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Paddles, Podcasts & Performing With The Beer Pioneer
2 Playsin 3 hours
“Any job where it’s reasonable for you to have a beer in your hand when you’re doing it is a pretty good deal.”
Those words could be spoken at any brewery opening; in this case, however, they come courtesy of Crafty podcast guest Matt Stewart.
Matt is a Melbourne-based comedian, podcast host, and history-travel-beer guide known as The Beer Pioneer. The last of those is a television show that first aired in 2021 and saw Matt track the path of William Buckley while visiting breweries along the way. Season Two – Up The Guts – is available now on YouTube; it follows John McDouall Stuart’s journey from the bottom to the top of Australia.
As well as hosting a show about beer, Matt has long loved trying new beers, frequently visiting new breweries and posting about them via his Paddlegram posts.
Ahead of the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, during which Matt is performing his new show Bad Boy, we chatted to him about his love for beer, career in comedy, and the common ground between the two.
Ahead of the main interview, James and Will talk about Voyager Craft Malt’s impressive showing on the world stage, and the growing number of hop waters on the local market. You’ll also discover who's been named Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.
Start of segments:
- 7:54 – Matt Stewart Part 1
- 43:18 – Bluestone Brewery of the Month
- 45:53 – Matt Stewart Part 2
Relevant links:
- Crafty article on The Beer Pioneer
- The Beer Pioneer's YouTube Channel
- Matt’s MICF 2025 Show
- Do Go On Podcast
- More Global Success For Voyager
- I Feel It In My (Hop) Waters
- Nominate a good beer citizen
- Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.
Recommended
Transcript
High Country Hop Recap
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crafty Pint Podcast. I'm Will. I'm James and yeah, back together here after a pretty awesome weekend up in the high country. Yeah, the high country hop. i It was great to be there, great to host the technical symposium.
00:00:19
Speaker
Really great. It felt like a great turnout. And then the festival on the Saturday as well had a lot of people there too. So um they seem to have pushed the walls out and it felt like The largest number of people ever. So it felt like a big success. It's a beautiful setting, you know, in the middle of the historical precinct and the whole town was sort buzzing all weekend because they have the technical symposium on the Friday. um Events, you know, stuff on at the brewery that night. There's a lot of people in the region for hop farm tours as well through HPA.
00:00:48
Speaker
um And yeah only even you know more bands on on the Sunday. So certainly felt like a buzz all weekend. um Yeah, good bands, good beers. Got to try Topher's first cast ale. all Aussie ingredient english English ale, which is pretty cool. um And yeah, just yeahs always has some real fun bands on there. It's great to see the 5, 6, 7, 8s. I haven't seen them in about 20 years.
00:01:08
Speaker
Still rocking out. um And I thought, yeah, but especially with the symposium at a time when these sort of events have been either a struggle to go ahead or get people to come together. to have brewers driving or flying in from all over the country, plus experts from overseas was pretty cool.
Presentations and Networking
00:01:21
Speaker
um And a nice mix of informative and real sort of fun ah presentations. I thought, you know, our Bintani Brewery Boosters guy, Sam Bethune, did a great job. We thought we were running a bit late at the end and you had a bit of a word with him. He goes, I can do this 25 minute presentation in 12 minutes and nailed it. So everyone's still got to have their networking IPAs at the end.
00:01:39
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. It was like he was talking on 1.5 speed, which is how I listen to podcasts. But hopefully it isn't how you listen to this podcast. Yeah, yeah. so Soak it all in. So that that was pretty cool.
00:01:50
Speaker
um Yeah, looking forward to the next one already. um And also while we were up there, you actually did a bit of an interview with Stu Whitecross from Voyager. Yeah, so earlier in the month they won gold at the Malt Cup, which takes place in America at the end of the Craft
Interview with Stu Whitecross
00:02:05
Speaker
Maltsters Conference. um We only found out about it more recently because Stu's been on the road and very busy, so they sort of forgot to tell anyone about it. So I took the time to chat to him there. But it was um good timing because he also wanted to talk about ah festival they're running in October. they They don't quite have a name for it yet or the design elements, so we're still watching that place. but um
00:02:27
Speaker
Basically, it will be a similar event to High Country Hop, but focusing on grains um at their home ah in the Riverina region and the Whitten Malt House and then a beer festival on in Griffiths on the final
Grain Festival and Brewing Secrets
00:02:39
Speaker
day. Yeah.
00:02:40
Speaker
Riverina Rocks, maybe. I'm sure there's probably a music festival with that name. ah But yeah, answers on a postcard anyone's got a great name for a malt-based festival taking place during the the grain harvest. um Yeah, so it's going to a multi-day affair. So there will be farm tours, there will be like a conference networking, yeah and brewers and distillers, and then the... Bakers as well.
00:02:58
Speaker
Which is what I really love about the conference idea. It brings together people from different industries, but I think probably with very similar philosophies as well. So so it would be really great to have people from those different disciplines all together to celebrate agriculture.
00:03:13
Speaker
Yeah, because I guess like their malt, barley, grain does cover a lot more bases than say hops. Yeah. Having said that, we did have a story this week yeah that Mick had been working on for a little while about hop waters, which are sort of not really beer, but they're not alcoholic, but they're designed to give people, you know, refreshment, but also I guess the experience of hops.
00:03:32
Speaker
I think the first one was in Australia was Heads of Noosa a few years ago. they've been it for quite a while. Yeah, yeah. And there's now close to a dozen different brands on the market, some of them flavored with other sort of fruit flavors as well.
00:03:43
Speaker
um All the comments and stuff we saw online were very positive, like those who've tried them really enjoy them. I know our graphic designer, Jessie Junglewalla, she loved them, especially when she was going through pregnancy to still get that hop hit. um I thought it was interesting that Mick spoke to a few people behind them and no one wanted to give too much away about how they made them either, how they got you know the right...
00:04:04
Speaker
essence of flavor and aroma without any bitterness or vegetable sort of character. Yeah, it's ah interesting. It reminds me of some of the earlier days of non-alc where um people were always a bit sheepish about being fully explanatory of exactly what they were doing because I guess there's different approaches and no one wants to give too much away, even though you're willing to tell people how you might make your 9% RCA or whatever. yeah When it comes to the alcohol-free market, it's ah people Well, maybe once you've had a 9% IPA, you're more willing to spin spill the beans, I guess.
Campaigns and Brewery of the Month
00:04:35
Speaker
um you know, it's a really interesting read. So, yeah, we'll put that that in the show notes as well. um Time for another call out for our Have You Done a Rallings campaign to celebrate the country's good beer citizens, whether that's brewers,
00:04:48
Speaker
reps, someone in the hospital world, just your mate who's gone above and beyond to sort of help someone out in the beer industry. i'm Always keen to hear more of those. We'll be celebrating the next winners and honourable mention in the next in an upcoming show. So that's craftypint.com slash rallings.
00:05:04
Speaker
um And after the first part of our upcoming interview, we'll also have the latest winner and honourable mention in our Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. So um yeah, that's coming up in about half an hour.
00:05:16
Speaker
um Before then, the first half of our chat with Matt Stewart, which is a bit of a but of a different interviewee compared to the the sort 30-odd that have come before.
Comedian Matt Stewart Joins
00:05:25
Speaker
Yeah, Matty Stewart. um He's a comedian, professional comedian, podcast host. He um has done several podcasts, but people might know his voice from Do Go On, which is a really fun, popular podcast. We get into it in the episode.
00:05:37
Speaker
But he's also, he loves craft beer and he doesn't work in the industry or anything like that. But he he's always sort of floated around the beer scene. He's done craft beer festivals, comedy nights breweries.
00:05:49
Speaker
And he also has a show called The Beer Pioneer, which is available for anyone to watch on YouTube. The second season's sort of out at the moment. We wrote a story a number of years ago when the first season came out, but sort of a travel history beer pub. Comedy. oh Yeah. It's basically a reason just for that you know him and his producer to go on a sort of you know few weeks holiday drinking beer along the way. But um yeah, it's a lot of fun. And it was really, really enjoyed the chat. And you know it's maybe it's because it was someone who's got that connection to beer, but is from outside the beer world as well. So it was a much, you know, so it was real of broad conversation.
