Proper True Yarn

This week on Proper True Yarn – Silly Saturday, Knuckles and Zak rip into another round of outrageous listener yarns. From the great “fuck coriander” debate to a bloke secretly dosing his housemate’s strawberry jam with Viagra, the stories just keep getting wilder.

There’s also a cracking tale about a Deep Heat disaster that went horribly wrong, plus shoutouts to the legends rocking Country Trucker Caps (CTC) around Australia. The boys chat beers, dodgy decisions, and why simple lagers still beat fancy fruit-salad craft beers any day of the week.

If you love wild Australian stories, raw comedy podcasts, and proper true yarns from everyday legends, this Silly Saturday episode delivers plenty of laughs and questionable life choices.

Get involved

A Send a voice message to the boys

Drop us a yarn or question and you might feature on the show.

Enquiries: propertrueyarn@gmail.com

Website: linktr.ee/propertrueyarn

睡

Follow the Podcast

Instagram: @propertrueyarn

TikTok: @propertrueyarn

Facebook: Proper True Yarn Podcast

YouTube: Proper True Yarn Podcast

Meet the Hosts

Knuckles - Country Trucker Caps

Instagram: @countrytruckercaps

TikTok: @knucklescto

Zak Palmas

Instagram: @zpdigitals

TikTok: @zakpal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of the most emotional and important conversations ever recorded on the Proper True Yarn Podcast.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with trucking identity and industry legend Craig Membrey, known by many as The Bling King, as he opens up about loss, purpose, and turning pain into action.

Craig shares the deeply personal story of losing his son Rowan to suicide, a moment that forever changed his life. From that heartbreak came a mission - to create awareness, spark conversations, and save lives. That mission led to the creation of a one-of-a-kind 2000th Franna crane, built in honour of Rowan and wrapped in the colours of Beyond Blue, standing as a moving symbol for mental health awareness across Australia.

This episode goes far beyond trucks and cranes. Craig speaks openly about depression, dark moments, seeking help, survivor’s guilt, and the ripple effects suicide leaves behind on families, friends, and communities. He explains why awareness matters more than donations, why starting conversations can save lives, and why men especially need to learn how to speak up.

You’ll also hear how a simple trucker cap became a conversation starter, a symbol of remembrance, and a tool for change - worn not for fashion, but for meaning.

⚠️ This episode discusses suicide and mental health. Listener discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

This isn’t just a yarn - it’s a legacy piece.

Raw. Honest. Necessary.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this laid-back but revealing episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, Australian boxing talent Clay Waterman drops the guard and answers the kind of questions fans rarely get to hear.

Clay opens up about the man who inspired him most - Muhammad Ali - and why Ali’s impact went far beyond boxing. He shares stories from wild nights in Miami, brushes with global fame, and what it was really like sparring elite fighters including Terence Crawford and crossing paths with the Mayweather camp.

From growing up as a late bloomer, explosive teenage growth, tattoos, and fighting tough opponents who just wouldn’t stay down, to honest reflections on mistakes, values, discipline, and staying grounded - this episode shows the human side of a man most people only see as a fighter.

If you’re into boxing culture, fighter Q&As, behind-the-scenes fight stories, Miami party tales, sparring world champions, or real conversations with elite athletes, this episode delivers a proper true yarn from start to finish.

No hype. No ego.

Just stories, laughs, and a rare glimpse behind the gloves.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, world-title-winning boxer Clay Waterman steps away from fight talk and lays out his bold vision to change lives far beyond the ring.

Clay opens up about building a long-term backup plan outside of boxing, leading to the creation of the Manna Foundation - a purpose-driven initiative focused on youth programs, cultural education, and community-first gyms across Australia. Drawing from his Māori, Aboriginal, and European heritage, Clay explains how boxing can be used as a tool to teach discipline, respect, identity, and leadership.

He breaks down his flagship 10-week boxing and cultural program, designed to bring young people from all backgrounds together, reconnect them with culture, remove ego, and build real-world life skills - all culminating in a respectful, structured fight night. This episode tackles culture, unity, leadership, execution, and why helping others is the real definition of success.

If you’re into purpose-driven business, boxing-based youth programs, leadership mindset, cultural education, Australian community stories, or real conversations about change, this episode hits hard in the best way.

This isn’t just a plan - it’s a mission.

A proper true yarn about legacy, leadership, and changing Australia for the better.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Silly Saturday on the Proper True Yarn Podcast, where Knuckles and Zak play the funniest, wildest and most ridiculous listener phone calls from around Australia and beyond.

This episode kicks off with a mysterious Scottish tongue twister before diving into a serious yarn from a truck driver about dangerous overtaking on Aussie highways and the risks truckies face every day on the road. The boys share their own close-call stories and talk about why drivers need to show a bit more respect for the big rigs keeping the country moving.

There’s also a classic pub joke involving an Englishman, a German and an Aussie, a chaotic hospital mishap that’ll have you cringing, and a bloke who accidentally jumps into the wrong car at a servo and nearly drives off with it.

As always, the yarns come straight from listeners — truck drivers, farmers, tradies and everyday legends across Australia — bringing the chaos, comedy and unbelievable moments that make Proper True Yarn what it is.

If you love Australian humour, wild outback stories, truckie yarns, tradie banter and ridiculous real-life moments, this episode is for you.

🥩 Sponsor

To wrap, the boys plug Our Cow: use code YARN for $50 off your first box over $200, and the Yarn of the Month scores a free meat box — plus a reminder to send your own yarns in.

📞 Get involved

🎤 Send a voice message to the boys

Drop us a yarn or question and you might feature on the show.

📧 Enquiries: propertrueyarn@gmail.com

🌐 Website: linktr.ee/propertrueyarn

📲 Follow the Podcast

Instagram: @propertrueyarn

TikTok: @propertrueyarn

Facebook: Proper True Yarn Podcast

YouTube: Proper True Yarn Podcast

🤠 Meet the Hosts

Knuckles – Country Trucker Caps

Instagram: @countrytruckercaps

TikTok: @knucklesctc

Zak Palmas

Instagram: @zpdigitals

TikTok: @zakpal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this wild episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, Australian boxing savage Clay Waterman breaks down his jump into the brutal world of bare knuckle fighting - and why it might be the purest form of combat there is.

Clay opens up about saying yes to bare knuckle fights without hesitation, how it completely changed his fighting style, and why many traditional boxers wouldn’t survive a real street fight. He explains the mindset shift required to fight without gloves, the reality of broken hands, blood-soaked events, and why bare knuckle knockouts happen fast and brutally.

From his knockout win at one of Australia’s first major bare knuckle events, to the rise of combat sports entertainment, boxing politics, ego checks, and why learning how to fight properly can change your life - this episode is raw, honest, and unapologetic.

If you’re into bare knuckle boxing, combat sports podcasts, Australian boxing stories, street fight mentality, fight culture, or unfiltered fight talk, this one hits hard.

No fluff. No filters. Just violence, respect, and a proper true yarn.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, we sit down with Australian boxer Clay Waterman for an unfiltered deep dive into resilience, sacrifice, and the brutal reality of elite boxing.

Clay opens up about fighting for years with a broken hand, missing his shot at the Rio Olympics, and the politics that nearly ended his career. He shares what it was really like chasing Olympic qualification, why he believes turning professional earlier could have changed everything, and how stepping away from boxing to work on remote construction sites near Alice Springs nearly cost him his life - but ultimately saved his career.

From driving road trains at 150km/h in the outback, to rebuilding his body and mind, winning national titles, and earning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, this is a proper true yarn about backing yourself when everything is on the line.

If you’re into boxing podcasts, Australian sports stories, Olympic boxing journeys, combat sports mindset, or real-life comeback stories, this episode is not to be missed.

