because that was my first solo show in Melbourne, and then it's just crazy to have a lot of I guess have fans, you know.

Yeah.

Yeah, how big was the room?

About forty? I think these four I wish I would have felt that easy.

Now, that's good number for if you're the first time.

Yeah, but it's crazy to just know that, you know, you have people that want to see you. I guess, yeah, it's good. Yeah, what's good?

That was your.

Room forty five or whatever, one hundred and twenty. I didn't fill it every not only two weeks. I didn't feel it every night. Like I think the comedy Festival, I think it's getting a bit harder.

I don't know, you reckon, is it like too much competition or yeah?

When we started, Brad, how many shows, Brad? How mean it was it about fifty fifty or sixty? Maybe?

Yeah, not even that many.

In fact, I remember the first Comedy Festival guide I saw it was four pages.

Yeah, and a lot of competition now but anyway, that's just life.

Yeah, it was crazy, you know, and everybody was supportive of each other.

Uh back then it was different. Anyway.

I just want to take Dave's customers, Yeah, just.

Take them, have all the debris fans a lot of amount, a lot now fan based increasing to anyway, here we are exciting times.

But yeah, I don't know what do you.

Want to do in comedy though? What's what sort of what do you want to actually do? Some people get into it for you seem to be do you want to just be a stand up.

Or ideally just stand up? But I've learned that you can't really build a big fan base just by doing stand up. I feel like a lot of your fans come from things that aren't stand up.

Clips and off podcast like this one, like the Debrief the next you will be hundreds of people and it's a debrief effect.

Oh man, of course on my poster.

Yeah, debrief, debrief.

Yes, but yeah, I think the dream would be just to do stand up, but obviously yeah, I think you need to do other stuff.

Sure, yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, plenty of people just survive just on stand up. But you got diversified sometimes yeah yeah right.

But yeah expert. Yeah, I don't know a lot of the field that did come to my shows were just people who saw me do live comedy. So do spots yeah yeah, yeah that people will see me.

Yeah, But diversifying means sell hot dogs.

Sell hot dogs, mane anything anything, dude, what do your parents think now about your career?

Sign after you know, after various achievements.

We did the Gallery New Zealand.

Yeah yeah, and they saw that and then does that go well, oh yeah, so I sold quite like a lot of ticket.

No, I'm winning raw too because I was on TV.

Yeah yeah, yeah. So they kind of believe in me now, so, which is that's nice? Yeah, but you know, I feel like that belief was faltering. Ah man, it's faltering now.

But engineering career like your brother and sister. Yeer, do you believe.

In your kids?

Oh yeah, sure not really no, yeah absolutely.

Like one of them said, I want to do stand up comedy. Well I know.

My wife like, oh, why would you want to get into comedy? Like, we're live in a big house. What are you talking about?

Right?

What's wrong with comedy?

Lives in the mansion, doesn't I mentioned what was wrong with comedy.

Comedy is a good career. It's fun, you know, like I worked in an office, I did teaching. It's they're hard. That's hard.

It's hard. That's hard. Yeah, you know.

So I would encourage them, but and my wife like, well, if they want to get a showcase, you can't help the fuck that. I'm gonna help them. Which someone help me? You always said. I never became a fitter in Turner because I want babies. I want my son. Barney's got a good name for it, Barney O'Neill. That's a good name for a comedian, So it was kiddie O'Neill. Actually, do any name?

Who do you reckon? Talent? Wise has the most comedic talent?

We say, look, they're all pretty funny.

It's a standard diplomatically, yeah, but.

We say Barney's quite funny. The youngest one, but he's young. Ones are often are you the youngest or what are you in the middle? Middle? Yet youngest are off in the comedians because they've got an audience, you know. But he seems to crack a few gags. That's good, but I don't know if they will. My daughter's funny too, but she said she's more interested in writing kind of you know writing, I know TV shows. Okay, she'd be a good rider, I reckon like, and I said, yeah,

Kevin question for you then, so if you're if you're a saved Barnie, you know what what would be? What would you give him the roadmap to becoming.

A comic dev At first, I get instantly jealous and try and sabotage his career, get him under debrief. You're going to do a gig with Henry tonight and all right, you've got a fill in for me at rs L. Barnie say Dad sick, but I'm gonna have a crack. No, you know what it's You know what it's all about. It's all that time on stage. That's the only way to learn how to do stand up, apart from doing a course with Brad Oaks School of Hard Knock Knocks. Look it up if you're thinking about it. But of

Hang on, So why why do you hate them?