00:06:26
Speaker
Although maybe it's the fact that Matt's just a professional stand-up and podcast host and made it a lot easier for us to sort of lift the bar a lot, but so um which is good to have. But we also invited Matt on because it's the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the moment. It's kicking off his show, Bad Boy. um He'll also be touring it nationally as well. So if you're any listening from anywhere in Australia, keep an eye for that or um follow Matt on Instagram and all those things. He's...
00:06:52
Speaker
Very passionate about craft beer, which I like about him. And I think he talks about it in a way probably more normal people do than than us in the industry. yeah Yeah, And I think he sort of tried went to touch upon some of the more political side of things at one point in the in the chat and was like, oh, do I know enough about this to really say this? But it was good because that's probably how a lot of people feel sort of being aware of what's going on, but without, you know, being on the inside of the industry.
00:07:14
Speaker
um But no, um that was great not to sort of make an annual chat before the Comedy Festival every year just to keep bumping the ah the the level of our our podcasting skills. i'm But yeah, so he's ease's after the break. um Before then, however.
00:07:28
Speaker
If you do like our podcasting skills, make sure you like, subscribe and leave some feedback. Cheers.
00:07:37
Speaker
All aboard! Get ready to travel the world of beer at 22 pubs, bars and breweries across Melbourne this May. Next stop, Pint of Origin Festival.
00:07:48
Speaker
Visit pintoforigin.com.
00:07:54
Speaker
Matt Stewart, welcome to the podcast. Thank so much for having me. What a pleasure to be here. Pleasure to have you on as well. ah I guess our first technically outside the beer industry yet sort of inside the beer industry
Non-Traditional Beer Styles
00:08:06
Speaker
guest as well. Yeah, I've got to got a toe in there, maybe a foot.
00:08:11
Speaker
I mean, as far as I like to drink beer, does that count? Oh, you do. Do more drink beer, though. Maybe that's where we can start off. The Beer Pioneer. do you want to tell us a bit about about that?
00:08:21
Speaker
Yeah. ah So it's into the second season now. It's a a show. I think it's maybe the first in the genre of ah travel history, beer comedy, ah TV programs. Mm-hmm.
00:08:35
Speaker
I hope so. In Australia. In Australia ah with me hosting. so um But it's basically... The first season we followed ah the path of William Buckley, escaped English convict.
00:08:50
Speaker
um And so he left from, this was before Melbourne existed, but basically we're down near where Rosebud is now. They tried to set up a ah ah like a penal colony there, which was a big failure. But anyway, he escaped with the thought of walking to Sydney and then continuing from there to China.
00:09:12
Speaker
He wasn't, don't think was at that. Walking to China. Yeah, walking to China. And instead, what he thought he was just going due north, but he was doing so following Port Phillip Bay.
00:09:25
Speaker
ah So briefly he would have been going due north, but soon he was going west and then... So somehow he thought that was the east coast of Australia? guess he thought, yeah, I thought he was far on the coast. He wasn't aware of things like stars or the sun. No, I don't think he was aware of a whole lot, to be honest. So he ended up living with the indigenous populations near Geelong now 30-odd years. Do you know the saying, Buckley's
Beer's Influence on Comedy
00:09:52
Speaker
Chance? Yeah, that's on him. Yeah, on Buckley's Brewery, you know, RIP, that was named after. There you go. Hillsville, though, which did William Buckley go there? No, I don't think so.
00:10:04
Speaker
Well. seeing yeah But I guess, yeah, they as ah you said there under they went under? Yeah. yeah yeah that That was a while ago. But that does feel appropriate, doesn't it? The chance of them um making it. But, um yeah, so we retraced his steps, only stopping off at breweries along the way.
00:10:24
Speaker
And then the show is half telling his story, half or probably more than half talking to brewers. um And, yeah, a bit of history and and whatnot, bit of mucking around. And then the second season our got a bit bigger. We went from Adelaide to Darwin. Mm-hmm.
00:10:41
Speaker
um which was, you know, a lot of fun. And and that's it. Yeah, the second season's just come out um as we speak. Yeah, and not so many breweries along that route, but I guess a pretty fascinating yeah journey though. So where where did you stop in? ah the Yeah, the breweries, they really thin out. Pretty much in between Adelaide and Darwin. I mean...
00:11:04
Speaker
There's not a lot, you know. But I went Big Shed. That's the first one went to in Adelaide. And another one we went to has since disappeared. Or it's actually it's become it's been bought out by a different brewery, that spot.
00:11:19
Speaker
um But, yeah, in the middle it was, you know, there wasn't a lot. Alice Springs has one now. Yeah. ah Which is great. Alice Springs. Did you catch it with Kyle? Yeah, that's right. Kyle's a good good good man. He's a bit of a character. Yeah. And he was, yeah, it turns out he's a Saint supporter as well, which was, you know, it was nice to... um A real meeting? Yeah, exactly. right well What are the odds of that in the middle of Australia? but And they also um they they have this like loose alliance with a couple of other breweries in the Northern Territory, one in Darwin at Beavers Brewery and then the ah Purple Mango just outside. Yeah, just near Kakadu. Yeah. We pulled our caravan in there a few years ago and just you know rocked up and...
00:12:07
Speaker
Just a couple there just doing everything, everything they can, making beer, making mango chilli sauce and everything. Exactly, that's right. Different mango desserts and stuff. But, yeah, was a little slice of paradise there. And I think those three you are sort of working together and just so to help spread the the good word of craft beer yeah ah because nearly everyone else drinks you know Great Northern or whatever, yeah which makes some sense in that temperature. You price basically want to drink water, so yeah fair enough. Yeah.
00:12:36
Speaker
Yeah. But the apart from that, we did yeah just stopped at some kind of wild roadside bars and, um you know, tiny little towns. was It was awesome. Did you make it into Daily Waters? Daily Waters, yeah, under that pub there.
00:12:51
Speaker
Celebrating one wedding anniversaries there. Oh, what a beautiful spot to celebrate. It was lovely. We we asked... asked them for to get out the most expensive bottle of wine they had on the wine list. um It took them about 15 minutes to find it and it came out really quite hot and caked on cakeedton dust.
00:13:06
Speaker
We were like, well, we've we've asked for it now. They've spent a lot of time trying to find this in the shed out of the back, we've got to go ahead with it. That's awesome, yeah. but They had a pool in the and the out in the back of the pub, is that right? It was just the time when year we were there. The entire like township was full just of people wanting to go to the pub. like it It is like a real... In fact, we actually had to put our kit outside an abandoned army...
00:13:32
Speaker
Barracks or something because couldn't even get into the caravan park. Oh, there you go. Yeah, I think that's what people go there for that pub. It was packed up when i was there as well. don't remember there huge amount of sort of craft beer on tap. Maybe they had some Coopers on tap or something. I can't remember. Yeah, but that was it was ah more of the experience. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:13:53
Speaker
yeah Yeah, no, that was that was great. But no, really loved the whole, it was wild. The whole time, you know, you're talking yourself like, you you probably do all the time. i was like, this is my job at the moment. yeah This is pretty crazy. You're waiting for someone to come along and say, hang on, you know you can't do that as a job. That's ridiculous. How can that be taxable? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:14:14
Speaker
and like i And weaving in the history of the areas you visited as well, like with the first series as well, was it an overarching theme or just like, don't see going through the Northern Territory. I think, it's not to be honest, I think it's the show's the brainchild of a guy called Shane Dunlop and i I mean I don't fully know his process but I think it probably is, I think it starts somewhere around the I want to do this trip and maybe it works back for Oh, there breweries along the way, great. Yeah.