Crack a cold one and settle in - this one’s raw, honest, and hard-earned.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From buying alcohol at 13 in Ukraine to winning Australia’s first amateur world title in Kazakhstan, this is a proper true yarn from one of the toughest fighters the country has produced.

In this episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, Knuckles sits down with Clay Waterman, Australia’s first junior amateur world champion, to unpack a lifetime spent in the ring. Clay opens up about starting combat sports as a kid, travelling the world before most people leave school, and racking up over 160 amateur fights before turning pro.

They dive deep into:

Raw, honest, and full of insight into the politics, pain, and pride behind elite boxing — this episode is a must-listen for fight fans, athletes, and anyone chasing something bigger than themselves.

👉 Strap in, crack a cold one, and enjoy another Proper True Yarn.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silly Saturday rolls in with the usual weekend sermon: rip, tear, bust… or do absolutely fuck-all,just don’t spend it mowing the lawn.

Then the hotline delivers a stacked set of yarns:

To wrap, the boys plug Our Cow: use code YARN for $50 off your first box over $200, and the yarn of the month scores a free meat box-plus a reminder to send your own yarns in.

📞 Get involved

🎤 Send a voice message to the boys

Drop us a yarn or question and you might feature on the show.

📧 Enquiries: propertrueyarn@gmail.com

🌐 Website: linktr.ee/propertrueyarn

📲 Follow the Podcast

Instagram: @propertrueyarn

TikTok: @propertrueyarn

Facebook: Proper True Yarn Podcast

YouTube: Proper True Yarn Podcast

🤠 Meet the Hosts

Knuckles – Country Trucker Caps

Instagram: @countrytruckercaps

TikTok: @knucklesctc

Zak Palmas

Instagram: @zpdigitals

TikTok: @zakpal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles wraps up with AJ “the NZ hype train” and fires through a rapid set of guest questions - from grooming habits and what you’d buy with a billion, to biggest fuck-up, dream movie casting, and the ultimate fantasy pet.

AJ’s “biggest fuck-up” turns into a full wedding-night disasterclass: arriving underfed, going way too hard, letting off fireworks, an accidental dancefloor knock-out, and a brutal one-liner that gets him kicked out… before making the worst decision of all and drink driving - owning that he deserved to be pulled over.

They finish lighter: wild party picks (R&V and Oktoberfest in Munich), AJ casting himself as Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura devotion included), and choosing a trained big ape as the ultimate pet. Knuckles closes the ep with a final shout-out to AJ and a new life motto to send everyone off on the right note.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ wraps up his wild Auckland era with absolute carnage from Rhythm & Vines (R&V) - New Zealand’s massive New Year’s festival pulling 30,000+ punters.

Him and Ant get handed the main stage hosting gig, which is normally just quick intros… but they turn it into full theatre: six or seven costume changes a night, morph suits, Kermit, Pink Panther, inflatable boat races, kiss cams - and at one point, going out completely nude before a major headline act (thankfully not during).

They share the chaos of working around big artists like Savage, Sticky Fingers (who rocked up 40 minutes late while the crowd frothed), and the madness of trying to keep a festival crowd engaged when no one’s really listening anyway.

Then it drifts into pure after-dark festival mischief: roaming campgrounds in costume at sunrise, hiding in hay bales to dodge security, impulsively stealing a tractor for absolutely no reason… and somehow ending up buying a plus-size inflatable doll named “Bernice” for $100 - who later appears on stage leaking in front of thousands.

They also revisit the old Short & Wide TV show days, including a brutal hurdles challenge that leaves AJ with one of the most unfortunate bruising stories you’ll ever hear.

It’s five years of festival madness, media chaos, and two idiots pushing stage hosting way further than it ever needed to go.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ reckons his 2015–2018 era in Auckland was a full-blown heater — TV show attempts, MC gigs, and running social campaigns (including a massive Snapchat growth run). But the wheels properly fall off with two all-time public blow-ups.

First: he’s working content for a Blue Sky / Spring Break party trip heading to Rarotonga. He’s filming the hype on a delayed Jetstar charter, steps near the cockpit to grab a shot, and the captain reckons he’s filming inside - final call is the captain’s, so AJ gets escorted off by police and left watching the party flight take off without him. He books the next-day flight anyway… only to arrive and get quarantined in his room for two days so the crew can “lay low” in case it hits the news. That ends his Blue Sky run.

Then: an international match at Seddon Park (Hamilton) where security mistakes AJ for another bloke in the same classic Black Caps top. He gets cut off, then cameras catch him taking a sip of a mate’s beer - and he’s escorted out. A snarky push turns into AJ saying “I’m walking” … and it escalates to handcuffs, right as the Northern Districts CEO clocks the whole thing. The result: AJ loses the upcoming MC gig for the grand final, and he takes it as the final straw.

After that, he heads back to Dunedin, slows down, and the rest is history - meets his future wife on Tinder, kid, new job, calmer chapter.

#propertrueyarn

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Silly Saturday is back with Knuckles and Zak firing up the hotline—powered by the legends at Spit & Swallow (code YARN gets $50 off your first box over $200, plus a monthly free meat-box giveaway).

The boys chat work-life balance, upcoming travel, and drop an early tease for the 2026 Podcast Royale: the seven-man blindfold is locked in, with teams being picked and the call-out going wide for anyone game enough to jump in (including the dream of a tough-as-nails yarnette entering the chaos).

Then the yarns roll in:

Knuckles wraps it up with respect for the tough bastards who push through injury, and the usual reminder: send your yarns in through the Country Companies site or the link in bio.

📞 Get involved

🎤 Send a voice message to the boys

Drop us a yarn or question and you might feature on the show.

📧 Enquiries: propertrueyarn@gmail.com

🌐 Website: linktr.ee/propertrueyarn

📲 Follow the Podcast

Instagram: @propertrueyarn

TikTok: @propertrueyarn

Facebook: Proper True Yarn Podcast

YouTube: Proper True Yarn Podcast

🤠 Meet the Hosts

Knuckles – Country Trucker Caps

Instagram: @countrytruckercaps

TikTok: @knucklesctc

Zak Palmas

Instagram: @zpdigitals

TikTok: @zakpal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ’s back for Part 2 — and it starts with the obvious question: how bad was the Wilson car park damage? ($300… and they basically gave up issuing tickets.)

Then AJ tells the story of his return to Forsyth Barr Stadium years later, this time asked to suit up as William Wallace again for a halftime dance comp (with an iPad on the line)… except he stops at a student flat, turns a “warm-up” into a full bottle of vodka, and the whole mission spirals.

From falling over at a crossing and losing his gear, to roaming the stadium yelling Braveheart quotes, to pulling himself into the marketing room and spewing on the costume, it’s an absolute trainwreck. Then comes the infamous toilet incident - including the alleged wall-writing that AJ swears was a setup - and two cleaners reportedly running out screaming.

Somehow he isn’t banned, eventually gets welcomed back as a megaphone hype-man, and AJ says he’s even been invited to MC the 2026 season - full circle.

#propertrueyarn

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AJ rolls in dusty after a big night and immediately delivers one of the loosest sports yarns you’ll ever hear.

Back in 2013 in Dunedin, AJ gets recruited to fire up the Highlanders student section (“The Zoo”) at Forsyth Barr Stadium - but instead of a normal mascot gig, he ends up in a full chicken suit, half cut, and armed with a “bag of gags”… including a black dildo that (somehow) becomes part of the entertainment.

It goes exactly as you’d expect: the sponsor finds out, emails start flying, and AJ cops a life ban… until they change their mind and invite him back with one condition: no dildos.

Then it levels up. Mid-season, a streaker hits the field and AJ - still dressed as a chicken — absolutely crunches him in a tackle that blows up across radio, news, and even lands on ESPN Top 10 plays. But the fame comes with a cost: a news outlet tries to unmask the mascot, forcing AJ into a choice that changes everything.

