Game of Life with Dan and Harman

Dan is joined by comedian and actor, Blake Pavey!We chat about filming his special, timestamping certain moments as a comedian, not looking back, getting humbled by bad gigs, choosing an opening act, connecting with fans through illness, taking the time to write a new show, kicking into a new gear this year, working on the second season of Deadloch, the TikTok awards, putting out the first video, impersonating his Dad, blowing up online by accident, getting good advice from other comedians, the first stand up gig, getting over the embarrassment of bad gigs, being open about CF, the mindset of knowing anything could happen, trying out new material on the tour, social media, lessons learnt from his first solo show, being less nervous about driving, going overtime, vibe checking the audience, a Cairns RSL gig, performing overseas, Aussies liking the familiar, crowd work, wanting to do more acting, meeting John Cena, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo (background): Matty Parker

Dan is joined by magician, Lucas Kogaki, and he performs a trick on the show, a podcast first!We chat about the thousands of strangers he performs to each week, not being afraid of failure, the love of close up magic, having an out for everything, discovering magic on YouTube at 14, people's spectrum of knowing how tricks work, giving people a lasting sense of wonder, getting the nickname of "the magician" at school, the snowballing effect of becoming a magician, the imposter syndrome of being a magician, the blend of card tricks & mentalism, staying original, needing to do the same trick a million times to perfect it, initially being too obsessed with magic, the best reactions, forming a stage show, performing at hens parties, having self respect as a performer, the nuances of mentalism, wanting to do his own TV show, doing magic on nights out, the most rewarding gigs, not scripting out material, unwavering self belief, magic happening naturally, having discussions about the larger things in life, business cards, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo: Matty Parker

Dan is joined by comedian, Luke Kidgell!We chat about the birth of Keg Touring, admin, the thought behind the "You Don't Own Me" video, getting weirdly big in the Philippines, performing internationally, most things being universal, the barrier between Australia and New Zealand, preparing for tours, saying yes, the love of performing, finding the love for stand up, the first gig, the soul crushing game of comedy, seeing material through, posting to the socials, overseeing everything, editing, getting better at talking to people, forming an hour show, following tangents, watching comedy, reviews, knowing his fans names, being a fun vibe comedian, crowd work, the first instance in which he called himself a comedian, performing at Hamer Hall, swearing, procrastinating, replying to emails, working with his brother, hiring his Mum to handle merch, loving the variety of his job, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo (background): Matty Parker

The 300th episode is here! Dan is joined by the incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and musician, Michael Paynter! We chat about the busy year he has had, multitasking, the Great Australian Songbook tour, taking risks, the profile lift of Jesus Christ Superstar, the naivety going into music theatre, leading a company, the viral video moment of Jesus Christ Superstar, planning and organization, being a failed lawyer, getting a record deal at a young age, having a passion and following it, finding the balance, meeting and performing with Jimmy Barnes, not taking anything for granted, staying in the moment, having a good instinct of what's good, being a man of faith, getting lost in moments, when he's at his worst, working with Reuben Kaye, the connections he made on JCS, compartmentalizing his energy, giving yourself grace, being a bit better than yesterday, being confident with the gifts you share with the world, bringing your best, a bicep injury, giving it everything, and a whole lot more! Cover Photo (background): Matty ParkerCatch Michael on tour! Michael is a performer you HAVE to see live! All the relevant links to find Michael below.https://michaelpaynter.com/https://www.instagram.com/michaelpaynterhttps://www.facebook.com/michaelpayntermusichttps://open.spotify.com/artist/0mCK5i2RVWTwvL9ZXbzUP0?si=-aZDNUnvQoWaw-BzFuO4kQ&nd=1&dlsi=3e9d771baedf414ehttps://www.youtube.com/MichaelPaynterTVhttps://music.apple.com/au/artist/michael-paynter/204866000

