Comedian, writer & Filmmaker

Category: <span>Blog</span>

Melbourne Comedy Festival 2013

Oh Hai,

I know you think the best time to tell you about shows I’m doing in a festival is before that festival starts, but that’s just because you assume you know how this crazy business works.

In fact, recent studies have shown that the optimal time to let audiences know about shows you’re doing is EXACTLY HALFWAY THROUGH the run. Doesn’t sound right to me, but a guy on a tram told me. He then said something about needing a dollar and that he had a legion of spiders, so I assume he went to Uni or something.

Anyway, I’m in Melbourne doing a show called “Edinburgh Festabesta” at the Last Laugh Comedy Club. The great news is that also appearing on the lineup is Troy Kinne and probably my favourite comedian in Australia, Lawrence Mooney.

Loz has the ability to make me laugh from so far down in my gut that I make noises I didn’t know I could make. I have sat in audiences and laughed so hard I actually cried, and my stomach burned from joy.

Not only that, he has a special place in my heart because I had a drink with him in Adelaide many years ago with a lady friend of mine after a show. He asked her if we were dating and although she meant to say “no”, she accidentally said “not yet”. Flash forward to a few months ago and I made her my wife.

Now I don’t know if she was scheming me or if Loz put the suggestion into her head, but most probably his comedy released endorphins into her soul, I said hello and she mistook the feeling for love.

Anyway. I’m really enjoying the show, and if you’d like to come along, you can get tickets here: Edingburgh Festabesta.

Also, you totally missed Festival Fishbowl in the Adelaide Fringe, but you can check out all the episodes on YouTube.

Cheers,
Jas

P.S. If you wondering why I didn’t perform a new show in Adelaide or Melbourne this year, its because we got married in November, I moved back to Adelaide, then went on a honeymoon and got back the day before Fringe started. I’m super-keen to do one next year, but I was also keen to not ruin our honeymoon by being my usual self-absorbed pre-festival self. I found plenty of other, newer ways to ruin it.

Free Emotichong download!

Hey Errbody!

For the next little while, you can download my Emotichong show for FREE!

Just sign up for my newsletter, and I’ll email you a link where you can find it.

(If you want to buy the physical DVD with an hour of extras, go to www.jasonchong.com.au/store) Read More

Il Dago II

Il Dago II

One of the biggest shows at this year’s Fringe! Australian and International Comedy Ledgends George Kapinaris, Joe Avati and Simon Palomares with some idiot as host. 8pm Thursday to Sunday at the Arkaba.

NEWSFLASH!

Due to demand, we’ve had to add more shows!  Extra show are Tues 15th, Wed 16th and Thurs 17th March.  For more info or to book tickets, call the Arkaba on 8338 1100.

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The Late Night All-Star Comedy Band Thang

The Late Night All-Star Comedy Band Thang

The Diplophonics are back! Adelaide comedians provide the backing for guest artists to join us on stage to belt out your favourite songs (until they forget the words and need your help).

This is the first place to find out each night’s lineups!

Saturday nights in the Umbrella Revolution, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights from 12:30 till 2am. 

Lineup for Saturday March 12: Mark Trenwith, Alan Anderson, Andrew O’Neil, Koralline Chandler, Christophe Davidson, Danny McGinlay, Janet McLeod, Gordon Southern, Kate Burr, George Kapiniaris, Angus Hodge, Chris Knight, Marcel Lucont, Jenny Wynter

Click the pic for tickets! 

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Hello Edinburgh!

I’m performing at the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time ever!

The show includes all of my favourite bits so far, which will make it a really fun show, and also make it very hard to top next year, so see me before I peak!

The show is at 11:30PM August 4-30 in the Turret Room at the Gilded Balloon.  You can get tickets here:

www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/jason-chong-minority-retort

or you can find me out and about flyering in the rain.

If you’re here because you’ve come to the show and want to find out more about me, thanks heaps for taking the time, and you might also want to check out my video project at www.tensecseducation.com

Bring it on, Northern Hemisphere!

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Reel Life Aftermath

Jason Chong’s Reel Life is done at the Adelaide Fringe, thanks to everyone who came to see it.  It received a Judges Commendation at the Fringe awards which was lovely too.

A big thankyou to everyone involved – especially Kirsty who did heaps of work behind the scenes and pushed a lot of buttons each night, Mark Trenwith who directed me, Justin who was my venue tech, Screamdance for sponsoring me, the Garden of Unearthly Delights for having me, and the City of Holdfast Bay for helping me out with rehearsal space.

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Jason joins Il Dago

G’Day / Ciao / Yiassou / Ni hao / ¡Hola!

I’m joining the Il Dago tour which kicks off really soon on it’s 2010 Australian Tour.  The Sydney shows begin on April 8th and the Melbourne shows start on April 28th.  Dates for the rest of the country will be added soon.

Il Dago is a multi-award winning show with Joe Avati, Simon Palomares, George Kapiniaris and some guy called Jason Chong will be your MC.  I went as a punter to an Il Dago show last time around, and they are huge – and even finish with a bit of opera, for you classy sons-of-goats.

Check www.ildago.com.au for all the dates and details.

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Grandparent's Make Kids Fat – 17th February 2010

It turns out that one of the reasons our children are in an obesity epidemic is because grandparents are over feeding them. So I’m outside my grandmas old house at Hargraeves Rd in Middleton, trying to scam a slice of cake for breakfast.

The study says that grandparents spoil their grandkids with sweets and then are too old to run around with them, which is helping make the kids chubby.

When did this happen? I had a supergran and I never liked visiting her because when we used to go around, the only food on offer was wholemeal toast and after breakfast she’d make me carry around her golf clubs as she played a cheeky 18 holes before a salad lunch. I never realised I could be fleecing the old bat for biscuits.

And even so, I still turned out a nugget. Probably because I had other grandparents who would spoil me rotten. On one side we had nan and pop and on the other side nandos and pop-tarts.

It’s scientific: as we grow up, grandmas shrink, so it gets harder and harder for them to put the biscuit tin our of reach. But that’s just a lack of discipline. I know old people can climb things – I’ve seen heaps of them dancing on tables on Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show.

When I’m grandpa and my grandkids come over, I’m going to tape a chocolate bar to the back of a remote control car, and the little fatties can chase it around the back yard for a while. Actually, when I’m a grandpa, I’ll probably be a bit evil and senile, so I’ll tell them it’s a chocolate bar, but it’ll really be a dog poo. Take that, you chunky monkey! Read More

Winter Olympics – 15th February 2010

I’m here in the Ice Arena at Thebarton training my icicles off cos I reckon there’s still time to make the winter olympics team.

Our chances of winning a medal are as good as ever, but unfortunately, that’s pretty much zero, and I reckon we’re going about it the wrong way. Instead of competing at sports that all the other countries have grown up with, we need to make up sports and get them into the Winter Olympics.

So the first event I’m suggesting involves 2 things we’ve all grown up with. Ice skating at the Ice Arena and Jump Rope For Heart.

That’s right, Ice skipping. I’m not sure of the rules or anything, but I do know one thing. It’s just past 7am in the morning, I’ve got my skates on, a skipping rope and I’m about as wobbly as your dad at Christmas.

How many jumps do you reckon I’ll get to before I go belly up? (Turned out that 4 was as good as I got)

I’ll be back a little later this morning with another event – this one involves me, speed and bowling pins.

 
You can see the photos and video of this one and my Toboggan Ten Pin Bowling Effort here: 

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