Dave Thornton

We caught up with Dave Thornton, one of our favourite comedians & had a chat about his busy life. What it’s like to juggle comedy, kids, TV, podcasts and of course a run down of his go-to Wild Rhinos.

Hey Dave, tell us a bit about yourself!

Well, a few Buddhist monks found me a drift as a child on the river of comedy, and said ‘this is the chosen one he shall live in this temple and become the doyen of humour’. Only kidding – I gave raw comedy a crack when I was 22 and there is a fine line of bravery and stupidity and I think I ran over that line and keep doing it despite all the facts.

Okay, so what’s been your favourite gig to date?

My favourite would have to be Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Daniel Kitson a comedian I love came and watched my show and was really nice which was awesome. One that really stood out though which was probably the best an equally worse gig I’ve ever had, was in Edinburgh when four people turned up to my show, it was the last night of the comedy festival and I wanted to cancel the show although the people running the room gave me a hard ‘no’. I walked out on stage and said, ‘I’ll buy you all beers and you can pick if you wanna keep going with the show’. They ended up wanting to keep going but by the end this guy’s girlfriend had left and he said to me ‘She was boring anyway, and this has been the best night of my life’.

What would you say was the biggest challenge you faced along the way?

I would say the insatiable paranoid thoughts of your own failures and hangovers. Wow, sorry guys that was a morbid dark thought!

Any advice to young aspiring comedians?

We don’t need another rooster in the hen house.  Although if you are going to do it – work hard, have fun and always wear clean underwear.

Okay so give us a run down on your current daily life now – how do you juggle kids, podcasts and TV?

I just oscillate between work and sleep; my hours are all over the place which is why I act like a 14-year-old lap dog. My day to day is super weird, even my working hours are always out. It’s a hot mess but I love it. 

We love your podcast The Cheap Seats, how did that all start?

Well, Bob and I hung out for a little bit and I thought I would caravan off his popularity, he brings all his charm and intellect and I just dance around the edges. We ended up smashing it together and its generally heaps of fun. He is an interesting cat a great footballer, very deep thinker and writer. An annoyingly talented man.

What’s been your favourite podcast with Bob to date?

There is this one with Andy Kelly, who runs an amazing Instagram page called ‘Presentation Night’ he was and still is a band manager, managing bands like The Avalanches, Jett, The Vines and he has stories for days about that stuff, great for a laugh and super interesting.

Do you have any pre-game rituals or lucky charms?

I guess this is a good opportunity to make one! If anyone books me for future gigs my request are three hat Michelin meals and endless grange – other than that, no rituals.

How would you describe your style?

Brunswick bogan – No logos, flat colours and a bit of check. Seriously heavy rotation on the check.

What’s your normal gig outfit?

More collars and long shirts, whatever that means. Apparently, you can also never wear shorts on stage, that’s the rule.

What do you look for in a good shoe?

I’ve heard Portuguese leather is the way to go! It has to look good and be comfortable. I’m not putting myself through pain or crushing my toes like geisha.

What’s your fav pair of Wild Rhino’s and why?

My two faves are definitely Bana & Ajax. Bana because I like the colour change, the burnished look and no double knots makes life a breeze. Ajax gives me a bit of a rockstar vibe and of course no zips again is makes them an easy choice!

Have a listen to Dave & Bob’s podcast The Cheap Seats here and checkout his Instagram here. Both guaranteed laughs.