Our parties and holiday gatherings are normally great events, and we all look forward to silly season traditions. Last year, we had a really memorable evening. Sometimes we’ll still sit around and find ourselves laughing at some of the ridiculous events of that night.

Bob, our owner manager, had always encouraged performances at parties. The tradition started with parody songs and awful jokes, but soon devolved into a kind of ludicrous tournament where anything flew. But last year, Bob decided to one-up himself and tear down the walls.

He informed us in November that he’d booked a chartered cruise out on the harbour through Enigma Charters. It was going to be a fancy affair, he said, with everything taken care of. We were all elated to hear the news, but there was a twist. Bob had chosen the theme of stand-up comedy for this year’s performance. We’d all be given the chance to cut loose on the microphone and have some fun.

In the lead up to the big night, we were all obviously intimidated by the thought of performing. Some people had even refused to take part. Things started off a little slow, but the pace eventually spiked thanks to a downright awful set by Bob. After a few drinks started flowing, it got easier to revel in just how bad we all were. When my turn came up I froze a little, but decided to give it a go nonetheless. Thankfully, a wonderful dinner started being served and I was let off the hook.

We all enjoyed the rest of the night aboard the luxury cruise ship. The evening ended with a few of us gazing out at the harbour, happily following the city lights as they swayed on the horizon. It was truly memorable being in such a beautiful place and aboard such a lovely ship. It will surely be the benchmark against which next year’s party will be measured!

Between the 22nd of April and the 17th of May, there were so many truly awesome gigs. I tried to attend as many as my budget would allow, but even then I had just scratched the surface. The line-up included Cam Knight, Heath Franklin as Chopper, Rhys Nicholson, Bob Saget, Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen, Dom Irrera, Jimeon and too many others to name.

My personal favourite event was Bob Saget’s live show. It was caustic, dark and definitely more twisted than I might’ve expected. Dom Irrera was another standout, with the legendary comedian hammering the crowd with his full-throttle gig. The Chaser lads (Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen) also turned in a surprisingly entertaining musical comedy show which turned out to be a festival favourite.

On two occasions I attended at the Enmore Theatre, and the sense of community excitement was palatable. Sydney is a city that enjoys a good laugh and is always on the lookout for good times and fun. There were literally thousands of people out on the streets well after midnight, waiting to see their show in long, rambling queues. The atmosphere was electric and it was fun to be a part of a crowd that was genuinely elated to be seeing some real comedy legends.

It’ll be tough to beat this year’s Comedy Festival, but there’s no doubt the organisers will come up with the goods this time next year. So here’s to another year of laughs at Sydney’s most outrageously fun festival!

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The only thing more salivating than the Comedy Lounge’s funky, gourmet pizzas is the stellar lineup recently announced for the upcoming month. Boasting of some of the top comedians in the country and from across the globe, you’ll be amazed at how many laughs this intimate location can attract. The headline act and MC will also be complemented by 6-8 other comedic acts, who will be sure to have you LOLing, ROFLing and LMFAOing all over the joint.

12th August – Aaron Chen & MC Liz Stephens

Aaron Chen is one of the youngens in the Australian comedy scene, however, that by no means limits his comedic capabilities. Already being paid for comedy in Sydney at the ripe age of 16 Chen was crowned Winner of class clowns in 2012 and this year he performed as a National Finalist for Melbourne’s RAW Comedy Competition, the most prestigious open mic comedy tournament in the country. Chen’s natural skill for the stage and his quirky attributes of wanting to know everything about his audience means that his career is only going to skyrocket and his ticket prices hike up – so see him now to get a good view of this up and coming comedian while you can still see him up close.

19th August – Jacques Barret & MC James Rochford

Barrett is a very flexible performer: no we don’t mean he has contortionistic tendencies but rather can adapt his performances to suit any audience and have every viewer struggling to keep their pants dry. His insightful remarks and hilarious impressions mean that his career is definitely on the rise. Barret and Rochford are a well-rehearsed duo having performed as field reporters in Channel 9’s Ralph TV, as well as co-hosting 2day FM’s late night comedy show, ‘The Wagon’ together.

26th August – Pat Burtscher & MC Matty B

Pat Burtscher seems to be a little confused when it comes to his origin, which clearly makes for the perfect comedic performer. This Austrian born, Canadian raised, UK based boy with Greek heritage has been described by Chortle and ‘undeniably funny’ and Spoonfed UK declared that he ‘had the audience in stitches’. So clearly he must be doing something right.

2nd September – Dave Jory & MC David Smeidt

Dave Jory has appeared on a number of television shows such as the NRL Footy Show and Stand Up Australia. He also makes regular appears on Triple J and has opened for many a famed comedian including Arj Barker. Yet far from being simply a warm up act, Jory will performing at the Comedy Lounge, proving his rightful place as a headline act and a bona fide icon of Australia’s comedy scene.

9th Septmber – John Cruckshank & MC Ray Badran

John Cruckshank is often described as unassuming and deadpan. He loves identifying odd things and making jokes out of them. Rather than focusing on wider issues, he loves to respond to things happening directly to him and his environment. Whatever his technique, it certainly seems to be working as Cruckshank is making huge waves in the national comedy circuit.