From there it turns into a three-week Highlanders championship bender: packed pubs, the “Landers Army,” printing champions tees, trophy tours, a cooked Bedford bus with shithouse brakes, cops pulling them over, and a 21-day tear that ends in pneumonia… and a relationship ultimatum he definitely ignores.

This is pure chaos, pure NZ rugby culture, and a proper true yarn from start to finish.

#propertrueyarn

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his episode is a proper yarn with Rob Comiskey from the Comiskey Group - one of Australia’s biggest hospitality and entertainment operators.

Rob breaks down the biggest business lessons he’s learned over the years (including knowing when to cut bait), the high-stakes Brisbane court case that nearly broke them, and how that risk turned into a massive win.

Then it gets loose: Rob tells the story of the wildest party he ever hosted - inside a converted Energex substation - with security on the gate, a DJ setup, roof dives into the pool, and absolute Superbad-level chaos.

We also chat about meeting famous faces (Post Malone), scouting Nashville bars for ideas, building venues with their own personality, and the behind-the-scenes madness of running a distillery + brewery, including the reality of rum ageing rules and importing ethanol into Australia.

If you’re into Australian pub culture, hospitality business, nightlife stories, and elite proper true yarns, this one’s for you.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back to regular programming… and it gets loose quick.

This week on Silly Saturday #10, a listener tackles a brutal 15km Tough Mudder, crawling through mud, obstacles, and pure pain just to prove he’s still got it - while Zak yarns about a wild rodeo weekend, country chaos, and everything that comes with it.

It’s classic carry-on:

• tough mudder survival stories

• rodeo madness

• blokey banter

• random tangents

• proper dumb laughs

If you love Aussie humour, country culture, and unfiltered yarns between mates, this one’s right up your alley.

Chuck it on for the drive, the shed, or the gym.

🎙️ Proper True Yarn Podcast – real stories, proper laughs, no polish.

📞 Get involved

🎤 Send a voice message to the boys

Drop us a yarn or question and you might feature on the show.

📧 Enquiries: propertrueyarn@gmail.com

🌐 Website: linktr.ee/propertrueyarn

📲 Follow the Podcast

Instagram: @propertrueyarn

TikTok: @propertrueyarn

Facebook: Proper True Yarn Podcast

YouTube: Proper True Yarn Podcast

🤠 Meet the Hosts

Knuckles – Country Trucker Caps

Instagram: @countrytruckercaps

TikTok: @knucklesctc

Zak Palmas

Instagram: @zpdigitals

TikTok: @zakpal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back with Rob Comiskey from the Comiskey Group for a behind-the-curtain look at what really goes on when world-famous artists hit Australian venues.

Rob shares the Marilyn Manson story you won’t believe - insane green room demands, “don’t look at him” rules, and an elevator meltdown that turned into a 45-minute standoff… all because he refused to walk a short set of stairs.

We also get into the wildest security briefing Rob’s ever heard, how venues handle extreme performers, and why respect for staff matters - especially when you’re dealing with security teams on the front line.

Then it flips to legendary: Ice Cube’s rider might be the best of all time - two buckets of KFC and a bottle of bourbon - and yes, they had to keep KFC open late to make it happen. Rob also talks Cypress Hill nights where the crowd was a full-blown smoke cloud, plus what “artist riders” really cost and why most of it never even gets touched.

To wrap it up, Rob breaks down what makes a concert truly successful: the punter experience, constant improvements, and building venues and events that people walk away from singing.

If you love Australian hospitality stories, backstage chaos, music industry insights, and proper true yarns, this one’s for you.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Proper True Yarn, Knuckles sits down with Rob Comiskey from Comiskey Group to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to bring massive live shows to life.

Rob breaks down the promoter game: why sometimes you don’t “promote” a show - you buy it, how deals can be decided in minutes, and why it’s all risk vs reward (and honestly… sometimes it’s just a punt). From turning down Elton John early at Sandstone Point, to bringing out The Beach Boys, to the brutal moment COVID flipped a sold-out Violent Femmes show into a six-figure loss overnight - Rob shares the wins, the misses, and the stuff punters never see.

They yarn about genre-by-genre bar spend, lightning evacuations, why insurance has become a nightmare, and the reality that one headline or a curveball can change everything. If you’ve ever wondered how the big dogs do it — this one’s a proper behind-the-scenes belter.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Comiskey from the Comiskey Group jumps on the Proper True Yarn Podcast to share how his family built some of Australia’s biggest pubs and live music venues -including Eaton’s Hill Hotel and Sandstone Point Hotel.

From building Subways at 19, getting ripped off by dodgy managers, and taking massive risks, to running eight mega pubs, resorts and $850M+ in projects - this is a proper “have-a-crack” business yarn about backing yourself and building big.

Hospitality, property, live music, and real Aussie hustle.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles and Zak are back behind the mic pressing play on some of the loosest listener yarns yet.

Silly Saturday #9 is full call-in chaos - random voicemails, outback stories, and the kind of stuff you only hear when real legends send in their “proper true yarns.”

This week the boys react to:

• a firefighter protecting a property near Dalby that turns out to be the world’s weirdest “bird sanctuary” (aka the infamous bro-tel)

• a remote nurse with a classic roadside outback mishap

• a Thailand party trip that turns into a full kidnap/extortion scare

• heaps of banter, roasting, and zero filter from Knuckles & Zak

It’s unpredictable, unedited, and exactly what Silly Saturday is meant to be - mates listening to wild stories and talking absolute rubbish.

Perfect for the drive, the shed, or a laugh at the gym.

🎙️ Proper True Yarn Podcast - Aussie humour, country culture, and real stories from real people.

Send in yarn to propertrueyarn@gmail.com or

https://www.speakpipe.com/ProperTrueYarn

🤠 Hosts

Propertrueyarn

@propertrueyarn (IG)

@propertrueyarn (TikTok)

@propertrueyarn (FB)

Knuckles

@countrytruckercaps (IG)

@knucklesctc (TikTok)

@countrytruckercaps (FB)

Zak Palmas

@zpdigitals (IG)

@zakpal (TikTok)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russ shares a wild 21st yarn: Long Islands, blackout dancing, waking up naked on a stranger’s lawn, and still rocking up to smash his family’s yardie record in 28.8 seconds. Pure Kiwi chaos, pub culture, and one hell of a Proper True Yarn.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kiwi mad dog Russ joins the Proper True Yarn Podcast to spin loose yarns about getting arrested after a Devilskin gig, smart-assing cops, getting pepper sprayed, and learning the hard way to stay on the right side of the law.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russ returns with another unhinged Kiwi yarn - earning his “Mad Dog Club” ring after towing a cut-open drum behind a Corolla at 100km/h, rolling it 13 times, blowing the straps off his crocs and skinning himself head-to-toe. Plus, the time he watched a mate take 22 pellets of birdshot “just to see what happens.” Pure chaos and classic Proper True Yarn energy.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Proper True Yarn, the phone lines deliver absolute carnage.

We’re talking myths, legends, and right-off-tap yarns — from wild farm stories and jaw-dropping confessions, to spearfishing chaos with sharks, and a sparky who delivered the pettiest breakup revenge imaginable.

🔥 In this episode:

Plus, Yarn of the Month returns thanks to Our Cow, with a chance to score a box of premium grass-fed Aussie meat.

Raw. Unfiltered. Definitely not advice.

🎙️ Listener call-ins

🇦🇺 Real Aussie chaos

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russ tells how he rolled his Triton twice, copped a $20k repair bill, then later drowned the ute in a flooded ford, only to have the rescue video hit Facebook and rack up hundreds of thousands of views courtesy of “Frank’s Trees.”

