I should probably start this review by saying I’m completely aware of how unnecessary it is to recommend the world’s most watched live comedy podcast to my friends, family and to all the complete strangers out there, but I don’t care. I’m gonna do it anyway.
Not everyone is born funny. This is the unfortunate fact that billions of people have had to discover through life whether they like it or not. Some accept this fact better than others, and those respectable but unfortunate people will often wisely take a step back when asked to entertain at a party or at a get together with friends. Yet, there’s another group entirely that will go through life trying their absolute hardest at every possible chance to convince people they’re the funniest one in the room. These select few, the ones that are willing to go to the extreme to show how funny they are, are the exact people that might find themselves on Kill Tony. We can only hope they don’t have to learn how wrong they are in front of an audience of several million live viewers. And that’s exactly what Kill Tony is all about.
Now ranking as the top live podcast in the world, Kill Tony is a weekly comedy podcast hosted for free on YouTube by the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and his friend Brian Redban. Together, often paired with celebrity guests, they search to find the best up and coming comedy talent in town through random selection of names drawn out of a bucket. Essentially, if you’re an aspiring comic or someone that wants to perform on stage, then you put your name in the bucket along with hundreds of other entrants in hopes that you’re one of the lucky few to be called up. Simple as that.
The platform from there is incredibly simple. If you’re lucky enough to be picked, then you’ve just been given exactly 60 seconds to come on stage to make people laugh, or not. You can do whatever you want, nothing is off limits, it just has to be 60 seconds or less. Of course, you’ll be doing this right in front of Tony, Redban, whoever they have up as a guest that night, and a full live audience. No part of this is easy. And that right there is exactly why the show is so special.
These people that get called up aren’t famous comics, notorious legends of comedy or even rising stars (in most cases). Instead what we often see is people going up for their first ever comedy set in front of a live audience. We might see people that have struggled for years to make it big at comedy clubs, and we also might see people who’ve been dreaming of this opportunity their whole life. It’s a hodgepodge of talent, or sometimes lack thereof, that is almost always entertaining to watch, especially when people fall flat on their face (metaphorically, unfortunately).
Even after all of this, even if you have the best set ever and absolutely kill it out there, it’s not over yet. Instead, once your minute is up you have the exclusive honor of being interviewed by Tony and his panel of friends. While this doesn’t immediately sound so terrible, you have to remember where you are and who’s doing the interview. At his best, Tony will do everything in his power to absolutely demolish you for everything you’ve done and will hold nothing back. He’ll call into question your experience as a comedian, any and all past relationships good or bad, dead relatives, drug use, racism, what their wearing, their family members in attendance, their unique talents and literally anything else that you can think of that could embarrass someone on stage or be entertaining to a crowd. This show has consequently ruined the aspirations of many unfortunate young comedians, but has also been the reason many new comics get their break. That’s what Kill Tony is all about.
So let’s break this down step by step for clarity’s sake. If you want to get on stage, all you have to do is show up and put your name in the bucket. There’s no guarantee of being picked, but if you’re incredibly lucky you might get your name called to come on next. If this happens, the Kill Tony band will play as the crowd cheers you on, giving you just a tiny bit of momentum as you go up to face a crowd that’s never heard your name before. Once you reach the stage everything goes silent. From there you have 60 seconds to show everyone what you got. Then, once the 60 seconds is up and regardless of the performance, Tony will keep you on stage to start the interview. In most cases he’ll ask about the performance, maybe give some brief words of advice if he’s feeling generous, then will proceed to ask about anything at all that he finds interesting.
To me, the interview portion is what makes this show. There’s no script, no set questions to ask and critically, anything goes. I mean ANYTHING. This ranges from asking mildly racist questions to inquiring about a disabled person’s sex life, to learning how a guy’s dad’s penis was split in half during intercourse. All of this happens and this is barely scratching the surface of how wild this show can get. As far as the interviews themselves, they normally last anywhere from a couple of minutes to upwards of 15, depending on how much Tony and the crew likes you. If you’re likable, it’s possible Tony will invite you to return and may even gift you a large joke book for doing well. The joke book doesn’t seem to mean much other than being a cool trinket, but nonetheless it’s a badge of honor for all Kill Tony contestants to carry proudly. However, if you do poorly or if Tony just doesn’t like you, then you’re likely to receive a small joke book before being booed off stage, with minimal chance of being asked to return.
