Sitting Under A Tree

It's been a strange week in Melbourne, really weird. The tragedy of Euridyce Dixon last week has fucked a lot of people up, and I didn't even realize how much it's thrown my bearings out until towards the end of this. I don't have that much to say about it to be honest, but it was nice to be able to talk it out and reset. On to the World Cup!

This week I spoke to my friend and Melbourne Comic Roland Hoffmann about the World Cup. Roland is a big football (eugh, 'soccer') fan, and we're both super excited about the tournament starting THIS THURSDAY!!! So we sat down with a few beers and relived some of our favourite memories from past tournaments, and just generally talked football.

I recorded this week's episode about 5 minutes after I'd had a good old cry watching clips of Iceland's Euro 2016 upset and listening to the Icelandic commentator lose his mind, beautiful stuff! This week has been pretty chill, haven't done much work to be honest, but I had a bath on Saturday. The music recommendations for the week probably reflect that haha.

I'm super fucking stressed trying to finish up my business plan for NEIS, which I finally explain on the podcast for those who've been wondering what I've been talking about for the last few months. Also talk about my mate Sam, and another friend who needs a little help. Link to the crowdfunding page is here: https://www.gofundme.com/rehab-support-for-eddie-james

Last week Blake and I moved into our new place, drank with our neighbour, and had a bunch of kids draw pictures of our boobs. What a great week! I'm super excited about the World Cup starting in a few weeks, and also talk about the hilarious fuck up the Argentinian FA made in their pre-Russia information sessions with their players and staff. Ooooooh so fucking good.

Blake and I found a new place!! Brunswick East BABY! If any of you guys in Melbourne have some stuff that might be cool to decorate it with: chairs, wall shit, rugs, whatever, hit me up on my facebook page AJ Taco and I'll suss it out. Also I throw down a challenge this week if anyone is feeling investigative. I also talk about stress and lateness.

I got my money from the Melbourne Comedy Festival last week, so on Friday Blake and I went to the casino at 11:30am, then over the next few days I spent $350 on clothes. Doesn't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but it was a lot for me, and I have some sick new shit to show for it. Also launching the Sitting Under A Tree playlist on Spotify, and hyping my man Corey White's new show on ABC, Corey White's Roadmap to Paradise. GET STUCK IN!!

This week I talk about something very heavy that's happened in Melbourne comedy, I hope there are still some funny moments in this, but honestly, it was terrifying to talk about, and I'm just glad to be able to talk about at all, I think it's very important. Then I tell a story about Maxibons. And here's the picture those legend at Peters Ice Cream Consumer Care sent me.

I just banged the fuck out of my shin when I came off my bike, which was honestly a massive bummer. Other than that though, a beautiful Saturday and the glory of quitting a garbage job were the main topics this week. I also do a bit of singing, which was nice. Do y'all sing? You should do. PS: I went out onto the street and couldn't see any evidence of a crash, so not sure what that big bang was. Maybe a spaceship?

This week I try and unravel my feelings about the impending nominations for the Best Newcomer in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Am I allowed to hope for a nomination? Is it silly to hope? Arrogant maybe? I also recap some thoughts that the guys over at the Trashfuture Podcast made me think this morning, if you feel like you might like to hear someone smarter talk about the problems inherent in late-stage capitalism, check them out. (https://trashfuturepodcast.podbean.com/e/the-experience-economy-experience-ft-angus-harrison/)

I've extended my run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival by 12 nights!!!..... and the first night last night was FUCKING HORRIFIC! Hahahaha I rant about the comedy industry and people who are unnecessarily bitter, and then double back and admit that I'll probably be one of those people again a month after the comedy festival finishes. Also a story about a guy called Tony who had a heart attack.

I fucked up the date in the recording here and said March instead of April, but rest assured this IS from today haha.  On Saturday a drunk, homeless man brandished a broken glass bottle in my face, so I talk about that for a bit. Also the might Tottenham Hotspur getting up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and fellow comedians getting in football related fights. It's been a great week all round.

If you find a bike on the street, and it's not locked up, and it's not even in anyone's front yard, it's just propped up against a pole, can you take it? Like, if it's a shitty bike with fucked brakes, and it's night time. Anyway, I talk about that later in the pod, after I talk about tea (again) and Stuart, the alcoholic owner of the cafe I worked at last year. Tickets for my Melbourne Comedy Festival Show: https://micf.tickets.red61.com/performances.php?eventId=3936:110 The blog about Stuart and his fucked cafe: http://backstreetcaution.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/stuart-and-burglary.html

I got back from the Adelaide Fringe yesterday after staying out all night on the last day, and getting picked up by The Boyssssss at 5am for the drive back. It feels good to be home, even in this, the sweaty armpit of Melbourne. Ever been cockblocked (or whatever the female version of that is?) by some fuckhead out trying to cut your lunch? I talk about that on here too, and my new strategy to deal with it.  Brought to you by the now-derelict Producers Bar on Grenfell St in Adelaide, Australia.

This weekend I jumped the fence to WOMADelaide a few times with varying degrees of success, culminating in what was honestly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life on Monday night. I'm super tired today, but I have a judge for the festival awards in my show tonight, so it's time to PERK UP!! Also drum circles are rubbish. LONG LIVE DOUG STANHOPE AND THE KILLER TERMITES!!

My god, today has been a fucking hideous day. I started this pod fuming about the amount of petty crap I've struggled through in the last 24 hours, then slowly calmed down while ranting about children's glue being made from horses and the reasons why I shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car.

In the last week I've gotten drunk at some fantastic dive bars in Sydney in between doing some great shows there. I woke up on my mate Benger's doorstep one morning, and saw some people miss their flight at Sydney Airport. Beautiful. Also got to cuss out a racist homeless man. It was a great week!

This week I'd just landed in Sydney on red eye flight, slept for a couple hours in the airport and then walked across town with my bags to get to my mate Liz's house in Rozelle. I accidentally woke her housemate up at one point while I was yelling about podcast hosts who can't stay on topic. Sorrrryyyy!

This pod was hard work and I really didn't say a whole lot of anything other than a 5-minute rant about dogs, until almost 20 minutes in when I finally caved and realised I should have been talking about the one thing that I had on my mind, but had been trying to avoid talking about for the previous 20 minutes. Once I got that out, I mused on a great conversation I had with a friend about honesty and openness, before admitting once and for all that I am a fuckboy. I'm reading this great book called This Is Not The Story You Think It Is, by Laura Munson, and I wrapped up with a little reading from it. Recorded at Lazy Susan's Comedy Den in Perth.

This week on a special episode of Sitting Under A Tree, I sit down with my best mate Phil Portellos a couple days before my birthday and we drink a bunch of craft beers. We share dating stories, talk about trying to scam free shit off of multi-national companies, and taste a bunch of lovely beers. Music: City and Color - ....Off By Heart Ugly God - Fuck Ugly God