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russ tells the story of a “quick trip” to Christchurch that turned into a 45-hour bender: pulling a sickie, smashing red wines on the plane, his mate getting thrown in detox at Macky G, ending up naked in fluffy slippers wandering the streets at 4am, getting scooped by the boys in an Uber, then backing it up for another full day on the piss. Pure chaos, peak Kiwi mischief, absolute Proper True Yarn territory.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles wraps up with Luke Modini for a loose rapid-fire yarn—autographs, biggest stuff-ups, craziest fights, and life outside the ring. Luke talks sparring Mairis Briedis, fighting through injuries, taking late-notice title fights on Foxtel, and why he loves a proper grudge match. Then it gets wild: Luke’s rare dog-breeding side hustle, the ultra-rare Laizhou Hong (Chinese Red Dog) in Australia, and what it takes to train serious protection dogs. Plus: respect for Jai Opetaia and the fight Luke would take in a heartbeat.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Proper True Yarn, things go from bad to absolutely cooked — fast.

We’ve got listener yarns that include NT cattle station chaos, a cowgirl escaping a burning camp only to end up waist-deep in a septic tank, and house-party disasters that spiral into parents walking in, smashed fish tanks, and life-ending timing.

🔥 In this episode:

Plus, Yarn of the Month is back thanks to Our Cow, with a chance to score up to $250 worth of premium grass-fed Aussie beef.

As always — raw, real, unfiltered, and definitely not advice.

🎙️ Listener call-ins

🇦🇺 Real Aussie yarns

⚠️ Bad decisions guaranteed

Good choices are boring.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles sits down with Luke Modini for a powerful Proper True Yarn about family, grit, and purpose. Luke opens up about being raised by his grandparents, the work ethic of his 13-year-old brother, and building CSE Boxing Gym from the ground up. He reflects on coaching, teamwork, his devastating knockout power, and calls out Jake Paul - before breaking down the Tyson vs Paul fight controversy. Honest, heartfelt, and hard-hitting.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Modini joins Knuckles for a straight-up Proper True Yarn about life in the ring. From starting boxing at 13, sparring grown men, and his lone amateur loss, to becoming ANBF Australian Cruiserweight Champion, vacating his belt, and keeping it “in the family.” Luke opens up about his brutal hand surgery, his comeback plan for 2025, chasing world rankings, and taking fights anywhere—from New Zealand to the Congo and even Russia. Raw insight from one of Australia’s toughest cruiserweights.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles sits down with Jack Jensen (MSFT Productions) for a chaotic Proper True Yarn—motocross in NZ, big crashes, freeride filming, wild parties, and meeting legends like FISHER and Israel Adesanya. Raw laughs, real lessons, and big-send energy.

#propertrueyarn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silly Saturday is back and the voicemail line is fully unhinged.

Knuckles and Zak rip through a stack of listener call-ins featuring country chaos, unreal spearfishing moments, and a few “how did this even happen?” stories that should probably stay in the group chat (but didn’t).

In this episode:

Plus, Yarn of the Month is powered by Our Cow — call in your best yarn for a shot at a box of top-shelf goodies.

Good choices are boring… you know what to do.

#proeprtrueyarn

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Jack Jensen shares how MSFT Productions grew into a 200k-strong action sports community and how losing mates to suicide led him to start Spark That Chat – a mental health charity using stoke, storytelling and connection to spark conversations and help keep legends here longer.

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From knocking himself out on a 450 trying to flip, to crane failures, bike dramas and finally stomping not one but two dirt backflips at Franklin Farm, Jack breaks down overcoming fear, curveballs and sending it anyway.

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Jack Jensen relives his brutal 2022 moto crash near Taupō - clipping a hidden pine at full speed, blowing his big toe off the bone, and enduring a 10-hour rescue through deep forest with no service, codeine, ketamine, a chopper evac and 50 strangers crowd-surfing him over a fence.

He breaks down the surgeries, losing half a toe, wild leech therapy, Eastern medicine, wheelchair life, rehab, and the mindset that got him back on his feet. Proper chaos, proper resilience, proper true yarn.

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This week on Proper True Yarn, the listener call-ins are absolutely unhinged.

We hear yarns about rough childhood discipline, rogue jokes that go nowhere, a snow igloo built… then stolen for clout, and one of the best bush poems we’ve ever had — The Beef Road Yeti — brutally cut off mid-legend.

🔥 In this episode:

Plus, we crown Yarn of the Month, thanks to Our Cow, with up to $250 worth of grass-fed Aussie beef on the line.

Raw. Real. Not advice.

🎙️ Listener yarns

🇦🇺 Proper Aussie stories

⚠️ Bad decisions encouraged

Good choices are boring.

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Jordy jumps into the Proper True Yarn guest questions hot seat - from shaving the balls and losing his virginity in a caravan under a Bible, to wild mushroom-fuelled party domes, street dust-ups and billion-dollar fishing dreams. Plus, why he’d own a colony of gannets to find tuna and invites listeners out for a yarn and a fish if they’re battling upstairs.

#propertrueyarn

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Jordy shares school-camp carnage with teacher-turned-radio-host Jay Reeves sending kids into heavy surf on an IRB, a touch-footy tackle that ended in a hip replacement, and childhood antics digging a car-swallowing trap on the family beach track.

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Jordy yarns about youth search and rescue in the Kaimai bush, goat-wrangling on the Whanganui River, finding a lost old fella in the mangroves, and how pushing others can literally change lives.

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This week we dive headfirst into insurance loopholes, non-binary pricing madness, and the questionable economics of identity — before things spiral hard into listener-submitted chaos.

We’ve got:

As always, it’s raw, unfiltered, and absolutely not advice.

Good choices are boring — this is Proper True Yarn.

🎙️ Listener call-ins

🍻 Real Aussie yarns

⚠️ Questionable decisions guaranteed

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Jordy unleashes a wild run of bender stories - from 30-hour Thailand bus trips to Coromandel shed parties, burnouts, bonfires, and accidentally passing out in the wrong houses. Full-noise mischief, mateship, and absolute chaos. Proper true yarn.

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New Zealand fisho and spearo Jordy jumps on the mic to spin wild ocean yarns - orcas rolling under his kayak, a great white bigger than his boat, sharks smashing kingies and bar crossings gone wrong. We get into spearfishing, overnight reef missions, paua and kingfish tartare, and why sharing a feed means more than the fish itself.

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Jordy joins the pod to drop proper wild ocean yarns - orcas under the kayak, great whites bigger than the boat, overnight reef missions and the legendary kingfish tartare he rocked up with at Mystery Creek. A-class fishing, chaos and laughs.

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Kurt Capewell returns with fresh yarns — nearly burning down the caravan at polocrosse, loose boys’ trips in Bali and Queenstown, meeting Bob Menery in Vegas, and growing up in a house full of dust-ups. He chats life at the Sharks, Panthers, Broncos and Warriors, the travel grind, the biggest pests he’s played with, and his new fishing/golf YouTube channel. Plus a shout to Clayton’s Organics. Up the Wahs!

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NRL star Kurt Capewell drops some absolutely rogue yarns – from the Cronulla Sharks premiership Mad Monday bender and spewing mid-shoey before the key to the city, to the massive Sharks logo tattooed on his ass, thanks to Gal and the boys. We get into growing up playing polocrosse in Charleville, which of his brothers would actually win in a fight, his favourite position on the field, and which club he’s loved playing for most out of the Sharks, Panthers, Broncos and Warriors.

Kurt also talks travel grind with the Warriors, juggling footy with family, the brutal swing of Broncos fans, why Warriors supporters are next-level loyal, and the biggest pests and pranksters he’s played with – from Jimmy Maloney and Adam Reynolds to Luke Lewis and Freddie Lussick.