00:14:41
Speaker
All right, now ah what's a historical thing? and But basically the the trip follows the path of um this Scottish explorer, ah John McDool Stewart. So, you know, I can't, i don't know where are along the along the line he realised that, but that we also talk a bit about him along the way and you can't avoid him because... It's the Stuart Highway. every Yeah, the Stuart Highway. And every couple of kilometres there's another statue of him. they Yeah, every every town along the way is like, we've got to give a nod to...
00:15:10
Speaker
Well, I think he was one of the more successful. You know, he didn't get lost or go mad within, you know, a few weeks of departing. Yeah, at the Melbourne equivalent Birkenwells were hopeless. Yeah. but yeah they didn't They didn't make it back. They just made it to the north or pretty close to before. um think that the It was like high tide or something and they started having to like wade through mangroves and they're like...
00:15:36
Speaker
like can We can see it. like Literally, they go, we can see it. I think that counts. And they turn back and, yeah, died before they made it back to Melbourne. yeah Each in different ways, but all of them, you know, pretty stupid. it Sounds like some sort of Japanese movie from the 80s, doesn't it, really? you know ah Yeah, it's a fuss. can you possibly die in in a more more and more gruesome fashion? Yes, yeah. And they all, you know, having to eat their best friends and horses.
00:16:03
Speaker
I mean, their best friends were their horses. I don't think they would cannibalise each other, but ah apparently along the way, like, local Indigenous tribes would try to help them and they um they'd shoot guns into the air to scare them off. we got ah We got this. No, you don't. No, you don't.
00:16:23
Speaker
um Yeah, but i don't know I don't know if that says anything. The English guys, Birkenwell's no good, but ah the Scottish guy, John McDool should. I don't know. There we go. What's your accent there? James likes to claim he's Scottish. no i have no I have no English blood in the family, but then my generation and my family, we screwed it up.
00:16:42
Speaker
um My wife is half English so and my ah my sister married an Englishman, so we've we've we've tarnished the the Scottish and Irish heritage forever, unfortunately. Oh, dear. Yeah. You know, I had to move to Australia yeah just to just to get away from it all, you know. You didn't keep the bloodlines pure. No, no, exactly.
00:16:58
Speaker
um and in In terms of the two series, any sort of standouts, getting back to the beer side of things, any breweries that really stood out to you?
Craft Beer and Comedy Overlap
00:17:05
Speaker
Any beers that really blew your mind? I think... I think Big Shed has become like one of my favourite breweries. I've been, because I go there for Adelaide Fringe every year.
00:17:14
Speaker
So i'd I'll always go and visit there. Just the the guys who run it are so much fun and the vibe of the place is great. But I yeah love all of those beers. But especially the Golden Stout Time, which is kind of there. They do some big fun beers, don't they? Yeah, exactly.
00:17:28
Speaker
And then, you know, they'll put a shot of whiskey, of of vodka in your beer, you know, pretty responsible stuff. If you ask for it or just when you're not looking? I think a normal customer, you'd have to ask for it. But the day we filmed, I did not ask for it. But I did receive it. And it was delicious, to honest. But it was hard to to do the pieces to camera after that. Yeah. That afternoon went to Adelaide Oval and I was, yeah, the outtakes of that would be like hours longer. A lot longer than the actual in. Yeah, 100%. 100%, yeah. Yeah. um what was And when you do Adelaide Comedy Festival, is there much you know craft beer, indie beer around the the circuit? Is there...
00:18:10
Speaker
We sort of – we talked to Jade at the Wheatie Adelaide late last year for another podcast and talking about the connection between live music and indie music and how they're struggling. And you know i was wondering if there is much of a support either from small breweries for the the comedy c circuit or vice versa. We normally – um My producer normally links up with some local brewers and and we do like a cross promo.
00:18:33
Speaker
I do my paddle gram thing, which is just like sit down and drink a paddle with the brewer and take a photo to post on online another one of those. This a work done. What am I doing? Don't question it.
00:18:46
Speaker
So, yeah, I've done, you know, a bunch of different breweries. Big Shed, I've done that separately as well as... um little what Little Bang. Little Bang, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and and um the... yeah Oh, man, I'm b blanking on all the names. It was the the one, ah Prancing Pony.
00:19:02
Speaker
Have you met that guy, the German guy with the huge moustache? Oh, yeah. that The bike-riding moustachioed Frank. Him and his partner. Yeah, that was so lovely. Yeah, I loved doing that. I think more closely linked to the festival is probably Cooper's. That seems to be...
00:19:17
Speaker
uh on at every venue that whole
Industry Challenges
00:19:19
Speaker
city leads cooper's yeah that's true that's probably not necessarily related to the festival that's just how it is but um yeah the mismatch you see around a bit as well yeah um but uh yeah i i really love going there just to you know it's an excuse to look around and to get back to big shed yeah Play some NBA jam.
00:19:41
Speaker
Yeah. What about ah gigs you're doing in Melbourne? I've seen you pop up at a few local breweries and things like that. You kind of think, well, that's spaces that comedy wouldn't have had just a few years ago. Like I imagine you didn't really think you'd be in that there. You would have traditionally was always at the Catfish or at pubs in Melbourne. and play Yeah, that's true. And it's expanded, right? um I definitely. And well, I think places like Catfish and Local Laughs, which are like great craft beer pubs, have a long history with it. So it kind of isn't that big of a leap, but it's great to see like Bad Shepherd do a ah regular room and and um a bunch of others do like one-off shows, done gigs down at um like two Two Bays and places like that.
00:20:24
Speaker
And it's so I think it just makes sense. I think they're the perfect kind of things. um There's a bunch of them up in in Queensland that, you know, in the Gold Coast and stuff. I've done gigs at the different breweries up there.
00:20:38
Speaker
And, yeah, I would think that if you run a craft brewery, you'd be mad not to have a at least a monthly comedy night. It just brings in a crowd and and drinking comedy go hand in hand.
00:20:51
Speaker
And do do they expect beer-themed comedy from you when you turn when you turn up No, do they know yeah nothing like that. I mean, I ah really should probably write some beer out, but it's too serious for me to joke about. um well yeah And just going back a step, but you know, but prior to the Beer Pioneer, um I guess how did you first get into beer um and comedy, I guess, but maybe beer first given this is the Crafty Pint podcast? I um just i'll reckon, and this is like this is because I was born in the 80s, but i I remember drinking beer from a very young age, um like you know like single digits. Dad would let you know give me a taste of the beers he brought home, if he ever brought home something interesting, often like a
00:21:36
Speaker
You know, they wouldn't be that interesting now probably because the 80s didn't have a huge amount of variety. But, you know, i remember trying like Abbotsford Stout and, ah you know, the different Coopers and stuff like that.
00:21:48
Speaker
Just, you know, and just a little mouthful. Mm-hmm. i'm done no I don't know what I'm admitting to here. Don't throw your dad under the bus. As we've said on ah on another show, another time, you know yeah i think the statute of limitations again will be well overdue by now. There's no no way anyone can pick you up on this or your parents.
00:22:07
Speaker
ah But, yeah, he he was, I think I just always had an interest of trying the new beers. And I'm so glad that I, you know, lived through this time where it's boomed but probably around the world, but in Australia and particularly the last 20 years or whatever, where you can try a new beer every day and you'll never run out of them.
00:22:27
Speaker
um But, yeah, the the first ones I remember sort of... I guess it was probably around the time that the that this current boom's kicking off. What do they call it? Is it the third wave? It probably would be, yeah. and know the third we Probably the third wave and now the second plummet, I don't know. Yeah, we're crashing. The third wave has crashed a couple of years ago. We're still in it sort of trying to put heads above water. Yeah, so the fourth wave's coming. Yeah. But um yeah, like ah Matilda Bay, you know, they'd have like the Bees Knees and the Redback and all that all those sort of ones.
00:23:04
Speaker
And um yeah, different sounds. Cascade, that was maybe the first brewery I went to, did the tour of down in Hobart. I always loved their pale and their stout.
