SYDNEY DVD LAUNCH DAVE GRANT – IS IT JUST ME?
The Comedy Brotherhood will gather @ Laugh Garage, Crn Elizabeth and Park Street, Sydney to launch Dave Grant’s DVD – Is it just me? on Tuesday 19th July 7pm. All welcome to join in and celebrate the comedy of the late Dave Grant.
DVD launch @ Station Hotel July 3rd
Today is the launch of the “Is It Just Me” DVD at the Station Hotel from 3:00pm, so please come on down and celebrate the release! The lovely people at the Herald Sun ran an article in today’s paper – http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/comedians-meet-in-memory-of-dave/story-e6frf96o-1226086217372.
Hope to see you there!
Foreword – Dave Grant’s memorial website
Welcome to Dave Grant’s memorial website.
Prior to Dave Grant’s passing from pancreatic cancer in January 2010 he expressed how important it was to him that his material was produced and released in a DVD. It was to be his last gift to his family, friends and fans, so that he would live on through his comedy for years to come.
Dave Grant’s handshake was his word, more than once he said, “If a man can’t rely on his hand shake he has nothing!”
Those who knew him would agree, that his handshake pretty much summed Dave up. His handshake was strong, powerful, decisive, reliable, honest and over flowing with integrity.
Community was a strong attribute with Dave. Dave loved the comedy community with a passion and fought for it whenever he could – he called it the brotherhood. It would be Dave’s legacy for the Comedy brotherhood to continue to stand united and ensure comedy in Australia is shown the respect that is deserved.
Dave believed in nurturing/ mentoring new talent. His belief was simple – by helping upcoming comics to be better, he would simply HAVE to be better himself. Lift his game as it were!
Dave was an active advocate for Men’s health and wellbeing. Although Dave performed for many charities, he worked particularly closely with Mensline and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
We want to capture Dave’s sense of community and Brotherhood on this site. It will include guest comedy bloggers, and we’ll be releasing periodic snippets of Dave’s older material. We also want to promote discussion about the pro’s and con’s of gigging recognizing ‘What would Dave Grant do?’ (Or as we call it WWDGD because everyone loves an acronym!)
A project like this could not have been achieved without the support of many people. We would like to thank – Marty Ralph, Kevin Whyte, Errol Kerr and John Olb Thousand Words, Justin Jamieson, Luke Fraser and Grin Creative, Mike, Adrian and Joel from Kongo Digital, the team at Madman, Artie Laing from A List and finally the love and support of the Comedy Brotherhood.
“Look after each other brothers and sisters – that’s what its all about!”
Dave Grant 1959 – 2010
Testimonial – Lehmo
Dave Grant was a pleasure to know and work with. A true gentleman who always got the best out of life and comedy professional who always got the absolute best out of a gig.
Dave had a genuine generosity of spirit that spilled out the minute you saw him. He wanted to know how you’d been, what you’d been up to, where you’d been gigging, what you were planning for tonight, how long you were doing (although i suspect this question was asked so he could help keep the gig on track) and if there was help to be had he would offer it up. He was a good man to go to for advice because he had a sharp comedy mind, in tune with the technicalities of the art form and down with what was funny.
You knew that if you were on the bill with Dave that the gig would be the absolute best that it could be. He was famous for re-arranging entire rooms – moving tables and chairs, shifting lighting rigs and adjusting the stage in order to maximise the funny. In football terms these things are referred to as 1percenters and most comedians will complain about them not being right but do little to fix the problem. Dave was the king of the 1percenters. He would turn a shit gig into a good gig and a good gig into a great gig just by rolling up his sleeves before the audience was allowed into the room.
Another 1percenter is the length of your spot. A gig has a much better chance of being good if it’s disciplined and on time without unnecessary waffle. Dave loved a stop watch and loved letting comics know, in a friendly way, how ‘disciplined’ their spot was. It was never personal and was always for the greater good of the gig and ultimately the audience.
Dave was a great man, a funny man, a family man and a man amongst men. It was my pleasure to meet and to know that man. His legacy is very real and will, no doubt, be enduring.
Lehmo
Testimonial – Lawrence Mooney
When I first started comedy I was doing a gig at the Espy, it was March 1995 and early days at the Espy on a Sunday for me. I had had a really good spot, lots of laughs. I was bouncing off stage, I pushed the door of the green room open and there were three titanic men backstage. Pommy Johnson, Col Cole and Dave Grant; as a group they made an impression. Their size struck me but so did the moment because I had dreamt about three big men the night before, the dream had cast the men as guardians so the feeling I had was of safety and security. Dave particularly gave that feeling to those around him. He was a natural protector. He had a calming effect.
Dave Grant came over and complimented my gig but not in passing, he took some time to start a conversation and talk about comedy. He invited me to their gig. The three of them were doing a comedy festival show at the time. I’ll take a stab and say it was called Comedy Kings, they could all easily play the role.
From that first meeting with Dave we always had a familiarity and mutual respect. I saw him take crowds I would have crumbled in front of, a shed full of drunken, shrieking hard men in country Western Australia springs to mind, he was the comedian before the strippers – always an invidious situation to try comedy but Dave conquered and won them heart and soul. The gratitude expressed by these men for his gladiatorial efforts verged on the devotional.
Dave could also charm the stiffest corporate gig and tease them down a path where they loosened up and abandoned themselves to him. He was a comic everyman. In politics they call them natural leaders.
Dave was a large presence in Melbourne Comedy and long will his contribution be remembered.
Lawrence Mooney
Testimonial – Rohan Gazzard
Dave was the nicest and most helpful comedians that has EVER graced this earth and I (along with many others) owe him my eternal gratitude for his constant encouragement and prompting to make myself not only a successful performer but more importantly a better person. He was a mentor, a colleague, a mate and an absolute inspiration. He lived to assist others so to this aim he was the greatest success story of all. When others had doubt he would believe, when others put down & dismissed, he would encourage. He finished his shows by stating with absolute compassion and honesty “Thankyou and remember brothers, look after yourselves…..and each other”.
Dave you were and still are MY BROTHER. RIP
Rohan Gazzard (The Bizarre Gazzard Australia’s Funniest Stage Hypnotist)
