Dave O’Neil

Dave O’ Neil is a Melbourne based standup comic who has held audience in stitches for the last twenty years. He brings an authentic Aussie brand of comedy to the stage and draws humor from real life situations. A husky voice and a serious face tell you little about the mayhem that O’Neil can create when he has the stage to himself. A hugely talented performer, he has also proven his mettle at acting, music and writing. But standup comedy is his thing, and he’s true to it despite his celebrity status.

Dave started as a standup artist when he was working with the Red Cross back in the 80s. He delivered talks and conducted training sessions only to find out that he enjoyed telling jokes and making people laugh. He was also the bass guitarist of the Melbourne band Captain Cocoa before he ventured into radio in the early ’90s and appeared on a local radio program consecutively for five years. That cemented his reputation as a gifted comic and bolstered his standup career. You can reach Dave O’Neil via Standup Comedians to check his availability and book him for your show.

COMEDY GENRES

Dave  is  a  powerhouse  of  observational  comedy.  His  routine  also  contains  elements  from  the  blue  and  cringe genres. He cracks his punch lines with a deadpan face and incites rib-tickling laughter by revealing the ridiculous aspects of life in Australia. Although his acts often contain homophobe and explicit references, he’s crafty enough to  sugar  coat  sensitive  subjects with  heartwarming humor  and  spread giggles  around.  He’s intelligent  and  has authored several books including the bestseller Everything Tastes Better Crumbed.

Critically acclaimed as one of the most accomplished stand-ups in Australia, O’neil never misses his mark with a hall full of expectant audience. His very presence on the stage is the guarantee that the show will be a success. His serious  demeanor  creates  a  stunning  contrast  with  the  hilarious  lines  that  he  speaks,  taking  his  audience  by surprise. He is audacious with his punch lines and beams his most charming smile just as his listeners burst into uproarious laughter.

NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES

O’Neil is a regular performer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and keeps visiting other parts of Australia  to  perform  at  different  venues.  He  has  appeared  on  several  TV  shows  including  the ABC’s  Tractor Monkeys and ABC 1’s Sleuth 101 and Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight. His most memorable classic TV programs include the hit music show Spicks and Specks. He starred alongside Eric Bana in the 2002 Australian blockbuster The Nugget. In 2003, he played the role of the butcher in the Australian comedy film Take Away.

Radio seems to be O’Neils second most favorite medium, after stand-up. He has hosted dozens of radio programs consistently over the years.  His most popular radio gigs include the top-rated breakfast show Hughsy, Kate & Dave and another famous breakfast show Dave and Denise with Shaun Micallef. He may not be as famous as some of the other TV comics on this site, but he’s a stand-up artist who makes it impossible to leave the show without a smile on your face.

An atmosphere some comedians would kill to be able to generate sitting in Dave O’Neil’s audience is genuinely to feel like you’ve stumbled into a relaxed conversation among friends… there’s an engaging affability… unprepossessingly goodspirited fun.–Chortle

One of our most accomplished stand-ups-The Age

As  well  as  his  stand  up  career  Dave  is  a  skilled  radio  broadcaster  and  has  been  a  part  of  successful teams  on  Nova  100  (with  Kate  Langbroek  and  Dave  Hughes),  Vega  91.5/Classic  Rock  FM  (with  Sean Micallef  Denise  Scott  Chrissie  Swan  and  Ian  ‘Dicko’  Dickson)  and  most  recently  on  774  ABC  Radio  in Melbourne.

Dave has also become a regular part of successful TV shows such as Spicks & Specks (he is the guest with the most appearances at 49) as well as Adam Hills in Gordon St Tonightand Good News Week.

He  has  written  several  books  including  his  last  release Everything Tastes Better Crumbed…  and  other BIG  Statements  written  and  acted  in  films  (even  starring  alongside  Eric  Bana)  and  contributed  to numerous sketch comedy shows.

Testimonials

“Dave was excellent and I would certainly recommend him to my colleagues for future events (we would have him back!)

Thanks again”

Kate

“Dave was hilarious!! Exactly the type of comedy we wanted for our event and very happy with the outcome. We would definitely recommend Dave to anyone considering him and will keep him in mind for our own future events.

Thanks for all your help.”

Best Regards,

Sophie

“Dave O’Neil was fantastic at our National Conference Dinner! I can’t think of anyone who could have been better suited to our diverse group of delegates and guests.

His comedic range is great, ensuring no one left their table during his set and there was constant laughter.

Afterwards I heard only universal praise for his performance, including from the ASU National Secretary, who was the official host of the Dinner. Dave’s involvement certainly raised the overall appreciation of our key social event for the Conference.

We would not hesitate to recommend him and hope to use his services again in the future. I’m sure there is extra interest in booking Dave arising from his performance at our Dinner.” Brigid

“I just wanted to thank you for your help in organising Dave for Saturday.

He went down a treat and set the tone for the night which everyone was delighted with.”

Rgds

John (40th Birthday Party)

“Dave was brilliant. Routine suited the crowd perfectly and he was happy to mingle and meet which really meant a lot to the audience.”

Regards,

Glenn

“We were extremely impressed with Dave. His professionalism and adaptability was outstanding, from his first phone  call  to  me  to find out  more about  the audience and  event,  to  his actual performance  which felt  very personalised and relevant to our industry. He certainly did his homework and asked the right questions to deliver a fabulous set. He was very personable, and the crowd loved him. He even stayed back a little after the show and chatted with our guests – he really valued added. As the night was a networking and recognition style occasion to celebrate a challenging year, he certainly lifted everyone’s spirits.”

Thanks,

Ruth  – Community Partnerships Specialist HomeStart Finance“

Dave O’Neil did a fantastic job! From start to finish he was brilliant. We loved the way he was able to work with audience so well.  We definitely look at getting him again for future events.

Every single person who I have spoken to has provided me with really good feedback on him.

Thank you for recommending him and sending him on such short notice.”

Regards, Jennifer

“What can I say, he was absolutely brilliant.  He had the audience totally captivated and laughing from start to finish.  He was amazing speaking about his experiences as a father and as a committee member were so funny.

I spoke to a number of people after the event and they all said he was fantastic.

Can you please pass these comments on to Dave and I would certainly recommend Dave to anyone who was looking for a speaker or entertainer.

Thank you so much heading me in Dave’s direction” 

Mary

Re my 70th, young Dave performed excellently. The 80 or so guests were suitably impressed.
Mark, your choice of Dave was the right one, again I thank you for your help in making my 70th a very enjoyable and memorable one.

Kindest regards,
Peter Brown ( Director )
Lotus Corporation Pty Ltd