00:23:16
Speaker
They used to have two stouts. like They go like got rid of one of them. but um And then grew up in Moorabbin and two brothers, brewery, opened up there. One of the early pioneers of probably the second wave, would they be? Yeah. One pioneers for sure. Yeah. So that was, you walking distance from my parents' house. So I was able to, you know, walk down there.
00:23:42
Speaker
can't remember exactly when it was. but Almost 20 years now. They'd be, what, 18, 19 years? I think they're 18 this year. Yeah. yet so i was early 20s uh hadn't quite moved out of home yet so there's a couple of years there and now like going back now moorabbin is a bit of a hub for know they got the grape and grain yeah which is amazing and um uh buddy so they took over the the old philip morris factory stomping ground stomping ground yeah yeah And nearby you've got Wolf of the Willows and a couple of others as well. Yeah, Cheltenham, we've got Bad Shepherd. So it's, yeah. Southeast is really happening. It's changed lot. I think, yeah, an old school friend, I think she started running like a bus tour down just exclusively southeastern.
00:24:29
Speaker
It's like, oh, there's obviously, yeah. Is this the Bayside Beer Belt? Beer Belt? Yeah, think so, yeah. I say a friend. You
Podcast Success and Tours
00:24:39
Speaker
can't remember the name of her business. I haven't seen her in a long time. But you say hi anyway. I would say hi, yeah.
00:24:47
Speaker
She was actually a friend of my sister's. I'd i'd be intimidated if I saw her. It's going to more and more distance. Yeah, yeah. i'd tell that' take me back I was trying blag my way through, but no, to be honest... Yeah. If I saw her, I'd feel like a teenage boy. Oh, hey. Hey, Nat. How's it going?
00:25:04
Speaker
It is Nat, so it's definitely the right place. There you I once saw a postcard with this person's face on, you know, leave it at that. Yeah, yeah. ah Yeah, I pretty i saw a website. I saw her name on a website, so.
00:25:16
Speaker
yeah. I know, well Will's wills ah your and sort of and is it gateway or, you sort of what are you? Yeah, two brothers, yeah, the Grizz, which had that fairy tap handle. Yes, that's right. remember seeing that at a bar Northgate and I was like, I've got to buy this. And spending, you know, like being a student as well and spending way more on a pint than I ever had before yeah and like been blown away because it's an American amber. So it had like malt flavor and American hops. And i was like, whoa, this is...
00:25:44
Speaker
this is pretty real. Beer could taste like this. and and it yeah it's sort of What a great moment, but also so brutal because ah so many other beers you liked moments before will never be good enough again. Yeah, yeah. And probably like i've I drank it tomorrow, it wouldn't live up to that as well either, would it? but It's amazing how, yeah, it does ah things move on with taste so quick you, the ones that used to blow your mind are still nice, but they're not, they don't make you, you know,
00:26:13
Speaker
ah yeah the hairs on the back your neck stand up. Interesting with two brothers though, I do think they've been one of those breweries that's kind of gone, this is what we do and we're going to sort of stick with it. And I think they've sort of maintained a pretty steady you know presence in a lot of pubs that they were in early you know and i maintained a ah steady loyal following by doing that and not maybe not maybe deviating and doing you know some of the silly stuff that people have done over the last five or ten years. So maybe there is something to be said for going this is who we are and yeah sticking with it.
00:26:42
Speaker
Yeah, it's so tricky to know. Like, yeah, often the the ones that go under have just ah taken on a big new bit of spending or whatever. ah It's so brutal. It's like you're you're getting punished for dreaming big. Yeah.
00:26:55
Speaker
Unfair. Yeah. Dreaming big, timing it wrong. Yeah. Yeah, the timing is so much of it, isn't it? yeah Yeah. Talking of timing, yeah. When did the comedy career start then? Was this set over a few beers? that someone say, you're pretty funny, Matt.
00:27:09
Speaker
Come on. Tell us another gag. It required a lot of beers to have the guts to do it. That's for sure. Yeah, no, I had friends. It's something that I sort of like maybe deep down hadn't...
00:27:21
Speaker
aspiration for for long time, but never the belief or the courage to do it. I didn't do it my first gig until I was 29, which is pretty late in the game, which is funny looking back. feel like I was just a child then. But, yeah, and then, yeah, the first gig was at an old Irish pub in the city, Pug Mahones, I don't remember that.
00:27:43
Speaker
And, yeah, you know, it went well and that was enough to keep me going. Although I did... You know how some people always take the wrong lessons out of stuff? I'm like that.
00:27:54
Speaker
So that first gig I was on late in the second bracket. So i was probably an hour and a half into the show I had two pints. The first pint, not knowing when I was going to be on, just to dull the nerves a little bit.
00:28:11
Speaker
And it was such a long wait had to have a second pint. And it went well. I'm like, oh, that's it. That's the key. Two pints. You were saying yesterday that you reckon two beers is the perfect amount. That's what I do before industry yeah yeah presentations as well. It's perfect. And I think that is right if if you've got, you know. Two small beers I would add. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think two beers. I'm a big two beers fan. It's like going into a comedy show that's 50 minutes long, I'm always like, you've got to go with two beers. You don't want be caught halfway through having just your final sip and then being distracted by your thirst. But um the next gig I did, I'm like two pints. That's the that's the secret. you're fine But i was where you were on i was on yeah I was on like second on the line-up and I'm like I'm having a scowl.
00:28:57
Speaker
two pints in in about 15 minutes and it did not go as well. I remember being... The wind? Yeah, just like couldn't get the words out. I just couldn't i couldn't even think of what I was meant to
Comedy Festivals and Craft Beer
00:29:11
Speaker
say. i i stood up there silently just going. I knew that I had a bit about... In my head it was the bit was called Boat People.
00:29:22
Speaker
And that's all I could think. Would have been pretty se tricky territory as well ah yeah quite a few years ago. Oh, 100%. And I think, i yeah, from memory i just repeated boat people and over and over with like a glazed look in my eye.
00:29:37
Speaker
People are like, well, this is pretty avant-garde. The threat of the up-and-coming comedian. He's changing the game up there. ah So, yeah, I now know that it's time. There's like a a more mathematical equation. An alcohol to time. Yeah, exactly. That's right. Solve for sort of thing. Yeah. yeah um And I think maybe half hour per pint at least. Okay. Probably. Yeah.
00:30:02
Speaker
um And then so and in terms of how that career has developed then, um i mean, we'll come to the podcast podcast that you do separately, but um that was when you were 29. So how far and wide has it taken you and how how regularly are you gigging?
00:30:16
Speaker
Well, some yeah so guess that's 12 years is it? But I... guess that's twelve years ago is it um but i um Yeah, it's taken me of all around the world. I'd say all around the world. It's taken me to the the UK and Europe. Darwin.
00:30:31
Speaker
ah yeah Yeah, Darwin and all around Australia at the very least. um I did a ah podcast festival in Thailand. That's probably the most exotic place I've been to. but um yeah it's uh it's wild it's it's sort of like the beer show i'm like it's crazy that this is the job but any job where you're like it's very reasonable for you to have a beer in your hand while you're doing it is um a pretty good deal i think yeah but well it's it's interesting because other people say oh you know either when we write about beer or you have people make beer that oh my god you got like the best job in the world and it's like
00:31:08
Speaker
You work pretty hard at it, you know, yeah there's a lot stuff that isn't just the drinking of beer whatever. And, you know, certainly brewers, they're like, you know, you do stories there, but, know, what's the one thing you'd like, wish you'd known or you want to tell people? they're like, how much cleaning's involved? So, mean, what's it actually like when you are out on the road, you know, touring, know, whether it's solo, whether it's part of a, you know, group or whatever, what's actually like the life on the road as a comic? I think the equivalent of the cleaning for me, and it's different for everyone, but the equivalent for me would be the stress of producing new material.
00:31:43
Speaker
And not like it's fun when it's happening, but when you're just thinking like, i need I've got a new festival show starting next month, which is where i am right now. And I'm like, I don't have an hour yet.