It’s in this genuine purity of the unknown talent that makes this show so unique and, in my opinion, worth watching. You never have any idea who or what you’ll be getting into on any given show. You could be getting into one of the best possible lineups of up and coming comedians that Texas has to offer followed by some of the most gripping and wildly funny interviews imaginable. Alternatively, it’s just as likely it could be completely littered with endless bombed performances and awkward interviews. Both have happened on several occasions, and both have been surprisingly entertaining. That’s exactly why I think Kill Tony is such a great show. On any given night you could see anything, but regardless of what happens it finds a way to make you laugh.
I’m fairly confident that mostly everyone enjoys when someone has a good set, especially if it’s particularly funny. Yet, more often than not (at least for me), the highlights of the show actually come from the worst sets. I should be clear, it’s not about just laughing at someone doing poorly, that would probably be considered bullying. Instead, what I’m referring to is a genuine feeling of awe and an odd sense of respect that you get for someone that is knowingly doing something they’re clearly not good at, yet are pushing against all odds to do it anyways. It’s like watching a trainwreck happen in slow motion, except here they willingly left the station knowing with near certain accuracy that they’re going to crash. You can often pinpoint the exact moment someone fails, the exact line they delivered to lose the audience or even the tiniest detail of the set that put them over the edge. If that’s not torture enough, Tony then gets to devour any last shred of dignity and confidence you may still be holding onto afterwards by absolutely roasting everything you’ve said, done and looked like during the performance. It’s in every way a brutal gauntlet of comedic talent that only the finest can survive, but that’s not to say it’s impossible. Against the odds, several names have shined through as ‘found’ talent from the show.
Out of the many success stories that have come from Kill Tony, one that above all stands out is the vanilla gorilla, the memphis strangler, the big red machine, the invincible William Montgomery. Catchy accolades aside, William is exactly why Kill Tony exists. He was a found talent on the show, someone that had been entering his name for almost a full year before being pulled up to perform. Yet once given a chance, William showed how much of a dominant force he is on stage and immediately became a fan favorite through his wild antics and over the top bouts of whimsical aggression. Over the next few weeks he kept building momentum through great sets and was subsequently welcomed on to be a ‘regular’ on the show, meaning he’s welcome to come back at will without having to have his name pulled.
From there, William became an absolute force of nature. He’s sold out shows on his own, he’s been opening for comedy greats and even started his own successful comedy podcast. He’s been appearing on Kill Tony as the longest tenured regular of all time, performing weekly on the show as the show closer. All of this coming from a guy that waited almost a full year for his chance to have a single minute set.
As you’ve probably now realized, William is only one of the many talents that has been uncovered through Kill Tony, albeit one of the best to do it. He’s the reason that so many new comics try every week for their chance to make it like he has, and I think that’s incredibly inspiring. This is exactly why I love this show. It gives anyone a chance to shine, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, disability or anything else. In fact, some of the best comedians on Kill Tony are disabled or are otherwise handicapped, and I think that speaks volumes about this show. It emphasizes that comedy isn’t about the best looking people, the best dressed, or the most successful. None of that matters. All that matters is that you’re a little bit funny and willing to be openly eviscerated if you fail.
And here’s the beautiful thing – you don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have all the best answers for your interview. Of course it helps, but that’s not necessarily the point. This show is all about making the funniest and most talented people shine, and that means if Tony likes you or your set, then there’s a good chance your interview will go well too. This show isn’t just for entertainment itself; it’s also a way to give up and coming or aspiring comics a chance for overnight fame. It’s a platform that allows less established talents to work out their kinks, while also giving new comics a feel for the big stage without the pressure of being a headliner or opener. There’s no telling how any given night will go, but you can be certain that each Monday when you tune in that some people’s careers will be broken, while others might finally get their first chance to enter the spotlight. It’s a podcast that can make dreams come true, while also brutally crushing others.
So, if you’re still wondering why I think you should watch Kill Tony, the answer is right here. It’s a genuine and honest opportunity to see people giving their best effort at something they might have dreamed about their whole life, and you have front row seats every week. For free, at your convenience. It doesn’t get much better than that.