Hit follow on Proper True Yarn Podcast for more wild NRL and outback Aussie stories.

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NRL star Kurt Capewell unleashes one of the wildest Mad Monday yarns ever told - shoeys gone wrong, cigars gone VERY wrong, spewing on teammates, getting banned from receiving the key to the city, and finishing it all off with a full-cheek Cronulla Sharks tattoo.

From premiership celebrations to Northies chaos, fire-hoses, Maloney stirring the pot, and the infamous spew-filled shoey, Kurti walks through the most unhinged three days of his life.

If you love Mad Monday mayhem, NRL blow-ups and proper filth, this yarn is elite. Strap in.

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Silly Saturday is back with unfiltered phone-in yarns from all over Australia and NZ. From pig hunts gone wrong and bush pub chaos to outrageous one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments, this one’s pure mayhem from start to finish. Listener stories, bad decisions, and proper true yarn energy.

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Queensland Origin weapon Kurt Capewell returns for a raw, hilarious yarn about the phone call that dragged him back into the arena. From missing Game 1 to being thrown into the fire for Game 2, Capes breaks down the pressure, the buzz and the chaos of Origin camp - including Alfie’s antics, six-week drink-ups, and the pests who make camp unforgettable.

He opens up on grand final heartbreaks, premiership highs, Melbourne grubs, Munster’s sledges, and the brutal reality of bashing your mates one week and lining up beside them the next. Packed with honesty, humour and top-tier footy stories, this is Capewell unfiltered.

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NRL gun Kurt Capewell drops in for a cracking yarn - packing premiership stories, Origin pressure, and one of the funniest on-field disasters you’ll ever hear. From the Roosters and Sharks to the Panthers dynasty, Broncos heartbreak and life now with the Warriors, Capes breaks down the culture, the coaches, the sprays and the moments that shaped his career.

We dive into Panthers’ unmatched system, the truth behind his “good luck charm” reputation, playing through pain, Melbourne’s grub tactics, and what he wants after footy. Honest, humble, hilarious- this is Kurt Capewell in full flight.

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In this Proper True Yarn quick-fire session, Gocsy sits down for a loose Q&A that bounces from dream autographs and comedy heroes to busted cars, late-blooming romance, and wild Mad Monday benders with the St Kilda boys.

He talks about the musicians and comics that shaped him, why Carl Barron sits on top of the Aussie comedy pyramid, the headbutt that nearly earned him a carpark bashing a year later, and what it’s really like growing up fiery on the footy field. We finish with Hollywood biopic casting (Brad Pitt, if he had his way), his love for rottweilers and capybaras, and a classic Gocsy sign-off: if you’re gonna be a cunt, be a good cunt.

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Silly Saturday is back and it’s pure chaos. Wild phone-in yarns, outrageous overseas stories, scams exposed, dodgy decisions, and zero filters. Listener calls, questionable life choices, and proper loose banter from start to finish. Strap in - this one goes off.

And for a discount on your first box of Our Cow, head to ourcow.com.au and use code YARN at checkout!

#propertrueyarn

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In this episode, Aaron “Gocsy” Gocs takes us inside his debut scrap on the Podcast Royale fight card - from getting the call-up, juggling training around real life, and learning how to talk shit for promotion, all the way to walking out in headgear to Smash Mouth in front of 5,000 screaming punters.

Gocsy breaks down the nerves of being booed on entry, the blur of the bout, the dodgy ref with the rat’s tail trying to keep his opponent on his feet, and the exact moment he realised he’d actually got the win. We yarn about using the crowd’s hate as fuel, fighting as a dad with his daughter in the crowd, comparing a boxing high to landing a killer joke on stage, and why that one sweet victory now has him itching to glove up again.

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Aaron “Gocsy” Gocs is back on the couch to unpack his love affair with one of footy’s great battler clubs: the St Kilda Saints. From growing up a Broncos and NRL kid in Brisbane to falling in love with Melbourne’s AFL culture, Gocsy explains how family ties, Shane Warne, Eric Bana and a bit of self-imposed suffering turned him into a diehard Saints tragic.

We yarn about his unofficial role with the club, shooting vids with players, getting shouted membership when he was broke, rubbing shoulders at Best & Fairest nights and copping it non-stop from fans of richer clubs. Gocsy breaks down sports fandom, why people act like they won the premiership, and why following a struggler teaches you to actually enjoy the little wins in footy - and in life.

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Aussie comedian Aaron “Gocsy” Gocs drops a dark but bloody funny “year from hell” yarn. From taking in a young family that turns violent, to breaking up a teenage girl punch-on at the shops and getting chased by a pack of kids, to an Airbnb guest claiming he’s a bikie, extorting him for cash and nicking the washing machine on the way out - it’s pure chaos. We talk fear, being a “dickhead magnet”, cops doing nothing, lessons learned, and why Gocsy’s retired from renting his spare room forever.

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Pat Brennan from Bucked Up joins the pod with a belter of a yarn about how a $16,000 gamble on a trademark turned into a $4 million launch in just one week. From fighting over the rights to the name LFG to building one of Australia’s most recognisable supplement brands, Pat takes us inside the wins, mistakes, and lessons of the game. This episode isn’t just about pre-workout tubs—it’s about brand battles, business hustle, and the make-or-break moments that separate the dreamers from the doers. A proper true yarn packed with laughs, grit, and straight-up business wisdom.

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Pat Brennan from Bucked Up Australia jumps on the mic for a wild mix of yarns—from chasing big-name ambassadors like Bryson DeChambeau and Rhea Ripley, to what he’d do if a billion dollars dropped in his lap tomorrow. We talk branding, vision, and the hustle of bringing Bucked Up down under, before diving into hard-hitting questions like shaving habits, pick-up lines, dust-ups at Coles, and why he reckons a moose would be the ultimate pet. A funny, raw, and unexpected chat with one of the hungriest young brand builders in the game.

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French weapon Corey Collombet is back for a loose guest Q&A. We yarn about whose autograph he’d chase (hint: old-school French chaos), blowing six figures trading in a single day, losing his virginity on a Corsican beach, wild wrap parties on the Elvis movie set with Tom Hanks, ski-season benders in the French Alps, nearly getting flogged for pissing in a bush, and why he’d choose a wolf as a pet. Pure rogue energy, big laughs, and a reminder that even the biggest fuck-ups are just lessons with better stories.

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In this wild yarn, Cory Collombet breaks down how he went from backpacking around Australia to pitching his startup in the heart of Silicon Valley. From landing a spot in a global accelerator, to walking the same streets as the world’s biggest tech giants, to fronting up to billionaire investors, this one’s a proper rollercoaster. A story about backing yourself, hustling hard, and taking your shot when it counts.

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French wild card Corey Colombet jumps on the couch to explain how he went from backpacker gigs to launching Bodega, a web3 prediction market where you can punt on everything from elections and Bitcoin prices to green dildos getting launched onto NFL fields.

Corey breaks down how prediction markets actually work, why they can be more accurate than polls, how they raised a lazy million in VC, and how creators can become decentralised bookies – including setting up markets for things like the Podcast Royale boxing night.

Crypto, politics, sports, dildos on the 50-metre line and a Frenchman having a crack in Dubai… it’s a proper true yarn about backing yourself and betting on the future.

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Trev’s back on Proper True Yarn and Knuckles comes straight in with the short jokes – if Luke Combs and Garth Brooks had a baby, Trev reckons he’d be the garden gnome version.

The boys yarn about:

They wrap up plotting a stunt where Trev drops a CTC hat onto Knuckles’ head with an excavator. Proper Aussie banter, big laughs and big fuck-ups. Hit follow and send your own yarn in for a run on the pod.