00:31:56
Speaker
And you're like, there's a little low hum of panic. That just is there all the time. I'd forgotten about it for the first half of this. but thanks yeah It's really just a sinking feeling. It's still time to have a beer. It is that challenge of having a career, I think, where you do kind of have permanent homework. Yes. Because you could always be doing more. Yeah, exactly. That's right. So, yeah, you always there's a low-level guilt but also like those feeling like that is not helpful for creativity. Like just feeling stressed does not help the words flow. But, um yeah, it's just trying to manage that and figure out the best ways of doing it.
00:32:38
Speaker
um Yeah, definitely. I know some people who who sit down with a beer to write. Which can help. But I mean, imagine sometimes they'd wake up the next day and be like, well, this is nonsense. This seems so funny last night.
00:32:54
Speaker
And what about the sort of practicalities? Like when you're on the road, are you funding yourself to go? Are you you booking you booking your shows? How are you getting around and all that kind of stuff? Depends on the, depends ah if it's for a festival, you you know, that's sort of self-funded and the tickets, you've got to sell the tickets to ah pay for your flights accommodation and then ideally for your time. I've read years and years of horror stories about the Edinburgh edinburgh Festival and people are like, why do we do it? You know, unless you're one of like the handful break through, it's like, you know, squeezing a you million people
Craft Beer and Music
00:33:24
Speaker
into a room at great expense and, you know, hoping people come to your little cupboard and,
00:33:28
Speaker
Yeah. And they talk about like, I've never done a ah run there. i was I was booked in to do one in 2020, but obviously other things gotten in the way. away with it. Yeah, probably. Yeah, probably have a bit more money now than I would have otherwise. But yeah.
00:33:44
Speaker
Yeah, the you hear of people saying, i I need to sell every ticket to break even and stuff like that. like, well, that's not ideal for a month of work. um And then they're just hoping that other opportunities come from it. They're seen by the right person. But, yeah, it's a bit of a gamble.
00:34:01
Speaker
um But the free fringe over there I think helped a bit. There's not as much risked up front and, you're you know, you're shaking a buck at the end of the show. So it's a lot more old school. Yeah, but moving the guilt onto the audience. Yeah, that's right. I've got to get a ticket to fly home. But, yeah, in Australia, I mean, you sort of you get a pretty good idea. I'm lucky I'm Melbourne-based because the biggest comedy festival is in Melbourne and it means that no flights and accommodation need to be factored in. Rent your sofa to someone from interstate. Exactly, that's right. Yeah, really take advantage of other comedians in need. Yeah.
00:34:37
Speaker
But, um yeah, Adelaide and Perth and all those other places. But then, you know, there's other tours that just came back from Brisbane and that's more of a, you know, the there's guarantees for um some shows or they're just buying your show or or paying you to perform at their room. It just depends.
00:34:54
Speaker
And do you put on nights yourself? Like, you know, like Umbrella Nights Brother
Closing Announcements
00:34:59
Speaker
acts or whatever? Because I've met people who've done that kind of thing, as ah ah whether it's a late night show, so I guess supplement their show they might be doing earlier in the day, yeah put something um under a brand and take it to different festivals. Is that something you've... I have done that in the past, yeah. I've done some tours, line-up shows, and done them at festivals.
00:35:15
Speaker
ah Not for a little while because, ah I mean, so many things you go, is this why I got into? And you end up doing admin. and Why am I trying to rustle up four other comedians at 11.30 at night?
00:35:27
Speaker
Yeah, and i like they can be a good way to earn some money at festivals. And I think they're probably, ah Edinburgh especially, I think it's really smart to do that because they have shows 24 hours a day there. So I've got friends who do four or five shows in a day and and a few of them will be those line-up shows.
00:35:45
Speaker
It does sound hard though, doesn't it? It's a real grind, yeah. But I mean, if you remind yourself at times, I'm doing this because it's what I love. ah Yeah, it's funny in those moments you're like feeling all the stress. You're like, this is, I mean, better, think about what you used to. My last full-time job was selling air conditioning. Okay.
00:36:06
Speaker
Round the corner from Two Brothers. We used to go there on a Thursday and Friday after work. um But, yeah, so it's easy to forget that this is a great life.
00:36:17
Speaker
and its pretty well ill forget I forget. was about say, oh, you've got a different type of fan now. but I'm glad I didn't say that because I'd never end up on stage. um It took me a second. I thought that was good stuff.
00:36:30
Speaker
No, that's having You want to use it? Yeah. um and And I guess the there podcasting side things, well, you've a number of shows that you do as well, which you mentioned, know, you've taken one of those to Thailand for the festival or was that that to do the show there? or Yeah, yeah. So, that yeah, that was run by ah finally a Melbourne podcast started that.
00:36:50
Speaker
ah The Kosa Movie Podcast Festival. Oh, nice. Again, I really want to go spend some time in Kosa Movie. How do I do this and get paid? 100% that is what he was doing. Yeah. And very smart and it was so much fun.
00:37:03
Speaker
um But, yeah, they yeah um we did my Dugger On podcast. We did it. uh a tour to the uk well we called it uk and europe because we did a show in dublin and a show in berlin so that that's pretty european um as well as mainly in the uk but yeah that's uh that's so much fun done through uh four of those tours over there and It's so good. I don't know why you left.
00:37:32
Speaker
It's so compact. but I know why you left. but Oh, in terms of getting ah yeah short flight, different culture. Yeah, yeah. did Different beer. Exactly, yeah. yeah And, you know, the UK can just drive top to bottom in a day basically. We tell people we're going like camping for a weekend and we're driving eight hours and they're like, you're mad. That's pretty much the entire thing. Yeah, exactly.
00:37:52
Speaker
And then you go to UK and I was going to go and visit someone in the next city and then you just get 10 miles and you're sat in traffic and not moving for hour you're like, this is why I left. Yeah, yeah, okay. You've squeezed a lot of people into that little island, haven't Yeah, I popped out.
00:38:07
Speaker
I'm squeezing too hard. but um yeah and and But in terms of the podcast shows, what do you have going regularly then? How did they come about? Tell me little bit more about those. um So the did Do Go On podcast, we're doing our 500th episode coming up actually.
00:38:24
Speaker
um it's been going, it'll be 10 years later in 2025. Is that the year Yeah.
00:38:31
Speaker
So, yeah, that just started. ah My friend Dave Warnicke was his idea and he was writing trivia for ah pub trivia company, Quizmasters, I think.
00:38:46
Speaker
Quizmasters? Yeah, was Quizmasters. There's only a couple, so yeah yeah can just take a stab. I'm like, it's that one or the other one? I can't remember what the other one's called. But, yeah, Quizmasters and he was like, I've got all this, I'm learning all this great trivia And you like questions, you don't get to put so much trivia into a question. He's like, I want somewhere to dump all this extra information I've got. So he he had this idea of doing a podcast where he could tell a longer form story from history um ah to a friend or whatever. And he...
00:39:17
Speaker
He knew at the time I was um working casually for The Chase, that that TV quiz show, fact-checking. So he asked me if I'd be up for co-hosting. And then we also brought on Jess Perkins.
00:39:31
Speaker
He's a funny friend of ours. And, yeah, that's how it started. I think my first report I did was about Birkenwells. That's why I know about them. Eating their own horses and stuff. Yeah, that's right. It's true. It's a while back. um And, yeah, that's, you know, we we started it, all three of us, our main goal was to help bring people to our festival shows, our stand-up shows, um not thinking that it would, you know, we'd end up doing it live around the world and getting good crowds for it itself.
00:40:02
Speaker
um Yeah, so that that's basically the... how that started. And, um yeah, we rotate. Each of us tell a different story each week. um um kar let's ah just having a break and writing my next topic now, which is about a French woman, sword fighter, who um burnt down a nunnery and a few other things. Pretty wild story. um So, yeah, just sort of kind of do stories about anything. how How do you find such a topic? Is it sort of like just throw the encyclopedia Britannica up in the woods? and see you see where a page it lands on. I mean, that's what we used to do and now it's sort of outsourced to the listeners. They they they suggest the topics. We've got like a ah ah doc, Google Doc, where with ah like I think 10,000 suggestions. So...
