Despite only being 25 years old, Tom Ballard has been performing stand-up comedy for nearly a decade now.
Winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Best Newcomer Award in 2009, as well as winning an ARIA award for Best Comedy release, Ballard is a comedic force to be reckoned with.
Tom is best known from his four-year stint co-hosting Triple J's breakfast show and supporting Wil Anderson and Stephen Merchant on tour. He is bringing his new show, 'Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred', to the Brisbane Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival this year.
What are the main themes that run throughout your show 'Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred' this year?
I had a weird and gross experience with a taxi driver in Newcastle last year and it got me thinking about homophobia, loneliness, dating, being one’s self, Rolf Harris, sex, Michael Cera and lollipops. Hence the show.
If you had to choose one: radio, television or stand-up, and why?
It has to be stand-up because it brings the greatest thrill and the most artistic freedom. I would love to still be doing it when I’m 90 if I can. Plus I didn’t get the call for 'I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here', so SCREW YOU TELEVISION YOU’RE DEAD TO ME!
Will you be checking out any other shows during the Brisbane Comedy Festival?
The entire line-up is fantastic, but I’m particularly excited to see new shows from Anne Edmonds, Tommy Dassalo, Damien Power and Rhys Nicholson, plus the debut show from one of the funniest people/ things in Australia right now, Greg Larsen.
One of your biggest breaks in your career came as a result of placing in the national finals of Raw Comedy Competition. What advice would you offer to those participating in the competition this year?
I know it’s hard, but try to completely forget about the competition part of the whole thing. If you love comedy and want to pursue it as a 'career', it’s not about winning titles or awards, it’s about loving being on stage every single time you go out there. You’ve got to have fun being funny, otherwise you’re fucked.
You're a passionate advocate for many social causes and issues; is it important to you that your comedy has a social conscience?
I think it’s important that your comedy reflects who you are and the things you care about. So if that’s politics or a specific issue for someone, then absolutely, I love seeing comics using that as material and really ripping into it onstage. But Lord knows if every act was banging on about Tony Abbott or what-have-you all the time, comedy festivals would be insufferable.
You cover quite controversial subjects from time to time in your act, how do you go about making humour out of intense/ heated topics?
I always try to make sure I’m making some kind of point with routines in that area; hopefully I’m not just saying 'rape' or 'cot death' just for the heck of it. I find myself returning to topics like the Catholic Church child sex abuse scandal or Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers because they’re so grim that they’re ridiculous. There’s a lot of gold to be found in how we humans can be so messed up like that and refuse to fix it or talk about it.
Nearly every comedian has one: what is your favourite or most memorable 'worst gig/ heckler' experience?
When I was starting out, I did a gig in the pokies room at a pub in my home town of Warrnambool in country Victoria on a Sunday afternoon in front of gambling addicts. After one punchline there was a deafening silence and then, from the back of the room…a single burp. I was heckled by gas.
Which do you prefer: bigger theatre shows or smaller, club venues?
My favourite way to perform is doing hour-long festival shows and at this stage in my career I do those shows in smaller rooms and theatres, so I’d have to go with those ones. But if 2,000 people want to pay $60 to listen to me waffle on at the Sydney Opera House, I ain’t gonna stop them.
What's your favourite vegetarian meal?
Meat. I’m a pretty bad vegetarian.
Anything else we should know about your show 'Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred'?
Look, every comic sort of has to say this every year, but I do genuinely believe this is my best show yet and I would love nice people who read this to come along and see it. But I understand if you don’t believe that and dismiss it as a pathetic marketing ploy. I probably would if I were you. Smart move, good for you.
Tom Ballard Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred Tour Dates
10-15 Mar – Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival)26 Mar-19 Apr – Swiss Club (Melbourne Comedy Festival)