#propertrueyarn

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Trev’s back with a chaos-filled yarn straight out of the yards. What starts as a simple horse-riding chat turns into a full-blown rodeo of bucking young colts, show-dogs that can’t handle cattle, and a saddle that ends up between his legs.

From being mistaken for a born-and-bred horseman to getting launched sky-high off a green horse while everyone else tries to revive a “super-trained” cattle dog, this one’s pure rural madness.

Horses, dogs, cattle, dust, and a bloke who reckons he’s “no Bubba Tilley” — but still ends up in the thick of it.

Proper. True. Yarn.

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Knuckles sits down with Trev for the yarn that finally ended his concreting career — a 49-degree Longreach slab, a useless operator, and a boot full of wet concrete.

Trev recounts the job from hell: taped-up work boots, concrete arriving at 1pm in scorching heat, falling through mesh, and a “dehydrated” coworker rehydrating with Canadian Club. Proper chaos, proper laughs, proper true yarn.

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Knuckles and Zak launch Silly Saturday – a new Proper True Yarn spin-off where they dive blind into the wildest listener call-ins from a “lost” folder full of filthy, unfiltered chaos.

This first Silly Saturday’s got it all: a Tinder date ambush by surprise kids, a Kiwi truckie with 30 roadside emergency bogs and a full-noise pants blowout, food-poisoning horror yarns (including Zak spewing and shitting himself after dodgy sushi), trusting a fart in Thailand, and a car getting absolutely sent until the tyres and motor give up.

There’s even a rogue detour into bush “cures” and backyard medical theories – strictly yarns, not health advice – plus a bit of love for Chevs, hate for Rams, and a shoutout to the Sharp Motor Group. Raw, loose and completely un-pre-listened… welcome to Silly Saturday.

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Knuckles is back with Charleville’s finest, Trev 966, and this time the big banger yarns take a detour into posties, planks and pure fear of heights.

It starts light – Knuckles giving a shoutout to his gun postie Jeffro getting CTC hats overnight – then Trev drops a proper true yarn about the local postal manager Tom, a paint job, and a fall straight out of Cliffhanger.

At 14, Trev’s up on trestles helping Tom paint his house when something goes horribly wrong. One second they’re cutting in around the windows, the next Tom brushes past Trev, falls from the plank, and locks eyes with him mid-air on the way to the ground. Broken ribs, an ambulance ride, and the sound of that “oof” has stuck with Trev ever since.

Asked to go back and finish the job, he climbs onto the same plank, feels it rock, climbs straight back down and quits on the spot:

“You can tell Tom to paint his own fucking house. I’ve quit.”

From there it’s a lifetime of being no good with heights:

Just when he thinks he’s getting better, he’s back on a school job walking trusses along a fully extended plank. The boys grab the truss out of his hands and Trev suddenly realises he’s got nothing to hang onto. Frozen in the middle of the gap, he watches a mate fall off the top plate and break his neck on the ground below. That’s it. Line in the sand.

By the end of it, Trev’s made peace with his fate:

“This is me. I’m a concreter now. I’ll just stick to the ground stuff.”

It’s a dark, funny, very real look at how one bad moment can turn a 14-year-old Charleville kid into a lifelong ground-dweller – even if he still climbs into the big bangers for a living.

#propertrueyarn

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Knuckles is back with Charleville’s own Trev 966, unpacking how he went from a kid out Quilpie way to one of the best big-banger drivers in the country. From learning the Roadranger with zero experience to seismic drilling runs through QLD, VIC and SA, Trev shares yarns about bog holes, water trucks, stolen cruisers and the tough old Louisville that made him. A proper truckie origin story, raw, funny, and all bush wisdom.

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Knuckles welcomes Trev 966 back to the Proper True Yarn Podcast after the last appearance literally melted the camera. Fresh off the Get Yourself Checked gala, Trev rolls in from Charleville with a new batch of chaos.

He kicks off with a “quick pigging mission” that turns into full-blown PTSD courtesy of a useless pig dog named Ernie – the only dog on earth more interested in chewing Trev than the boar. From there it’s into the truckie world: big bangers, road trains, the Toowoomba show getting held up, and Trev’s verdict on his new rig – “Fuck your 90, buy a hino.”

Between sledging each other (no-neck vs no-arse), mixing up Akkos and Inters, and yard blokes who reckon “P is for Park and E is for Empty,” it’s classic Proper True Yarn gear: outback characters, dumb situations, and stories you just couldn’t make up if you tried.

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Knuckles welcomes Dunc Heyde (The Rock FM / Not For Radio) for a tour of bizarre jobs before radio-culminating in his worst day on the tools. Sixth-form work experience lands Dunc at a salmon hatchery during spawning, where “milking” goes wildly wrong in the first five minutes. From there, the chat shifts to 18 years at The Rock, partnership chemistry with Jay, why live radio still rules, building the Not For Radio community across 147+ countries, and choosing family time over hustle while the kids are in their golden years. Equal parts feral and wholesome—a proper true yarn.

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Knuckles sits down with Dunc Heyde (The Rock FM / Not For Radio) for the most out-of-control farmyard yarn you’ll ever hear. Teenage Dunc splits shifts between peeling spuds and “catching chickens,” stumbles into the great hormone debate, and — purely for “science” — runs a chook through a bonus growth cycle. The result? Chookzilla: a five–six kilo, driftwood-legged unit that wouldn’t fit the crates and later jammed the processing plant’s plucker, costing the crew a few grand… and costing Dunc his job. From blacked-out sheds and handfuls of birds to the day the factory met its match, this one’s cluckin’ ridiculous — a proper true yarn.

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Knuckles is back with radio legend Dunc Heyde from The Rock FM and Not For Radio — this time diving into the most unhinged calls, yarns, and sky-high stories from his broadcasting career.

They kick off comparing notes on “hatfishing” their wives — proving that removing a Country Trucker Cap can change a man’s fortunes fast — before Dunc recalls the most unfiltered live call ever: a Vietnam vet on-air dropping the term “pink mist” mid-broadcast.

But the showstopper? A European yarn so wild it sounds fictional: two skydiving mates smuggling their dead grandma home for Christmas — tuxedos, G-Wagon, rubbish bags, and a live football crowd for landing witnesses. It’s dark, hilarious, and somehow heartwarming — the definition of a proper true yarn.

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This week, Knuckles sits down with Dunc Heyde—afternoons on The Rock FM and co-host of Not For Radio—smack in the middle of The Rock 2000 mayhem. Dunc traces the countdown’s glow-up: from wrecked-office afterparties (yes, actual fireworks and a U-shaped ceiling rail) to 6,500 punters belting choruses at Spark Arena. We get inside the machine—votes, curation, and the occasional “how did that get in?” curveball (“Love Shack,” we’re looking at you). Dunc talks band wrangling, near-misses, and this year’s live twists: Grinspoon onstage and Blindspott backed by a 30-piece philharmonic. Plus: how Not For Radio blew up, and why radio magic still hits different when a whole country’s singing along.

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We kick off with a quick bit of admin: NZ Mardi Gras ≠ Sydney’s Mardi Gras — this one’s the mountain music blowout at Ruapehu. Then it’s straight into Caamzie’s guest questions: ball-grooming misadventures (the “nut-cutter 2000s” versus a careful no-guard trim), what he’d buy first with a billion (spoiler: box of piss, drift track, houses for the crew, and an open chequebook for mates with real business plans), and his biggest screw-up — flipping a freshly bought Surf in a park donut session with a cabin full of mates, engine screaming in a diesel runaway while he’s hanging upside down by the belt and booting at the window. Everyone walked away; the truck didn’t.

We round it out with teen firsts, most-famous run-ins (Nyjah & Yelawolf), a one-punch dust-up that turned into a dance-floor melee, and the crucial closer: any animal as a pet? Give the man a dragon (or Appa). It’s rough, raw, and very, very Caamzie.

