Mick Rad

The comedy festival circuit in Australia is like a right of passage for up and coming and established comedians alike. The circuit takes in all states and each year it’s a chance to check out the latest and greatest in funny acts from around the country and the world. The Brisbane Comedy Festival is fast becoming a favourite destination on the circuit as the festival grows and grows every year. This year, in it’s sweet 16th edition, the festival feels like it’s coming of age.

It was a line-up resplendent in ‘90s/’00s Australian music royalty. A line-up that has probably never been in the same place at the same time, and almost certainly never will again. Such was the bulk of the quintuple-pronged show that it started at the ungodly early time of 5:30pm on a Friday.

If you’d arrived at Sydney Olympic Park’s showground early enough (and 6pm is very early) , you’d have seen Eddie Vedder introducing the Cosmic Psychos to the crowd as one of his favourite bands. The seminal Melbourne punk band really don’t need much introduction, just a small bit of stage and a mic. What they do with it is something else. “It’s nice to be in Sydney,” declared bassist and front man, Ross Knight. “Anyway, this is Fuckwit City.” There’s certainly no spiders being molested in this set.