Comic, Singer, Dancer, Actor, Magician
Simon is one talented bloke. He's a comic, singer, dancer, actor and magician all rolled up in a bundle of human. Simon has written for popular shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell and Magic for Humans on Netflix. He's also spent time producing his own hour long comedy special, popping up on shows like Comedy Up Late and Just for Laughs.
He's clever, funny and right on the money.
Simon's Website:
www.simontaylorfunnyboy.com
Simon on Instagram:
@simontaylorfunnyboy
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“Learn Excel. They're like, nah, about like my stand-up. I'm like, it's not important.”
“We just pushed our feelings down until we lashed out at the barista for not making the coffee hot enough.”
“The audience is doing all the work. I'm just saying the thing that I thought of and then doing what the audience tells me to do.”
“So that dude might be hilarious on stage, but if you're not, if you're not going to play the game of normal society, you know what I mean?”
“You find your people and you're good to the people around you, and that kind of— and, you know, you work on the projects that you, you, um, you know, want to work with.”
“When their opinion supersedes your evidence, that's a bad producer because they don't know.”
“Thank you for not blowing your load on me too soon.”
“But why when you're born though? Like, what, what's the diff— like, what happens to you as a human when you come out of the womb?”
How should freelancers or creatives handle unpredictable income?
Learn to use a spreadsheet (Excel) to track cash flow and calculate exactly how long you can survive without new income; this removes anxiety about not knowing where the next paycheck is coming from and lets you plan which projects to prioritize.
What's the best process for writing new stand-up jokes?
Start with just a one-line premise rather than fully writing out a bit; test it on stage quickly, and only keep developing it into a longer routine if the audience response (the 'gauge') shows it's worth the time, so you don't waste days polishing material nobody finds funny.
How can you get repeat corporate comedy bookings?
Be reliable, inoffensive within the client's risk tolerance, and good to work with (don't demand things, be professional with staff) since bookers often choose a merely funny-but-easy-to-work-with comic over a brilliant but difficult one, because their own job is on the line if something goes wrong.
What should a producer do to support a show rather than hurt it?
A good producer gives performers a practical framework (time limits, content rules for broadcast standards) but trusts the performer's own tested, audience-validated material rather than overriding it with personal taste; stifling creative control can actively harm a show.
How do you find a good psychologist?
Ask friends, family, or your doctor for a referral rather than Googling, since people who know you can match you to someone who speaks your language; be willing to try a few before finding the right fit, and trust the process even if the first session doesn't click.
How should an aspiring comedian or creator approach marketing versus just doing gigs?
Success in comedy ('show business') requires more than grinding out gigs — it requires marketing, branding, and understanding your audience/demographic; doing the business work alongside the creative work is what separates profile and income from just having a good show.
Simon describes living in New York for eight months as a touring comedian, using Excel to calculate exactly how much he could spend per day to survive without extra income, and reminiscing about $1 pizza with hot sauce at 2am.
Simon workbenches a new premise live on the show: that it's cheaper to fly a child to Adelaide and back than to pay a babysitter, and recounts that the bit got a huge, unexpected laugh the night before.
Simon performs a full extended comedic routine live, starting from the relatable premise of a full iPhone and escalating through a jailbroken app scam, a trip to Russia, joining the mafia, and a John Wick-style massacre, ending back at the original joke about phone storage.
Simon explains he dropped a reliably funny bit about an old man confused by a Dyson hand dryer because, on reflection, it didn't reflect who he actually is and just mocked an old person without a personal truth behind it.
Simon recounts how Gold radio hosts Joe and Lemo were slated to be axed, lost their heavily note-giving producer in the process, and without a replacement producer became the #1 rated show for six months purely on their own chemistry.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
He keeps a running list of one-line premises in his phone's notes app, performs them briefly at shows (often open mics) to gauge audience reaction, and only invests more writing time in premises that get traction, to avoid wasting a day perfecting a joke that turns out not to be funny.
From episode 574→A bad producer overrides a performer's tested, audience-proven material with their own subjective opinion about what an audience wants, whereas a good producer sets practical constraints (time, cleanliness) and otherwise trusts the performer's evidence from live testing.
From episode 574→Simon Taylor advises asking friends, family, or your doctor for a referral rather than searching Google, since connection and trust with the psychologist matter more than credentials alone, and a bad fit can waste money and time.
From episode 317→Simon Taylor says TV carries credibility because a 'gatekeeper' selected you, and can bring resources and profile, but comes with restrictions; independent platforms (podcasts, YouTube) offer more autonomy and control, as shown by Marc Maron and Bill Burr building huge followings outside the traditional system.
From episode 317→Taylor explains that TV producers look for marketable qualities beyond raw talent — a clear brand, niche demographic, social media presence, or diversity/ratings appeal — so a comic who masters marketing can outperform a technically better comic who hasn't built a brand.
From episode 317→Mentioned on 11 episodes Simonwasn’t on.
A comedian/magician guest Josh mentions who shared a story about extreme lengths magicians go to for tricks.
Comedian discussed as an example of visible ambition that other comedians looked down on but Josh admired.
Mentioned as a recent guest and sober, strategic comedian compared to Natalie's relaxed approach.
Josh's magician friend mentioned in context of fake hands and magic tricks; they discuss getting him on the show.
A friend of Josh's who wrote jokes for Jay Leno and was a community radio magician; planned to be a future podcast guest.
Josh mentions making a mini documentary about this Melbourne comedian who wrote for Jay Leno.
Josh's comedian friend who had a pregnancy scare after a fling, which became material for his comedy show.
Named by Tommy as a comedian he respects for hustling and making things happen regardless of circumstance.
Every episode featuring Simon Taylor on The Daily Talk Show.
Simon Taylor joined Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen on Episode 574 (10 January 2020) — "Simon Taylor On Testing & Listening". Simon Taylor is back for Weekend Banter! We chat about testing and working comedy sets, feedback, the importance of listening, and we role-play some Dungeons & Dragons.
Simon Taylor joined Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen on Episode 317 (2 April 2019) — "Simon Taylor On Star Signs & Show Biz". we're joined by Simon Taylor. Simon is a comic, singer, dancer, actor and magician all rolled into one. Simon has written for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell and Magic for Humans on Netflix whilst also producing his own one-hour comedy special. We discuss: - Star si...