Nick Cody may be known for his luxuriant ginger beard, but this Melbourne comedian is no hipster. “There are men with beards, and then there are nerds with facial hair,” says Cody. “I’m definitely not a hipster. I wear skinny jeans, but I also do dead lifts and play sport.”
Experiencing Cody’s matey, down-to-earth stand-up is like overhearing a story at the pub. His act has taken him to clubs across Europe and onto the stage of Conan, and has made him a fixture on an unmanageably long list of Aussie TV programs. He’s now gearing up for appearances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival where he has performed so many times he’s lost count.
“The Melbourne festival is definitely my favourite show, because my buddies from all over come ‘round my city for a month,” says Cody. “I also like Melbourne shows because I get to sleep in my own bed.”
Travel is a passion for Cody and he doesn’t like to spend tour downtime sitting around in his hotel room. Cody’s last European tour took him not just to typical stop-offs like London and Amsterdam, but also to Serbia, Bulgaria and the Baltic states.
“I don’t see myself as an ambassador for Australia – I’m just an ambassador for me,” says Cody. “I think that’s the government’s job – they have actual ambassadors.”
YouTube and Netflix have fuelled the growth of a new stand-up culture in regions like post-Soviet Europe. Getting Estonians and Lithuanians to laugh at Aussie jokes isn’t actually that challenging, says Cody.
“In a lot of the countries where English is their third language, they’re more switched-on than around the Gold Coast, which I find quite amazing,” says Cody. “The Gold Coast beaches are too nice – people there don’t have to focus too much.”
Cody has also blurred the line between business and pleasure by becoming a beer spokesperson. Moët & Chandon has Federer, Nespresso has Clooney and now Carlton Dry beer has Nick Cody. “After recording the ads, I’ve just gotten to drink a lot of beer,” says Cody. “It’s a pretty good job, all things considered.”
Cody’s act isn’t what you’d call edgy, but some things do push his buttons. Loose Unit, Cody’s 10th solo show, touches on his aggravation with people who do things like go through airport scanners with their keys still in their pockets. Even the most easy-going bloke is bound to have a few pet peeves.
“It’s hard to correct strangers, but I try to do it through stand-up,” says Cody. “I just put things that I’m very angry about in there, and hopefully people who do those things will notice.”
The show will also give audiences a view into the debates Cody and his wife have had about kids. “What do I want my kids to be like?” muses Cody. “Do I want them to have as much fun as I had? I just don’t want them to be nerds, pretty much.”