I think they tend to make you not unique?

Oh yeah, but it's only for three or four days. It will soon run off.

If you're funny, you already know how to be funny.

Not always. But also the course that Brad runs you get to do a gig at the end of it, in a supportive environment. I reckon, that's important.

And I see, I don't teach people to be funny. I teach people.

I coach people in how to do stand up comedy because you don't know, and you still don't know, even though you've won raw because of the conversation we had before, you still don't know that you have to talk to people in order to get your comedy across. And there's so many things you could learn if people could just tell you rather than have to learn them yourself. But as Dave said, the funny bit you have to learn on stage.

Yeah, you do a real lot of it.

Nothing beats stage. It's not the ten thousand hour theory. Nothing beats that. I reckon, And just get up and do a gig anyway you can, whether it's at a twenty first or at a party between bands, whatever, no matter how shit it is, you know what I mean. That's my advice the young people out there, all the old people thinking a crackt stand up. Of course, I

Okay.

I think Greig's very well organized laugh track comedy, Yes, very well organized.

Yeah, all started on time. I liked his little down clock there, you.

Know, well for people in a countdown clock, which is great.

Yeah, which is usually it's great, you know, because you can just see your time and everything. It's only bad when you're having a ship.

Yeah, when Henry stands in front of it. Right, Okay, Henry, have you had to think about it? Henry, what went well?

And you said, and my sick They.

Want to you. They really liked you straight away.

Yes, but I think like the stuff that it went like, it was going really well the start, and then I was like, oh man, I want to do stuff I really want to talk about, and then.

It dropped off and then I was just trying to figure out, like what they want why because in some like I find like in some rooms like I do basement or whatever, and it's like when they like me I can just say whatever and everything's funny.

And then I was just wondering, like that's the next question.

What didn't go well?

Yeah, but it was just like that portion in the middle, and I was just trying to figure out, like why, Well, if.

The concepts are maybe too intellectual, you know what I mean, they may not get onto that. Sometimes I reckon any organization has anything wrong with the room. I'm going to answer that I had to pay for the meals, all right, Greek should organize three meals all, you know, and free and free drinks. I said to Greg, are they can I get a free drink?

Yes?

What did he say?

He said, we don't have any drinks. Dat privileges privileges.

But thank god the barman was a fan of the movie The Nugget I was in twenty years ago. He gave us free drinks.

Drink privileges. Sounds like something in prison, doesn't it.

I think organizational wise, I don't think if you have a really good line of sight to the countdown clock that any comedian should stand in front of it, so dust ruining your line of sight to it.

I love that clock. How can we do better next time, guys and give a free meal. Let me not pay for the meals. Yeah, well, well me pay for a meal and eat it. I'm trying to lose weight, though, I don't want to eat it at night, late at night.

I'll leave some money down the back of.

The yea, yeah, leave you some money on the dash give anyway, Brad. Thanks coming the popcast again. If you're thinking of getting the comedy go look at school the Hard Knocks some very good going up schools.

I just sound like it is.

Or just bring Henry up and he'll teach you one on one. But also not just comedy engineering, everything covered, mate.

It's all about intuition and how.

Can people find you? They may have listened to all these thousands of people listening. I want to see a bit of Henry. Actually, where can I see you?

I would love two more followers on my Instagram.

What's your handle?

Underscore? Henry underscore yen yep, okay, I'll be I'll be waiting for the two more followers.

You'll get a few, hopefully. Thanks for coming on, Henry.

Thanks so much for having me my idol problem. Yeah a problem to be like Bunny.

Yeah, yeah exactly.

Thank you And it's on broducts.

Yeah, and no worries buying your meals and a problem at.

All, mate, I can't wait to get another three minutes.

I'll probably get a demand it.

Well, next time i'll check them in you, I'll see what's lobster.

Yeah, I'll take two of them, take one home, go on you guys, Thank you. It's been the de Brave. Yeah. I don't know, I don't know what I'm speaking on this debrief. Let's have that by.

Going for a drive to a little game, then drive back. The jet's golden de breed. It's Golden de Breath.

It's gold and.

It's Carlton D. Tree. It's Calton Breath.