053: Gavin Sempel – The hard road to Raw Comedy

Gavin Sempel is one of the hardest working new comedians in Australia. At the age of 18, in March 2016, Gavin began his stand-up comedy career by enrolling in the very first School of Hard Knock Knocks course. Two years later, almost to this day, he’s done close to 300 open mic, curated, and paid gigs all around Australia. Last year, he performed his first Melbourne International Comedy Show, and this year, he’s doing it again, with his show titled ‘Plain and Sempel‘. But perhaps most impressive of all, is that Gavin won the Victorian state final for Raw Comedy – securing a spot in the Raw Comedy National Grand Final scheduled for April 15, this year. This is an underdog story. And Gavin’s performance as the headliner at the recent School of Hard Knock Knocks’ March graduation, alongside his two very first comedy mentors – Brad Oakes and Ben Horowitz – makes it all the more remarkable. The grasshopper has become the master. If you’re starting out in comedy, and want a career path mapped out for you, then this is the episode for you. And while I have you, here’s a reminder to get along to the School of Hard Knock Knocks Podcast Community group on Facebook, where we share free advice, tips and tricks, and help you kickstart your comedy career. And you don’t even have to be a graduate. It’s for everyone!