00:40:49
Speaker
We've got sort ah a way to go. A few more years ahead. Yeah, that's right. There's a few, 200 I think. There we go. Yeah. So the finest thing that I ah never considered was just because talk about beer on social media and on the podcast sometimes, whenever we do live shows, you know more often than not someone will be there from a local brewery giving me a sampler of their beers. At the end I'm this is the best. Yeah. Yeah, right. They know you're sort of becoming the beer comedian or at least you just love beer. Yeah, exactly. I got a message in the UK from someone saying, would you mind if we brought you some beers?
00:41:25
Speaker
that I said, I think that should be okay. Yeah, so good. yeah that's um That's definitely been ah ah something that if I told myself when we started a podcast that strangers would start bringing me beers, they're like, all right, that sounds pretty good. as I'm guessing that that doesn't seem that special to you guys, but...
00:41:43
Speaker
You kind of assume that beers will come up at some point when you're writing about it all the time. um I think that that's probably what the brewers are talking about as well and they say it's not so what are you're picturing.
00:41:54
Speaker
We can't afford to just be drinking all the time because we've got to work. We've got to concentrate on the work a little bit. yeah I think some people can manage both but, you know, they're few and far between. I think they can really, you know...
00:42:06
Speaker
push it one way and and and then still do do so the next day? Yes. I think it's simon comedyd the You used hear stories about the generations before us that were just partying all the time. but You don't see it too much anymore.
00:42:20
Speaker
No, I was involved in someone's... um disastrous performance at the zoo in Adelaide a few years ago. I felt pretty bad. They got on stage. I'm like, oh, we should have got up to what we did over the last 24 hours because this is bad. Right, they just couldn't get a thought together. No, just the timing. with was it was the It was good for me because I realised how important timing was because I'd heard all all these gags a few times before. all And I was just like, oh. this is just, yeah, this is loud this is not working. Amazing. All the words are coming out in the same order, but just not having the rhythm. Can you name in shame?
00:42:54
Speaker
Afterwards. Okay. curious. i mean, the zoo doesn't fit, like the literal zoo? Yeah, when they do the, beat they have the big show. oh Let's not get into too many details. You'll soon be asking what year. You'll be able to narrow it down to about three comedians, but um and probably a good time to take a break as well so we can tell you that comedian's name. Cheers.
00:43:21
Speaker
Okay, time to unveil our second Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month and obviously keep the nominations coming. ah You can nominate yours at craftypint.com slash bluestone, B-L-U-E-S-T-O-N-E.
00:43:35
Speaker
um But first, Will, shall we start with an honourable mention? Yeah, absolutely. So Jessica from Chocolate Journeys has shouted out Penguin Beer Co, Tassie Brewery. We had Scott on our podcast late last year.
00:43:48
Speaker
She just wanted to shout out because, I mean, sounds like they do all the things that make great brews really great. friendly staff that are attentive, food tastes great, the locals right on the beachfront. Okay, not every brewery can do that, fair enough.
00:44:00
Speaker
But the drinks taste great. Tropicana was one she said was a favourite and it's just an awesome place in a country town. What's not to like? Yeah. So, yeah, I'd love to get down there. You know, Scott's got a few places now around the north of Tassie, so look forward to getting and checking them out next time I cross the Bath Strait.
00:44:18
Speaker
um As for this month's winning nomination... Yeah, so this one comes from Peter Simmons, who's very well known in the homebrew community. He's an acclaimed home brewer, really, and he's also written a number of books about historic beer styles and and how to make them.
00:44:32
Speaker
And he wanted to shout out The Social Brewers, which are run by Bo Curtis. Yeah, so sort of a South Sydney brewery there. um He says they went above and beyond to help our brew club extra special brewers celebrate our 20th anniversary.
00:44:45
Speaker
ah So yeah, Bo and the team, they brewed a batch of their XXESB, which was derived from one of their members, Craig Dunbar's previous prize-winning strong ale recipe.
00:44:57
Speaker
um Not only brewed a batch for them to for part the celebration, hosted the release party, A great time was had by all, and they got to compare the house version with differently fermented brews um and Peter being the sort of guy He also shouts out there those who supplied the ingredients, which was Voyager, ah The Brew Shop, and Bluestone. We're getting very ad within an ad here. I feel like I'm in the middle of Inception and I'm getting lost to where I am.
00:45:21
Speaker
But yeah, so congratulations to the social brewers for you know ah you know going above and beyond and to help some home brewers celebrate and perhaps even you know um inspire the next generation of commercial brewers.
00:45:33
Speaker
Yeah, great. So keep getting those nominations in. This month's winner, they get to take home or get sent some Zinc Booster from Bluestones. It's ah it's a new product out of their range. It's a cold side edition where which adds zinc that would is lost in the boil. So I'm sure that will be very handy for the social brewers.
00:45:51
Speaker
For sure. Cheers. Cheers.
00:46:01
Speaker
It's so good to be back. It's so good be back. I didn't realise how long the break would be. We all had a nap. A foot massage. Yeah, it it's a really great set-up you've got here, actually. I really appreciate it. um But I feel, yeah, refreshed and ready to go again.
00:46:17
Speaker
Excellent. Very gruelling, that first half. It was, wasn't it? Didn't need a break. Well, I thought we should get back to beer a bit and you want to tell us, Matt, about some of the beers you actually love and sort of what styles chase down now?
00:46:31
Speaker
Yeah, i I think in the craft beer world my tastes are probably really vanilla. <unk> I like, you know, friends old friends from Moorabbin are like, they think I drink weird beers, but I think in the in the beer loving community, you know, I like hoppy and hazy ah IPAs and I like... ah ah Imperial Stouts and, um ah you know, the Peanut Butter Stouts were my favourites. Bad Shepherd.
00:47:00
Speaker
yeah Oh, yeah, the Bad Shepherd's so good. um The first one I had Aether Brewing from ah Brisbane, just outside of Brisbane, the Creature of the Night. That was the first one I had. I'm like, holy shit, this is incredible.
00:47:14
Speaker
Deeds do a good one, everyone um r RIP. oh man, still still coming to terms with that. i' order to I'd reckon probably one of my biggest um monthly spendings would have been Deeds. think if I had an accountant, that would be its own line on there. The home delivery from Deeds, oh, my God.
00:47:34
Speaker
um So, yeah, I guess maybe I'll i'll save a bit of cash now. But ums when they did that final sale thing, I ah literally i'd spent and so much. well Well, there was a value there at that stage. yeah I'm going slowly work through it can by can. It's going to be hard to drink the last one.
00:47:53
Speaker
You can save it forever. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Some of the the Imperial Stouts, I imagine, could like they could probably sit there for a while. Yeah, fire a tractor if keep long enough. um Yeah. i dont what What are your... I'm answering questions and not I feel like I'm being a really bad conversationalist.
00:48:11
Speaker
but So your listeners would probably already know this, but so you like the Grizz type beers? Yeah, I don't know. I'm probably pretty vanilla now as well. I like but hazy ah IPAs, West Coast IPAs and lagers, yeah, and pilsners and stuff like that.
00:48:26
Speaker
It's ah that's sort of once you spend enough time around craft beer, though, you sort of go back to that. You regress to the mean where it's like, I just kind of want to drink 5% beers again with a few hot notes. It can be, yeah, harder to find them at times, the ones that are just a crafty beer that's 5%. Yeah. Yeah. ah I know if we get sent a whole range of stuff to the house, I'm like, anything that's in that sort of nice Pilsner, fresh pail or IPA, especially because they're wife's favourite well, they'll just go and then you go back to the fridge and there's actually two other beer fridges in the garage and you'll be like, okay, I've got the weird sours and the now 13-year-old and getting older imperial stouts and Christmas ales and stuff like that. It's like...
