Is music better than sex? And can either one compete with a bloody good laugh? We'll find out next week when a team of Queensland comedians use technology to bridge the distance between each other and their audience to present a free livestreamed comedy debate.
Six comics will be answering the question Is Music Better Than Sex? at the special adults-only time of 9pm on Wednesday, August 5. Organiser Jodie van de Wetering spent June researching how comedians embraced online gigs after live events were cancelled due to Coronavirus, with support from the Queensland Regional Arts Services Network.
“Stand up is a very immediate, responsive art form,” Jodie says, “so as soon as live gigs disappeared comedians started finding new ways to express their creativity, and earn an income. “If we can use technology like Zoom to bring us together during social distancing, why not use it to bring comics together to create more opportunities to perform?
“It means comedians from southeast Queensland can share a bill with comics from hundreds of miles away in Mackay or Rockhampton, and we can connect with more experienced performers to help everyone involved sharpen their game and bring their best on the night.”
The online comedy debate is sponsored by the Mount Morgan No 7 Gallery, an independent hub for arts and culture in a small former gold mining town near Rockhampton.
“It's wonderful to have the gallery involved,” says Jodie.
“They do so much to support local creatives and get people of all ages involved in visual art, and that's what I'm trying to do with performance and comedy.
“It's great to see the creative community supporting each other across different artforms.”
Who you'll see and how to watch
The online comedy debate Is Music Better Than Sex? on August 5 features:
Ryan Anderson (Sunshine Coast): All the way from Dallas, Texas! Some say he's all hat and no cattle, but he's rustling up stories and lassoing laughs
Kieran McLeod (Ipswich): a stand up comedian, writer, and Cure Brain Cancer Foundation Ambassador, making jokes about his limited health and undying, irritating optimism
Thomas Sayers (Rockhampton): a comedian from Central Queensland who tours up and down the east coast for events and festivals
Manic Mandy (Mackay): a cross between your favourite granny and the cat lady from down the road
Reid Willoughby (Mackay): not just one of the best, but one of the only comedians in Mackay
Aaqib Merchant (Melbourne): he does relatable comedy, but the only person who relates to it is himself
Special guest and MC Adam Jacobs: we're stoked to be joined by Aussie comedian and host of the podcast Normal But Not As We Know It Adam Jacobs, who'll be our Master of Ceremonies for the debate and wrap the night up with a special guest spot.
The debate will be run through Zoom, the video conferencing app that has skyrocketed in popularity since the pandemic lockdown began.
To get involved, just visit this link when it's time for the show at 9pm on Wednesday, August 5: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85141885007
If your internet is patchy, you can also listen in by phone by calling (07) 3185 3730 or (02) 8015 6011 and entering meeting ID 851 4188 5007.
Regular call costs apply.
For more information about the event, or to save yourself having to remember that link, just visit Jodie van de Wetering on Facebook at facebook.com/jodievdw for updates about the show.
