Features July 21, 2020

At work with Dave Woodhead, triple j Lunch Presenter

As the host of triple j Lunch, a comedian, a comedy writer and an actor, Dave Woodhead is certainly in demand. Get him talking about his work though, and you’ll find he’s also worth paying close attention to.

The Darwin-bred, Torres Strait Islander man has been writing and performing comedy since he was 16 years old. His work on Black Comedy, Get Krack!n and new ABC/NITV Indigenous children’s show Thalu are all woven with local culture. Black Comedy in particular offers hilarious, subversive comedy which also sparks much-needed conversations about the treatment of First Nations peoples.

Having joined triple j full time at the start of this year, Woodhead has made it his mission to not only celebrate music from First Nations artists, but to also place their voices front and centre.

We asked Dave Woodhead about the many hats he wears in Australia’s arts industry, how can the music industry better unite with First Nations peoples, and much more.

You’re a radio host, comedian and comedy writer. How do you explain your job to someone outside of the industry?

I usually avoid telling people I’m a comic, because it brings this pressure that you have to be the funniest guy in the room, and that you always have to be ‘on’. But if people ask what I do I usually say I work at the ABC, to make them think I’m really boring.

What would you list as your career highlights so far?

One of my career highlights has been working on Black Comedy. I’m so proud of some of the sketches we made on that show. I think we made some of the best television to come out of this country in years. Also, getting the job on triple j was insane, never in a million years would I think I would be a full time host on triple j.

Check out Dave Woodhead in Black Comedy below:

What are you working on at the moment, what are you up to in the comedy space right now?

Just a lot of writing at the moment. It’s hard to get to gigs and actually craft a show together on stage right now, so I’m spending most of my time jotting down ideas for stand up. I’m also working on ideas for maybe a future television series.

You co-hosted triple j Breakfast during NAIDOC Week last year, what was the reception like? And what was your main takeaway from that experience?

Thinking back now, I can’t believe triple j would do something so crazy! I previously had little to no experience on the radio and just got thrown into national breakfast radio! But everyone at triple j was so supportive and made Steph and I feel so comfortable and constantly gave us great feedback with what we were doing right and how we could improve.

My main takeaway from that week was to always take on challenges even if you feel a bit out of your depth.

How can the music industry better unite with First Nations peoples?

I think it all starts with support of First Nations people. People are so happy to celebrate Indigenous people during Reconciliation week and NAIDOC Week because those are the ‘black’ weeks, but we need to keep the same energy all year round.

We have such a rich history that’s unique to Australia, and a group of people who are begging to let their story be heard. The music industry needs to make a more concerted effort to put black voices front and centre, offering them more support.

Finally, what album or artist do you have on repeat at the moment?

I’ve really been loving JK-47 at the moment. He’s been dropping a bunch of great tracks and I’m super excited about his album coming out later this year.