Tell us a bit about your current show – I Wish I Had A Band.
How would I describe it? I don’t know. It’s just balls out rockin’ thunder, basically. I’ve been described as the love-child of Jack Black and Kevin Bloody Wilson, so, if that gives you an idea. This was the first show that I took to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival and I’m taking it to Edinburgh this year.
How would you describe your comedy?
My humour is… it’s just jokes. It’s just a bit of fun and I rock out and I have fun with the audience. Just high energy, escapist kind of stuff. I don’t really force issues of politics down people throats. That’s not to say I don’t have issues or politics, but I just like to have a laugh.
And audiences seem to like to laugh with me, so…
It’s so hard to answer those questions without sounding conceited.
You seem to sit, quite happily, at the crossroads between the rock music and the stand up comedy. How did you find yourself here?
Um, apart from being a failed rock musician? I just grew up on a healthy mix of comedy and music. I love my rock. I always played in bands in high school and uni. But I was also heavily influenced as a kid by Doug Anthony All Stars, and Kevin Bloody Wilson and later on, Tripod. Even Lano and Woodley were massively influential.
I Wish I Had a Band is also on CD. Was it independently produced?
Yes. We recorded it at the Sydney Comedy Store over a week and spliced it together. It’s 17 tracks plus a bonus track. There’s one studio track called What a Great Night and it’s a bit of fun as well. I recorded that with Tyrone Noonan from George.
At this stage it’s only available at gigs, but it will be available on iTunes soon.
:: Who is your favourite comedian? ::
(whistles) Tough one. There’s so many. And so many different styles.
The first comedian I ever heard was Bill Cosby, and I was such a huge Bill Cosby fan. Then I found Eddie Murphy, and everything changed. As a teenager I started getting into stuff that was a bit different. And Jimeoin’s show, back in the day, was the bomb. They did some really out there stuff.
:: Where do you find inspiration? ::
Where do you not find inspiration? It’s just everywhere. I find it in my life, in my friends, in other comedians. I find inspiration in seeing comedians that I hate. That inspires me to go, “I don’t want to be like that”.
:: What is your favourite type of heckler? ::
Oh… one that shut’s up! (laughs)
Yeah, hecklers are weird man. There’s some heckles which are great and they add to the show and then, that’s it. And then, there are some hecklers that try to take over the show.
Then they’ll come up to you afterwards and go, “Hey man. That was great, wasn’t it? I really helped you out there. You know, without me…” And you go, “What!? You ruined it. I hate you. Go away.” (laughs)
:: What is the most memorable production or performance you have seen?
Something that really inspired you. ::
Mike Keat is this Scottish comedian who just blew me away last year. His characters and his music and the way his show threaded together. The show was called The Lion, Bitch and the Wardrobe. It blew my mind. I went back and saw it three times. And that’s hard at Edinburgh because just taking the time to go and see a show takes a lot out of your day when you’re performing. He’s in a group called The Cuban Brothers who are awesome. Google the Cuban Brothers and laugh yourself stupid. They’re this Spanish break-dancing crew. It’s brilliant. And they wear lyrca.
:: Name a comic that you’d really love to support / tour with ::
Unashamedly I’d say, Jack Black. I do get compared a little bit to him, but that’s fine. When he came out I was like, “Hey man, that’s what I do!” And I have met Jack as well. I got to meet him last year when he was out and it was awesome. So yeah, I’d say if anybody in the world, I’d love to tour with Tenacious D, with Dave Grohl and everything. It’d be great.
:: Favourite recording artist? ::
Um… Guns N’ Roses.
:: Favourite album? ::
Appetite for Destruction. That wasn’t hard at all (laughs)
:: Favourite food? ::
Hmmm… Metamucil.
:: Favourite drink? ::
Metamucil.
:: Favourite place? ::
I grew up in Papua New Guinea and I would say it is my favourite place on earth. I think it’s one of the most fascinating countries in the world and not enough people know about it. And it’s right on our doorstep. It’s one of those subjects that, if it comes up, you can’t stop me. I will go on and on about it.
:: Favourite season? ::
Summer. Hands down.
:: Recommend a book ::
The Autobiography of Steven Adler. My Appetite for Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns N’ Roses.
:: Recommend a film ::
Favourite film! (laughs) Um, fuck. It’s one of those ones that I’ll walk away from saying, “Why didn’t I say that!?” I just go with something silly: Xanadu.
:: Words of wisdom ::
(thinks)
Always leave the tag on your shoes so you can take them back.
What’s next for Dave Eastgate?
The Edinburgh Festival in August. I played there last year with Brendan Burns. It was good to get an introduction there, but this year I’m back on my own, doing my own show. I’m kind of throwing everything at that.
Then the next six months I’m going to be overseas, LA and then going back to London.
And is that comedy work, or is that also theatre or…?
No it’s comedy and possibly some TV stuff. I did a short film with my girlfriend called Fully Famous, and we got into the LA Comedy Festival with it. And we got into the Hollyshorts Film Festival. So we’re also pitching that.
Wow! It is fair to say with Let’s Cheers To This, Sleeping With Sirens have came a LONG way since their first album release, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, which was released just last year, and definitely wasn’t the best way to break into the scene. I was ready to give up on the American post-hardcore band, hailing from sunny Florida, however with a deep breath and a strong cup of coffee I was ready to tackle Let’s Cheers To This and boy was I surprised.