00:49:08
Speaker
Probably no good anymore, but I can't bring myself get rid them. But I'm also, like, not in a position to drink my way through them in a hurry. Yes. and But, yes, there is that, the the middle range. They're the ones that, you know, the real drinkable ones, the ones that go, you know. Those cans that are 12%.
00:49:23
Speaker
They're good to share. Yeah. Hard to just, they're not a good, well, a term that I learnt doing Beer Pioneers, a lot of brewers use it independently. lakota They call it their lawn mowing beer. Mm-hmm.
00:49:35
Speaker
That's a common term in the industry. Yeah, love it. But, yeah, I don't think... That's not the 12%. That's not the imperial standard. No, that's right. It's normally the pilsners or the, yeah. Yeah. Australian lagers. The thing is, i you know, they talk about beer drinking, weather being like when the weather gets hotter and it does make it sense. Like through winter it's still nice to have beer, but, you know, you do graduate towards wanting more comfort food and heavier foods. and then when it does get hotter, you're like, you get halfway through a hot afternoon it's like...
00:50:00
Speaker
I know it's only Tuesday but I would love a beer now yeah and you want that fresh hoppy like, you know. yeah deliver You don't want it to too thick or whatever. on yeah We are like Pavlov's dog, you know, reacting to the atmosphere around us. I hosted the comedy stage at the beer festival in Geelong oh last month, whenever it was, and it was that kind of day where was mid-30s. It was so hot.
00:50:27
Speaker
And like, oh, look, there's so many beers here that I'd love to try that are just not appropriate for this weather. but like Can you put some ice in them, maybe? Yeah, totally.
00:50:38
Speaker
ah But yeah, I i think that's like that's growing up as well. few years ago, that wouldn't have stopped me. But... um And with the Paddlegram, I guess that was kind of your first test in the water. i mean, is that like that is Instagram obviously based? and Yeah. that still going now? and like How do you sort of come about? Yeah, probably less frequently, but ah it used to be whenever I went to a ah brewery, um I'd take a photo and do the paddle. And I know a lot of brewers don't like paddles because they like them to be the right temperature or whatever when you're drinking them. But ah they just look cool and... um
00:51:14
Speaker
lot of the colour variations and stuff, and I think it's a great way test out a range of beer at a new brewery. um so yeah, I can't remember exactly what. It might have been a bridge. I think you're the first one might have been Bridge Road Brewery in Beechworth.
00:51:28
Speaker
And they do a big paddle. um And, yeah, just sort of took off from there. I think that's why Shane asked me to do Beer Pioneer. He followed me on Instagram and realised that I was into going to breweries. So I'm glad I did it for that reason. Yeah.
00:51:46
Speaker
And I can't remember what the question was, but yes. That was your first step into combining the beer with the... Yeah, I think so. And then it just felt like it was a good way to let people know was in a different city doing shows. go to a local brewery go, hey, I'm at the Big Shed in Adelaide. Come see me in Adelaide, that sort of stuff.
00:52:08
Speaker
um Yeah, it's... a I think it was COVID where I probably started cheating it and just doing, like, can samplers because, you know, you couldn't go get a paddle anymore in lockdown. So you had five Deeds, 400 million organs. Yeah, totally. Yeah, yeah. You'd probably tell how my mental health was going through lockdown if you go back through some of those paddles I was having.
00:52:32
Speaker
um So, yeah, I don't know. I probably should have renamed them ah can Candles. No, that word's already been taken, actually, so that doesn't work. But... But, yeah, so I still do that. I just love sampling different beers. It's the funnest thing.
00:52:46
Speaker
i think it got I don't know if you had them in England, but as a kid ah something that Santa would bring each year was the Kellogg's eight-pack little yeah boxes of cereal. And I think the adult version of that is the paddle. Yeah.
00:53:01
Speaker
Loves taking them on camping trips and things like that. It kind of signalled holiday. yeah exactly. would you yeah Would the Australian version have eight different cartons, though, would there be some double ups? think there'd be a couple of doubles. You'd always be gutted if it was the one you didn't like. Yes. Why cant I have had two The boring, yeah, two cornflakes. I wanted two Coco Pops. Yeah, exactly. I think the cereal companies know what they're doing. They're always pushing out the cheapest chiefest one. do When you do travel for comedy, Matt, do you still make sure you're sort of earmarking a few breweries with if it's in the UK or whatever? Oh, Or pubs? Like are you really doing a little bit of research and trying to call in places? i Yeah, I try to.
00:53:40
Speaker
and do i mean, it gets tricky depending on the schedule. Sometimes, you you know, it's just you're traveling every day, travel the day show at night. And those times it's harder to just sometimes just crave and go to bed. But if there's any spare time.
00:53:55
Speaker
and a bit of surplus energy then yeah love ah going around and you know some places it's in the english seems crazy like leads and cities that i hardly even knew before going there are just like real hotbeds of um for breweries uh i'm always like i'd love to just come back here on holiday and and just actually enjoy it but um yeah one day it's hard to justify to be honest Well, maybe the beer pioneer needs to go international. I mean, maybe have a word with Shane.
00:54:28
Speaker
you know yeah Is the budget there to send me back over to the UK just to go to good pubs and breweries? He's definitely he's dreaming and dreaming big for sure for season three. I think he's um in the middle of of trying to get funding for a few different overseas options.
00:54:46
Speaker
Well, if you need anyone to come and fact check along the way, Will and I can add to our beer travel article collection, I guess. Yeah, Crafty Pints the Beer Pioneer.
00:54:59
Speaker
And um what about, we've talked about Deeds a bit, obviously a brewery you've loved, you know, someone who's into craft beer and drinks it and watching on from afar, like what's your sort of take at the moment with breweries closing down and the tough ah situation people make awesome beer?
00:55:16
Speaker
So heartbreaking. It seems, you know, from the outside that it's it's just this i delayed result of COVID and the lockdowns and...
00:55:28
Speaker
I think ah there was delayed, I mean, I'm getting into territory I don't really understand, but there were delayed tax payments or something that were all coming yeah back to hit them at the same time and it's just wiping out or near wiping out a bunch of these great breweries.
00:55:45
Speaker
To me it's, I don't know, it feels like, um not to be too political, but... ah different kind They pick and choose who they help survive sometimes, the industries.
00:55:56
Speaker
And I don't understand why um small business craft breweries aren't better looked after. um When all the money's pumped into Qantas, for example. Yeah, exactly. It's just it's wild. And, I mean, the taxes are already so brutal for um small breweries.
00:56:14
Speaker
But... Yeah, and I had this, um I was almost getting a bit of um false hope about, you know, the voluntary administration that they would go into.
00:56:25
Speaker
Like Big Shed went into it and I was like, oh, no. And I didn't know that. I didn't really know what the term meant at the time. But when they came through it. We thought it was vodka administration. Yeah, yeah. that' They definitely specialise in that. But they... um When they came through it and a couple others came through it, like, oh okay, this is just a thing they need to do um to get through ah the you know the trouble they're in. And then it happened to Deeds and when they went through it, I'm like, I'll come through the other side. And they did I'm like, oh, ah what? I couldn't believe It felt like a family member died or something.
00:57:00
Speaker
It was rough. Yeah. Yeah, yeah has has there been a similar impact on ah the comedy scene or on like you know live performance and so the venues hosting such shows? ah has that Have they been hit as well? we're seeing, I guess, impact across but more of hospitality than just beer. Yeah.
00:57:19
Speaker
it It has but as it the the... People still need to laugh. People still don't laugh and it is like comedy nights tend to happen in bars and clubs and stuff on the nights that the the business doesn't have people coming in anyway.
00:57:34
Speaker
Like comedy is a ah way of bringing people in on a Tuesday night or a Wednesday night or a Monday night. And, you know, look like I'm trying to think, but ah most of the the big ones from before COVID are back. I think probably some of the smaller ones, the open mics and stuff, but that always fluctuates a bit.
