Sunday, July 09, 2006

Comedian Dave Jory's favourite gadget is his Sony MZ-810 MiniDisc recorder.



A lot of comedians, especially when they are starting out, like to record their gigs to listen to them later. I bought mine about three years ago.

It cost me $700. A lot of comics were using old micro-cassette recorders, so I thought a MiniDisc was cutting edge.

Unfortunately, they were like Laser Discs (remember them?). No one uses MiniDisc. Even the Amish consider MiniDisc technology "quaint".

But it cost me so much and the sound quality is great, so I'm sticking with it until it decides to stop working. Unless Antiques Roadshow offers to buy it from me first.

Is your MiniDisc like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3 - obsolete?

Arnie's problem in Terminator 3 wasn't that he was obsolete. It was that nobody wants to see a 60-year-old muscleman walking around with no clothes on.

Where does old technology go to die? There must be somewhere all those old Commodore 64s and Ataris ended up?

They might just be landfill. But it's more likely that they're somewhere plotting to destroy mankind and take over the planet. That will be the real rise of the machines.

Describe your weirdest gig.

I was hired as the comedian for this girl's 30th birthday. It was a very small party, only about 10 guests, in a little flat. I remember the TV was on in the background. There was no stage and no microphone, so I just stood next to the couch and everyone stared at me while I did my act for 20 minutes. There was a smattering of applause, the birthday girl paid me and I left.

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