Tom and Alex are the knights in shining armor of breakfast radio; presenters with the ability to brighten even the worst of mornings. They are now bringing their delectable humour to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, with their live broadcast event Good Az Friday. As Dyson discusses everything from his friendship with Ballard to his happy feet, it becomes very clear that this dynamic duo isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Dyson proves to be a fascinating specimen, and quirkily so; a man of many ambitions. For anyone who has had to look twice at Art Vs Science’s video for their song Magic Fountain, yes, that is Dyson, and yes, he loves to dance. “Art Vs Science were in the studio one day and we were having a dance off. I heard that they were holding auditions for their videoclip, so I went along, competing with all these pro dancers.” He cheekily mentions his disappointment in not being selected for Dancing With The Stars this year: “I’m sure my turn will come when they finally decide to start pooling their ‘stars’ from Triple J. I have to admit I am a little jealous of Haley and Nathan Bracken.”
Dancing dreams aside, Dyson speaks of his Triple J co-host Ballard in the highest esteem, and notes the journey of their discovery with much humility and somewhat surprise. “Tom and I started out on community radio in Warrnambool [3 Way FM]. Tom’s brother used to do it and thought it was fun, so we decided to give it a go. Tom was performing at Raw Comedy and Triple J noticed him. We sent in some demos to the station after that and it went from there.
“Moving cities has probably been the biggest change, and the fact that this is my first full time job,” Dyson laughs. “We really just do things to annoy each other, so that’s a point of difference. I am still surprised people listen to us, but our main goal is to just try and make it enjoyable.”
Dyson goes on to explain just what tickles his funny bone: “Lots of things do; it varies. TV shows like The Office and Seinfeld are always good, along with funny cat videos. I enjoy comedy that is honest; when they aren’t afraid to say things that I maybe don’t have the guts to [do] myself. That is always a refreshing quality in a show”, says Dyson, of the talent showcased at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival every year.
Good Az Friday promises to combine the best in music and comedy, with Dyson extremely enthused over this year’s special guests. “Washington will be there, and heaps of comedians like Dave Callan, Dave O’Doherty and Wil Anderson will be joining us too.”
Dyson mentions that Sam Simmons, comedian and regular Triple J guest, is also a favourite of his. “He is always so peculiar…” Dyson says that last year proved to be such a success, that he and Ballard are excited by the opportunity to host the free show again. “Melbourne is such a great town, so it is good to embrace that.”