00:57:55
Speaker
ah So as far as I can think, ah you know, and comedians, I can't think of any any of the big names going under. I think Dave Hughes is still around. It's not really that he didn't go through voluntary administration or anything like that either. As far as we know. That's right.
00:58:15
Speaker
Yeah, a lot smaller overheads maybe. it's what we didn't have to pay. I mean, we did have to pay rent through the Jeez, we did well to get through it. How did we make it? Yeah, how did we? Jesus.
00:58:26
Speaker
yeah um Forget about that. It was a stressful time. yeah But you had a lot of tall cans of beer. Oh, I did. Yeah, there were great times. But, yeah, they I still i've got to ah keep forgetting that I was meant to do Edinburgh that year. I've really got to reorganise that. It shows you how long it takes me to get my wheels rolling again.
00:58:46
Speaker
And Matt, we are releasing this at the eve of Melbourne Comedy Festival. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your show? yeah, cool. um I'm on at Spleen Bar, which they do some some nice craft beer stomping ground and others.
00:59:00
Speaker
ah And the show's called Bad Boy. know, there's a little tinge of irony there that I'm the bad boy of comedy. But, yeah, it's kind of, you know, like screwing masculinity and stuff. But the Australian idea of masculinity.
00:59:15
Speaker
I'm not used to talking about comedy seriously. This feels disgusting. LAUGHTER It doesn't have to be serious. Yeah, okay, great. Well, it's just an hour of me trying to be funny. Excellent. And nothing to do with Bad Boy Bubby. No. One of the most beautiful movies. A beautiful movie. It was a real eye-opener when I watched that as a young man. It's the most beautiful depiction of mental health I've ever seen on the big screen. Yeah, Ozploitation classic, right? Yeah, yeah. lot of people have misunderstood it and just focus in on the sort of the more gross moments where actually it's a very beautiful movie.
00:59:50
Speaker
It is. Like it's it's a really beloved cult classic, isn't it? Yeah. i haven't I haven't seen it in a long time. I don't think I would have understood any of that stuff back then. It's like, what the heck is this? Yeah.
01:00:02
Speaker
It's probably the second or third view where I realised that actually, yeah. um And in terms of other shows that you'll be... heading along to or people should keep an eye out for? Are friends or just people coming from from overseas you need to check out?
01:00:16
Speaker
Yeah, well, I've got to look at the guard. But ah who who is, you know, there's, My friend Ray was doing her show. I call her Australia's premier farm-based comedian. um She works part-time at a farm. the rest of the That's her other gig. And then her material is all about working on a farm. I'm like, that that's so fun that there's a ah ah farm comedian here in Melbourne.
01:00:45
Speaker
How lucky we are. should get a gig at like La Serene or something, you know, farm urban farmhouse brewery, farm-based comedy. Beautiful synergy. Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, I think her show's called Sheepish. Matt, what else?
01:00:59
Speaker
ah he's He's pretending like he's not here. To the listeners, that's going to sound like I was asking myself. Matt, what else? He's really lost the plot, this guy. You could have gotten away with that, I any Any sort of favourite venues, though, that generally have...
01:01:14
Speaker
good, interesting, you know, or different or up and coming acts on because obviously me Melbourne does i end up with these venues in all sorts of little, you know. Yeah. I always seem to end up in some like eighth floor of an office building. Yeah, yeah. Can you take a three wrong turn before you get there? There are certain ones that you're like, this can't be it, can it? But yeah, I think that's the fun thing about a festival. I mean, like talking Edinburgh 4, that's that to a thousandth degree. It's every nook and cranny like you're saying. You're in cupboard 4. Yeah.
01:01:41
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. Well, I think a lot of the Melbourne venues, like the big ones, like the, um, they'll have rooms that are called the carpet room, which is that, um, I don't think it's there anymore, but the forum to have a room called the carpet room. It's like, that's literally what it is the rest of the year. It's where they store their carpet. Um, or the, yeah, the ladies lounge. Oh, this is just the foyer into a toilet. Literally. But, um yeah, the I love Comedy Republic. I don't know if you'll necessarily see small names there. I think Will Anderson's on there this year. But um that's a great round-the-year comedy room in Melbourne.
01:02:16
Speaker
And ah you will see, you know, week-to-week big names and names you haven't heard of. it um And they do have a pretty decent fridge of craft beers. And and they've got...
01:02:29
Speaker
um um Why keep blanking on their name? Took Over Moorabbin. Stomping Ground. They've got Stomping Ground on tap. I don't know what, yeah. They've brewed beers with them before, I think. Yeah, they had a comedy special beer. But, yeah, they have they always have the Pale Ale on tap, which is what ah always get. like You get a few beers in your rider when you perform there.
01:02:49
Speaker
You love doing the venues with them. That's right, yeah. that's I know that for sure. now I've tested that out a couple more times and, yeah, that is that is the case. yeah what What are you looking for to seeing?
01:03:00
Speaker
I'd have to look at the program as well. It hasn't come out yet. There you go. Peek behind the curtain. I haven't even finished my show yet and you're asking me to plug other people's. Mum and Dad are out from the UK, so I'm trying to think do I tell them something really appropriate for sort of two Scots in there got lady in there scottts ah in their mid-70s or just try and find something.
01:03:20
Speaker
it Just test the water and just go, all right then, Mum and Dad, let's see what you make of this. You've got to do the the classic is the one big Shaw thing, big name, and then you've got to take them to a roll the dice, see something weird. um Yeah. but They do do, there's always the Scottish line-up shows and stuff, which always, you know, you realise that they're probably Melbourne-based comedians who at one point lived in Scotland. Yeah.
01:03:48
Speaker
Yeah. yeah now what we Yeah, we'll try them. You're always taking few shows, don't you, Will? Yeah, I go to as many as I can um over as many nights. I'm not one of those I can't do the four comedy shows in a night like some people do. i need to I prefer to load up every night of a week rather than. Yeah, I would be the same. You sort of, yeah, how do you concentrate?
01:04:08
Speaker
Start feeling like you're in ah you know going to a uni lecture or something. And they'll all blend into one and you'll have very horrific dreams, I imagine. that Yeah,
01:04:19
Speaker
All right, Matt, ah thank you so much for joining us. Hey, thanks so much for having us. And good luck with Big Boy. Big Boy, Bad Boy. Big Boy Bobby. Big Boy's next year. Good luck with Bad Boy. Thank you so much.
01:04:37
Speaker
One of the best things about this craft beer industry of ours is the way everyone shares, collaborates and lends a helping hand when needed. But as so often happens, those good deeds can sometimes go unnoticed.
01:04:48
Speaker
Well, now with the support of Rowling's Labels, Stiggers and Packaging, who are themselves known for their outstanding service and strong relationships with the industry, we're delighted to give every good beer citizen a bit of well-deserved recognition. We're calling on you to nominate anyone who's gone out of their way to help you out.
01:05:05
Speaker
It doesn't matter how big or small, it's just a ah wonderful way to give that person or business a shout out and thank you. We'll highlight the best nominees on the Crafty Pint podcast and lucky winners of the Donna Rowling's Good Deed will win a Rowling's gift voucher and earn a big thumbs up. from friends and colleagues.
01:05:23
Speaker
So what are you waiting for? Give that good deed a shout out. Head to craftypint.com forward slash railings and nominate today.
01:05:33
Speaker
The Crafty Pint podcast is produced and edited by Matt Hoffman. You can get all your beer related news and reviews on the Crafty Pint website, craftypint.com and can stay up to date on future podcast episodes via our socials.
01:05:47
Speaker
We wouldn't be able to produce the podcast or the website, the events or festivals we run without the support of the beer industry, whether that's suppliers, bars, breweries or bottle shops. If you'd like to support the show or partner with The Crafty Pine in other ways, please reach out to Craig via the details in the show notes.
01:06:03
Speaker
And if you're a beer lover who'd like to support what we do, you can join our exclusive club for beer lovers, The Crafty Cabal. Visit craftycabal.com for more. And until next time, drink good beer.