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Back for round two, Caamzie drops a chaotic Mardi Gras yarn from Aotearoa: pre-drinks with the crew, an ill-timed bathroom stop, a stall-surfing staffer, and suddenly he’s face-to-face with cops, cuff-adjacent, and shivering on a cell bench while his past record gets read out like a shopping list. A warning later, he’s booted miles from the venue… only to hitch a ride, stroll past the line with a “band” bluff, get spotted and ejected again - then somehow walk straight back in (ditch the coat, melt into the mosh, catch Shapeshifter’s last song). The night caps off with a 40-minute wander home that ends at the Airbnb door beside none other than Dylan Frost (Sticky Fingers). One thing leads to another, and Caamzie spends the sunrise next door freestyling for Dylan, Tiki Taane, and mates for two hours straight. Chaos, consequences, and confidence - in that order.

#propertrueyarn #NZstories

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Kambo/“Caamzie” swings by with a ridiculous travel-skate yarn: starting in a Thai hostel, sees Street League is in Tokyo tomorrow, books a flight on impulse, and proceeds to confidence-speedrun his way into the skaters’ entrance. He helps a media crew carry gear, posts up in the Skaters’ Lounge, warms up on the comp park (until staff clock him), and still ends up beers-in with absolute killers: Nyjah Huston, Dominic Walker, Jamie Foy, Dashawn Jordan, Shane O’Neill, Ryan Decenzo and more. We get sweaty-handshake honesty, identical-looking wristbands, and a live Chloe the Flow switch-flip win that blows the roof off. The “after party” turns into a sprint for the last train, beers with legends like Chris Cole, then a bender and a doomed detour to Osaka for a car meet that… was back in Tokyo (cue: sleeping on a rolled-up carpet). Moral of the story: act like you belong — and sometimes you actually do.

#propertrueyarn #skateboarding

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Mel Kerr shares an intimate family epic: nephew Damo Rees—a rising superbike star sponsored by Carl Cox—marries in a sun-kissed NZ ceremony she officiates… then, six months later, dies suddenly in the UK after a catastrophic illness. What follows is raw resilience: dad Tony Rees (56) comes out of retirement to race his late son’s bike, brother Mitch fights an Aussie “bad boy” for the NZ title, and the family turns grief into grit. A powerful reminder to do the thing now.

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Mel Kerr—NZ’s busiest celebrant—drops her wildest funeral yarns: the memorial where a speaker unveiled a secret 15-year-old son mid-service, the tradie send-off fueled by bourbon & cola where a eulogist declared the deceased a “good ****” (many times), and why “open mic” at a funeral is playing with emotional dynamite. Jay adds a jaw-dropper from his own gig where a daughter torched dad’s saintly image on the spot. It’s raw, human, and weirdly life-affirming.

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Mel Kerr returns with peak chaos: a perfectly innocent (but very wrong) theory about the Vatican’s smoke signals, the fickle end of Good Morning, and the glamorous gigs that followed… Canesten Fungal Toenail and Depend adult diapers (hey, the rollover fees slap). Then we pivot to Mel’s second life officiating weddings & funerals—culminating in a stunning slip on Waiheke Island where she pronounced a lesbian couple “husband and wife.” Oof. It’s funny, human, and very Mel.

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We split the guest questions because the yarns wouldn’t stop. James Johnston gets spicy and funny: losing it at 16 to a statuesque first love (“bit of a jungle gym”), the most famous person who genuinely floored him (Michael Bublé) — plus their impromptu push-up contest that inspired JJ’s 50-push-ups pre-show ritual. He explains why he’s a lover, not a fighter, the night a jealous unit tried to square up and a UFC fighter mate quietly handled it, the A-lister he’d want to play him (Tom Cruise), and the fully trained pet he’d pick (tiger). Bonus: the crew’s wild idea to phone-in the Tiger King from prison for a paid yarn. Wraps with where to find JJ online and the new music. Proper True Yarn energy from start to finish.

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James Johnston swings by to plug the album (jamesjohnston.com), cop a well-earned black hat W, and field guest questions: the autograph he’d chase (hello, Garth Brooks), why phone-free shows feel magic in a noisy world, and his two biggest blow-ups—singing the wrong carol on live TV (Jingle Bell Rock instead of Santa Claus) and a PBR rodeo set where the track slowed, key dropped, and he bailed out with a crowd-only chorus of “Horses.” Raw lessons on owning mistakes, reading a crowd, and keeping it human. Proper True Yarn.

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Global wanderer James Johnston parks the music chat and unloads travel mayhem and magic: a Barcelona blackout (five tequilas → beach wake-up → taxi sprint → passport rescue → somehow Thailand), a 2000km scooter run from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi with a guitar on his back, and a night in a Vietnamese tin shack where a stranger literally snipped his roof to fix James’s bike and refused payment. The thesis: most people are good—treat the CEO like the cleaner. Plus: cab-running confessions, backpack budgets, and Dad-mode reflections on surviving your twenties. Wild, human, life-affirming. Proper True Yarn.

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Australia’s country rocket James Johnston unloads his wildest gig yarns: a DIY “50 gigs in 50 days” van tour (including a bowling-alley Tuesday and a campsite show for one bloke’s dog), then the leap to CMC Rocks main stage in front of 20,000. We go deep on manifestation (five years of crowd-watching and note-taking), the post-high crash the next day, and the moment he ditched covers, wrote 250 songs, and found the one—“Raised Like That.” It’s grit, graft, and the quiet people who keep you grounded. Proper lessons. Proper laughs. Proper True Yarn.

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Australia’s hottest country act James Johnston drops a bucket-list yarn from South Africa—from armed escorts and stadium shows to a spur-of-the-moment duet sung in English and Afrikaans. We trace the weird radio magic that blew his songs up, the handshake hustle that got him there, a whiskey-room write that turned into a national chant, and the moment 30,000 people in Cape Town sang his brand-new track back at him—word for word. Plus: shooting an elephant gun (500 Nitro), the strangest “tradition” you’ll hear this year (looking at you, springbok poo spitting comp), and why connection beats borders every time. Proper wild. Proper heart. Proper True Yarn.

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Aussie country star James Johnston rolls in hot the week his new album Where You’ll Find Me drops. We talk going “all in” during COVID, buying the farm (literally), and writing in the now. James breaks down lead single “One More”—dreamed up for a scissor-lift, main-stage, 20k-voices moment—and the heart-punch ballad “Can I Keep Talking To You?” written after his grandma’s funeral.

We preview Strumming Bird (32,000 on the Sunny Coast), swap road stories, and launch our CTC x James Johnston limited-edition cap collab: 250 hats only, each bundled with an album download. Keep an eye on socials for the merch stand meet-and-sign time. Big hooks, bigger hearts, proper laughs.

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From a WA cattle station and gold mine to live radio in Whakatāne and seven years inside TVNZ’s Good Morning—Melanie Kerr unpacks how she “just had a go” and became a familiar Kiwi face. We cover advertorial hosting, big-money commercial days, the shift to social media, and the truly unhinged products she had to demo (hello, metal weight-loss belt and the infamous Wonder Whisk motion 😳). Plus: airport double-takes, on-set wardrobe… solutions, a brutal lesson in online bullying, and the immortal sign-off flub: “pureas dot com.

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On NZ’s infamous Crate Day, a routine sober-driver night flips fast. Broadcaster/funeral celebrant Melanie Kerr recounts how a friendly lift request turned into a mongrel mob confrontation, a king-hit that knocked her partner unconscious, and a street-side triage while waiting for police clearance. We get the wild backstory (a stolen Uber, a cop’s party, and a shirt-off metamorphosis), the sound of a skull on bitumen, and the aftermath: hospitals, court calls, and the eerie coincidence of a memorial post for another victim tied to the same offender. Mel also shares a later run-in at a rugby club—defusing tension with a hug… and a Justin Bieber gag. Heavy yarn, big heart, and a masterclass in staying human when it gets feral.

