Daniel Connell Is Always Sore, Has A Sleepwalking Son, And Thinks E-Scooters Are ‘A Stain On Society’

Daniel Connell is always sore – so much so, in fact, he’s literally named his new live show I’m Always Sore. The acclaimed standup comic debuted it at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival – his tenth consecutive year performing at the iconic event – where crowds were left clenching at their sides from laughing so hard.

Last Friday (June 16), Connell launched his national I’m Always Sore tour at the Northern Republic venue in Euroa, a small town of some 3,100 about two hours north of Naarm/Melbourne. Next up on the itinerary will be a show in Naarm itself – scheduled for Friday July 14 at Comedy Republic – before he rolls through a further 16 cities, leading well into October. More info on all the shows (including tickets) can be found here. 

Before he picks the tour back up, we cornered Connell (against his will, obviously) to chat about killing time and staying fit on the road, being given wads of cash by his generous fans, his undying hatred for e-scooters, and his goddamn terrifying child.

So firstly, this tour has a really solid mix of capital cities and regional hotspots, which is rad to see! How do the crowds tend to differ between metro crowds and those off the beaten path?

I find the crowds react the same to my jokes whether I’m in the city or [in] regional areas. Being a country boy, I feel a bit more at home in the regional areas, but the material itself gets the same reaction – they throw tomatoes for the bad jokes, then stand and cheer for the good ones. The only difference I notice is in what the punters are wearing, I see a lot more shorts and thongs at the regional shows, but weirdly, a lot more mullets in the city. 

In this spirit of this tour’s (depressingly relatable) title, what are your biggest or most foolproof tips to staying fit on the road?

I like to have a stroll around the town or city I’m in and stretch the legs. I like to do a little workout in my motel room. I do deadlifts with the TV, curls with the kettle, I tape the pillows to the walls and use them as punching bags, I talk to myself in the mirror, I do shoulder press with the ironing board. I try to mix it up in each motel I enter. 

If you tape your pillows to the wall, be sure to take them down before you check out. Motel owners hate it when you don’t.

Have you ever injured yourself during a performance? 

I put my back out about ten minutes into a gig in Melbourne once. I reached over to take a drink of water and my back went. I didn’t say anything, but eagle-eyed punters would have noticed that I didn’t move a muscle for the next 45 minutes. They probably noticed I was crying also. 

What are your favourite ways kill time between shows?

I do enjoy a town’s attraction. I like the big things – the Big Lobster, the Big Banana, the big Sydney Harbour Bridge… If a town’s got a big thing, I’m there with bells on. If the town/city doesn’t have a big attraction, and I’ve got time to kill, then I’ll get the tape out and pop those pillows up, and get punching. 

You’ve got this quote from the Herald Sun on your poster: “Daniel Connell will leave you laughing, smiling and really just wanting to have [a] beer with the bloke.” It’s got me curious – do you often spend time with your fans before/after shows, or run into them at pubs / out and about? What’s the best fan interaction you’ve ever had? 

I love a chat with people after the show, especially the ones who hand me wads of cash. It’s weird that they want to give me wads of cash, but who am I to turn it down? If you ever feel the need to hand me a wad of cash, go for it.

The best fan interaction I’ve had was after a show in Perth, when I was waiting for an Uber and got approached by a couple of fellas. They were mucking around and saying I was shit and not funny, but I knew they were mucking around, haha funny guys. 

What is your beef with e-scooters? 

I think they’re a stain on society. I can’t go for a walk in any of our beautiful cities without worrying I’m going to get wiped out by some drunk idiot doing 25 kilometres an hour on a skinny metal horse – piss off. Whoever approved them needs to be run over by one, in my humble opinion. 

You’ve said that your son is “keeping [you] on [your] toes” – what’s the most unhinged thing he’s done to you lately?

He’s just started sleepwalking, which is just great. Sometimes I find him at 3am standing still in the hallway – terrifying stuff, Blair Witch sort of vibes. Our doctor suggested we lock him up in his bedroom overnight. I thought that was a bit harsh, I’m not gonna lock him up all day and all night.

DANIEL CONNEL
‘I’M ALWAYS SORE’ 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Friday July 14 – Melbourne, Comedy Republic
Saturday July 15 – Newham, Mechanics Institute
Saturday July 29 – Sydney, The Comedy Store
Sunday July 30 – Newcastle, Comedy Club
Saturday August 12 – Ballarat, Mechanics Institute
Thursday August 17 – Hobart, The Clubhouse
Friday August 17 – Launceston, Fresh Comedy
Saturday September 2 – Albury, Entertainment Centre
Thursday September 7 – Brisbane, Sit Down Comedy Club
Saturday September 9 – Brisbane, Sit Down Comedy Club
Saturday September 16 – Darwin, Entertainment Centre
Thursday September 21 – Moama, Rich River Gold Club
Thursday September 28 – Traralgon, Gippsland Performing Arts Centre
Friday October 6 – Perth, Oasis Comedy Club
Saturday October 7 – Perth, Oasis Comedy Club
Thursday October 12 – Bendigo, Comedy Festival
Saturday October 14 – Warrnambool, Mozart Hall

Tickets: alist.com.au