Dan is joined by husband and wife music duo Ryan Bondy (in person this time) AND Hilary Cole AKA Casino People!We chat about the move back to Australia, Ryan being a secret Australian, Hilary's culture shock moving to the US, standing up for the tipping culture, living in the epicenter of the pandemic, the origin story of Casino People, learning how to collaborate, the moment they decided to perform and release the music, recording the album, the unreal experience working with a band, the fun of singing with each other, being vulnerable at a Speakeasy, making inspiring connections, their first Australian open mic, learning curves, the process behind writing their songs, the long wait of getting Ryan's guitar across the ocean, the purge of material goods in preparing the move to another country, breakfast baseball, coming up with the name of Casino People, vintage costuming, the streaming & social media world, having a body of work, merch, not taking themselves too seriously, being a little less hungry for approval, finding the hunger for theatre again, the shift of perspective once they had their son Otis, having an inner circle, the difficulty of leaving behind close friends in America, hard resets, building great communities, the songs that mean the most to them, and a whole lot more!Ryan and Hilary were even kind enough to take the episode out on one of their songs! A podcast first!Cover Photo: Matty ParkerGo check out Casino People! Links below.https://casinopeoplemusic.com/https://www.instagram.com/casinopeople_/https://open.spotify.com/artist/3APOs2MKt7ZAO4uEhQHtoJ

Dan is joined by Lucas Banim from NTH RD!! This chat really set the tone and raised the bar for the rest of the year!We chat about how NTH RD's Asian tour came about, the ever expanding fan base, being in control of your own fate, the importance of getting just one yes, taking appreciation at face value, the non gig related highlights of the Asian tour, putting faith in people you've never met, realising the band could achieve anything, persistence, needing to go through the challenges to find success, letting go of your ego, starting as a high school band, the origin story of NTH RD's name, the gradual process of figuring it all out, sacrifices, working out what you can bring to the table, upskilling, embracing your character, future planning, reminding yourself that the industry is non-linear, focusing on the now, taking breaks, not taking anything for free, teaching guitar, being good at getting things done, understanding yourself better starting from scratch, relaying knowledge, valuing the impact of what it means to have a mentor, sustaining a fanbase, the merchandise, taking risks, the upcoming tour, capturing how you've changed as an artist, the song that means the most to him, his dream tour lineup, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo: Matty ParkerGet tickets for NTH RD's 3 cities in 3 days tour, supporting The Rasmus. Link below.https://thephoenix.au/rasmus-2026/Follow Lucas and NTH RD on all the socials! Links below.https://www.instagram.com/lucasbanim/https://guitarandbasslessons.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/nth_rd/https://nthrd.band/https://open.spotify.com/artist/73UZc0Keik8oWph7AvLIQD

Dan is joined by comedy legend, Dave Hughes!We chat about what it's like being a comedy legend, keeping a journal, writing something down everyday, comedy being all around us, his unused podcasting van, the first instances in which fame started to hit, putting Centrelink on the map, the cathartic experience of sharing embarrassing stories, failure becoming success, knowing he made the right call to become a comedian at a young age, being in the moment on stage, not getting nervous anymore, presenting at the Logies, overseas work, meeting fans after shows, meeting Brad Pitt, the injury that went viral, documenting his life to the end, converting the haters, not caring what people think, reviewers, sensitivity, ego, working in radio, loving the crowd, not needing an audience to go through your material, never cancelling shows, not holding grudges, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo (background): Matty Parker

Kicking off 2026!Dan is joined by actor, Spencer Garrett!We chat about what people recongnise him for as a character actor, his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation, keeping it simple, not being able to sleep the night before a job, the anxiety of the drive home, being a third generation actor, not having a plan to be an actor, teaching, the lightbulb moment he fell in love with acting, the no brainer of becoming an actor, the drive to create, moments of doubt, loving the 'act' of it, going all in with your passion and heart, thinking about how lucky he is every time he arrives on a set, the sting of rejection never going away, not taking anything for granted, taking what works for you, starting the infamous character actor dining society, constantly teaching yourself, playing real life people, surrounding himself with wise people, no shame in good honest work, the current state of the industry, working on Air Force One, creating fleeting families, priding himself on his work ethic, the cancellation of The Residence, and a whole lot more!Cover Photo (background): Matty Parker