CV

Nick Sun: Joymeat
Live Review

Nick Sun abhors comfort. The fact that either he or his audience might know exactly where they stand is anathema, and he’ll do anything to subvert that. While this particular performance, though by no means conventional, goes pretty well, you can almost feel him fighting the urge to throw a spanner into the works.

But he restrains himself. And by that, I mean he ends up on all fours barking like a demented pig-dog, grunting the same punchline into the microphone dozens of times and plunging this makeshift venue into and out of pitch darkness every time he says the word ‘frangipani’ – which occurs rather more often than you would think. This, on his terms, is a tight performance.

Such extreme surrealism elicits those laughs of discomfort that Sun seeks, despite his blatant contempt for audiences or, indeed, the entire process of ‘comedy’. His apparent displays of psychotic behaviour prove strangely funny; the primeval response to a threat dissipated while still remaining nervously alert.

Amid the madness are some routines you could nearly call conventional… the stretch Hummer chunk has a barbed whimsy, while the multi-layered material that brilliantly fuses the fact that all foetuses start as females with mankind’s African origins is inspired in its warped, convention-rattling logic.

Such segments anchor the more outrageous examples of Sun’s raw disdain. Most comics who promise unhinged lunacy actually deliver it in its non-scary form known as zany. With Sun, you often get the real deal, where being genuinely disconcerted and/or baffled is just as valid a response as laughter.

By forging an fragile alliance of inspired, well-thought through gags with this more unconstrained oddness, Sun has created a show that is almost accessible, without abandoning his need to disrupt. The result is still a bumpy ride – and you’d be hard-pressed to recommend Joymeat unconditionally – but there’s certainly interesting work being done here away from Sun’s usual compunction to self-sabotage.

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Nick Sun is the best thing I saw at Edinburgh this year (2011). The gig started with the terrifyingly defiant ejection of a heckling thug who just wouldn't shut up at the start. After threatening to cancel the gig, then cheering himself on and booing himself alternately from the front row, Nick clambered onto chairs in the front of the audience, singing "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near?" through hallucination-strength analogue delay FX, till said thug eventually departed - someone video'd this, it was a moment of genius and I do hope it makes it to YouTube. I don't want to talk about the rest of the show in specifics as I don't want to give spoilers, but from I saw, Nick Sun is fearless in his depiction of light and shade, reason and nonsense, audience expectations and what comedy is meant to be. I was laughing so much I was hurting and I'm still experiencing intense inspiration days later. Not seen or heard anything as strong as this since a certain W. M Hicks. Well, someone has to say it…

ohcheers.com, August 2011

This man is completely surreal and shocking, the whole time I was watching him I was petrified. His set is genius and hilarious and his audience interaction is fantastic. This is the best act I have ever seen because Nick Sun breaks many of the boundaries of comedy, he's the Sex Pistols of comedy.

Danny, July 2011

Akin to watching somebody recite Ted Bundy fan-fiction - whilst crying and masturbating. It's a stretch to even call what this guy does 'comedy So, highly recommended. Obviously.

Dave Tearoc, January 2007

Different from the rest. Nick Sun is a hell of a improvised comedian and really shined last night in Adelaide.

Stu, March 2006

Best comedian ever

Dylan To the Max, March 2006

This guy is OK. In truth I and others found it hard to understand him. I saw him on a raw night at Rawhide in Liverpool. I can only assume from the good reviews he has had he was trying out some new material

Neill, January 2006

At times Nick seems a little introverted to deliver his material with the optimum conviction. It is only when he steps into his alter-ego "Clownbot" that his talent really shines. His soliloquy as a Calculator is a must see

Marwell, November 2005

Nick has an extremely good set, with absolutely loads of quality material, which he sells extremely well. More than aware of his shortcomings (which are few) and is working on them, which is an excellent sign. Spoke of "jumping ship" when things got a bit quiet, he shouldn't. Bags of good material, delivered just right.

Dave Longley, November 2005

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