Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.
Sam Simmons is an uncompromisingly weird Australian stand up. He’s a one-man variety performance, with musical overlays, flip charts and dancing. If you embrace the weirdness, his comedy becomes something entirely unique. Simmons works hard for his laughs, and they pay off spectacularly, but he also brings elements of art to his stand up. The video below features a fantastic moment where he throws bread into the crowd only to demand everyone suddenly launch it back, as he tries to hit the pieces with table tennis bats of course. It is a remarkable sight.
Fans of Noel Fielding, Tony Law and Paul Foot will certainly appreciate the wackiness of Simmons, but there is an additional element of organisation that is uncommon, or perhaps unnoticed, in these ‘alternative’ or ‘whimsical’ comedians. Sam brings his own set of rules as well as timed voice overs that make it clear the comedy is not spontaneous. It is highly crafted, and I think the details in the planning and the effectiveness of the timing are what make each performance so hilarious.
Sam Simmons seems to be one of those performers that splits every crowd, and with statements like, “if you don’t like it, don’t look,” I think he sees it too. I know for sure that there must be people at every gig who have absolutely no idea what is going on, which makes me think of that time Tony Law upset a lady on the front row because she didn’t understand why everyone was laughing.
I am a fan of Simmons because he is confident in his strangeness and that is something I’d love to see more of in the world, and certainly in the UK. Maybe our comedy has become a little too conservative, and this comic is one of the few working hard to amend that.
Follow Sam on Twitter or visit his website for more information.