Who is Simon Hall?
Simon Hall writes songs and performs. He is also known as Yon. He’s been in a comedy band, Tripod for 25 years or so.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
Well I was a cleaner when I was trying to get the entertainer thing going. I’d be sad to go back to that cos I’d have to fire my butler, who I’ve struck up a close relationship with. I don’t have a butler. I was a cleaner though.
Who inspires you and why?
I guess my all-time inspiration is Freddie Mercury. I aspire to his musical brilliance, his emotional honesty and also his commitment which sits right next to his sense of his own ridiculousness. I thought Rami Malek was good in that movie but they really missed how funny Freddie was.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I want to make a community battery in my area. We were all sold on the idea of getting solar panels on our houses to give back to the grid but then neither the government nor the energy companies built any way to store or manage it.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Anywhere I arrive after having worked enough to not feel guilty for having a holiday.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
The penguins are a pretty safe bet. You can see them at St Kilda. I took some Japanese guests once and I loved it as much as they did. There’s something about animals who live to a routine that’s charming. They come out of the water at the end of the day like they’re getting off the train.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading David Sedaris’ new book Happy Go Lucky. He reminds me of my wife. Finds details in a normal day that I would have missed – and makes great stories out of them.
What are you currently listening to?
Blank Check. It’s a podcast where two guys talk about movies where the director has just had a hit film and the studio has given them a ‘blank check’ to make the film they’re talking about. They do then kind of break that rule and devote a bunch of episodes to that director’s filmography. It’s Bob Fosse at the moment.
Happiness is?
Watching my kids play sport. And they win.
What does the future hold for you?
More bumbling around until the magical day when someone says (could be me) you’ve done enough. By then VR games will be so good that I’ll largely live in the metaverse. Well, a metaverse.
Simon and special guest collaborators, Sammy J & Gillian Cosgriff, record world-premiere performances live for the podcast, Minuscule Musical, at The Butterfly Club on Saturday 6 August 2022. For more information, visit: www.thebutterflyclub.com for details.
Image: Simon Hall (supplied)