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TV/radio fave Melanie Kerr returns with a raw origin story: growing up Pākehā on the Māori side of the 1860s confiscation line in Ruatoki/Tāneatua (Tūhoe country). We unpack what that line actually was, how colors mapped to gangs (Mongrel Mob red, Black Power blue), why the primary school uniforms ended up road-worker orange, and what it felt like to be a blonde farm kid in a staunch community. Mel leaves home at 14, heads to WA’s outback (cattle stations, gold mines), then lands in Dunedin—a world of bagpipes, churches, and culture whiplash. Plus: the anatomy of Crate Day and a very Kiwi idea for “upgrading” it with an Aussie pool challenge… right before it all goes sideways. Proper history, proper laughs, proper true yarn.

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On this episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, Tooney takes us across the ditch for one of the wildest trips of his Army rugby career. From smashing the Navy at Sydney Football Ground to representing the Australian Defence Force in Wellington, the yarns roll thick and fast. Hear about training like a pro, flying into windy Wellington, and the goosebump moment when an Iroquois helicopter split the Anzac Day dawn fog. Add in hard scrums, Kiwi hospitality, drunken chaos in town, and even a naked streak through base, and you’ve got a yarn that’s pure gold.

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Ambassador Melanie Kerr joins us fresh from Dunedin’s K9MD lab, where specially trained dogs are being used in research to detect cancer via urine samples. We swap the “fluffy mic” mix-up story for a deep dive on how scent detection works, why negative results matter as much as positives, and what a real research session looks like (controlled, peer-reviewed, and nothing like a pooch sniffing your bits). We talk early detection, blokes avoiding checkups, and why this world-first program could one day sit alongside standard bloods—simple, non-invasive, life-saving. Plus: foster families, doggy buses, Labrador legend “Hogan,” and a shout to the mates who couldn’t make the trip. Raw, hopeful, and genuinely inspiring.

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This proper true yarn special with Heath “Tierney” Tierney is full of wild laughs and loose yarns. From shaving mishaps in the Army to the fantasy of billion-dollar boats, Tierney opens up about virginity in a granny flat, fights on the rugby field, and a party that got shut down after projecting porn onto a neighbour’s house with surround sound moans echoing through the street. The lads swap stitch-up stories, dodgy pick-up lines, fake jobs, Tinder vs. old-school chasing, and even debate what animal would make the ultimate pet (spoiler: a wedge-tailed eagle beats a bald eagle every time). Proper larrikin energy from start to finish.

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In this ripper episode of Proper True Yarn Podcast, Knuckles sits down with Team Tooney Fishing to swap stories of being “professional amateurs.” From snapping rods and cooking engines mid-comp, to sinking tins while limping a sand-clogged boat back to shore, these blokes prove that looking pro doesn’t mean fishing pro. The yarns spiral into community spirit, near-disasters on the water, jerseys printed with the wrong bloody name, and even a charity golf day where the infamous “Moist Hole” stole the show. Packed with banter, blunders, and plenty of laughs, this one’s for anyone who’s ever fished, fucked up, and had a beer about it.

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In this gripping Proper True Yarn Podcast episode, we dive deep into the raw realities of service life with Team Tuning. From a Chinook nearly torn apart by a rogue artillery shell that left a soldier with a permanent stutter, to the shocking story of a cook betrayed and killed by an Afghan soldier while on lookout, this yarn doesn’t hold back. Tony and his guest unpack the chaos of deployment, close calls under fire, and the trust-shattering moments that leave scars long after the uniform comes off. Beyond the battlefield, they explore the struggle of losing your identity when service ends, and how fishing, family, and new purpose can help light the way forward.

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In this wild episode of the Proper True Yarn Podcast, Tony takes us from army shenanigans to life-threatening moments on a C-130 Hercules. From dangling on a harness at 13,000 feet while filming freefall jumps, to getting blasted by Black Hawk downwash and even staring down a bull at Barkly Homestead, these yarns are equal parts adrenaline, danger, and Aussie humour. Strap in for laughs, near misses, and raw tales from nearly a decade in uniform.

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Heath from Team Tooney takes us straight into recruit life — brutal drill sergeants, bent bedframes and hot-box humiliation at Kapooka, plus wild tales from job-specific training (including the maddening rules around weapons and helicopter licences). Raw, funny and honest: this one’s for anyone who’s ever wondered what makes soldiers tough — and what makes them laugh afterwards.

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From smooth sacks to Silverado dreams, Connor from Pub Cats brings a mix of pub wisdom and wild yarns to the Patreon pod. He talks manscaping mishaps, billion-dollar truck fantasies, and why he’s more at home in a country pub than a wild party. From footy blues that spiraled into sideline stabbings, to wrestling losses that nearly left him useless for work, Connor’s got stories for days. There’s pick-up lines in smoky beer gardens, debates on eating polar bear tacos, and the ultimate test—could his dad dust him up today? (Spoiler: yes.)

Packed with laughs, honesty, and a few loose moments only found in the back bar of Australia’s country pubs.

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Connor from Pub Cats is back with one of his wildest yarns yet — the infamous Toowoomba night out that spiralled from pokies wins and stein sculls to a spew in the Bavarian and an accidental break-in at the Shamrock Hotel. What started as 40 blokes on a pub crawl turned into chaos, laughs, and a brush with a $20,000 robbery the boys had nothing to do with (but sure looked suss on camera).

Between the carnage, Connor opens up about what Pub Cats has always stood for: mateship, connection, and the kind of bonding that happens best over a few cold ones. Raw, hilarious, and properly true — this one’s got everything from cocktails and chaos to real talk about looking after your mates.

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Connor from Pub Cats is back on the Patreon pod with a yarn that runs deep into the roots of mateship, pubs, and chasing ideas that matter. From those first chaotic pub crawls in $20 Vinnie’s outfits, to starting a podcast with one mic between two blokes, Connor shares how Pub Cats grew from a laugh with mates into a movement.

Now older, married, and a dad, he opens up about evolving the brand, staying true to its values, and why community and connection will always beat cheap thrills. And for the first time, Connor drops the inside scoop on his next big venture — opening The Laneway, a sports and cocktail bar set to shake up Dalby.

A yarn about growth, grassroots hustle, and keeping it real while building something new.

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Guest Q’s go fully off-road with Johnny: a Veet-on-the-ballbag disaster, losing it at 13, a “sandwich bag” condom at a house party, and a car-park punch-on with fairground gypsies—plus the footy brawl so wild the cops shut it down. Also: billion-dollar wishes, ferrets as pets, and why Dad (the Popeye-forearmed sparky) still wins the fight.

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From working in the London Bomber’s house to stumbling over boxes of dildos, Johnny Raithby’s years as a British Gas fitter gave him front-row seats to the strangest things behind closed doors. Naked portraits, shagging sheets, blow-up dolls tucked in like hotel guests, and even a homemade VHS porno left in the machine—it’s all here. One of the most outrageous episodes yet, filled with dark laughs and jaw-dropping yarns from the houses he’ll never forget.

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On a rugby league tour to South Africa, Jonny Raithby thought the biggest danger was sharks in the harbour—until unmarked cops threw him and his mates into the back of a van. With bloodied legs, a drunken swim, and a midnight ride through the dark, things went from funny to terrifying fast. From near-death in a cell to bribery, strip club chaos, and the harsh reality of overseas police, this yarn is one of Jonny’s scariest yet. A Proper True Yarn that shows how quickly a night on the piss can turn into a fight for freedom.

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