There is not really any stand up comedy out there quite like Sam Simmons.

His shows always seem to land somewhere between “This is genius” and “What am I watching?”.

26 Things You’ve Been Doing Wrong is a mix between self-help guide and karaoke with Simmons finding comedy in the mundane but showcasing it with his signature lunacy.

Definitely not for everyone but if you’re willing to embrace a little bit of insanity, it is a great hour of silly fun.

Sam Simmons and his textbook off-beat humour landed in The Tivoli like a fever dream.

The lights dimmed and the audience was given a supercut of Simmons’ self-help, life-hack song covers projected onto the backing screen, a hint at what was to come.

Drawing from iconic songs by artists ranging from Nirvana to David Bowie, Simmons weaves bizarre subject matter through the music with conviction and, at times, strangely surprising vocal delivery.

It’s quite a ride for the audience, with concurrent storytelling surrounding Dianne Thomas’ tragic Hollywood story as well as a family that’s been lost within Sam’s head.

If these subjects sound as though they’d mix like water and oil, you’re right, it’s an often jarring performance.

However, that’s absolutely part of the show’s draw.

Simmons moves quickly and is adaptable to audience energy.

He uses this energy to steer himself through the various self-help topics, inviting participation and questions, before either diving deeper or shifting to the next cover.

Ultimately, if you’re feeling like a dive into absurdity, 26 Things You’ve Been Doing Wrong With Sam Simmons is well worth it.

Just prepare to spend parts of the hour in awkward silence between the belly laughs.

The last time I graced the hallowed halls of The Tivoli I was a preening pubescent with blue streaks in my hair and in the height of my nine-month obsession with punk rock.

Blue streaks and even hair aside, the years have changed much about the venue.

Carpet now adorns the floors and there is an old-world cinema charm about the place.

Walking in I could feel the energy within the room.

Much like punk rock fans, those of Sam Simmons seemed devoted, primed and ready to rock.

I was intently interested to see his Brisbane Festival Show: 26 Things You’ve Been Doing Wrong.

In my honest opinion, I didn’t quite understand or appreciate Simmons’ humour.

To begin the show, we were greeted with an amateur copied-and-pasted collection of pictures and movies that rolled on the screen behind the stage.

These images were accompanied with instrumental hits of famous songs with transposed lyrics Simmons had changed for his comedic needs.

The premise of the show it seemed was to teach us “26 life hacks through karaoke”.

However, at times, these songs were random, ridiculous and bordering on the absurd.

There were songs about an alpaca, linty jeans, vegans and monkeys, as well as bay leaves and spaghetti bolognese.

Intermixed with these personalised karaoke tales, Simmons interjected even stopping his singing to comment on the disappointment of the audience.

While this may have been slightly endearing, or part of the performance, it was hard to tell.

There were some laughs from the audience and true fans who appreciated his show, although I was not one of them.

I lasted 5 songs before leaving.

Maybe you will be able to last the whole 26… or maybe not.

If you are easily offended or like your comedy with some political commentary or depth, then this is not the show for you.

Simmons’ work is irreverent, frivolous and just plain odd.

That is, in fact, entirely the point.

You see Sam Simmons to have a laugh at something society says you shouldn’t, or something silly – it’s a break from taking life too seriously.

I think half the crowd missed the memo, and at times, there was awkward silence or muffled snort-laughs from those conflicted on whether they should let themselves enjoy the joke or not.

Some people probably thought ‘this show is bombing’, when Simmons made ‘fair enough’ comments at the end of his outrageous one-liners which did not garner roars of laughter.

But this is where the magic happens – between the scripted jokes and karaoke-style gags, Simmons shines with his off-the-cuff and observational humour, thriving on the awkward murmurs in the room, leaving people shocked and smirking through it all.

His response to the audience is half the fun.

This is a karaoke show where Simmons sings about everything from removing lint from your jeans to the benefits of knees – which on paper, does not sound funny.

But his delivery, paired with a few ‘you can’t say that’ comments and ability to not take anything too seriously makes it hilarious.

Surprisingly, he has great vocal range and can hold a note just like he can hold the audience in bewilderment.

Sure, Sam Simmons is not everyone’s cup of tea.

He’s the long-iced version, a mix of quirkiness and colour, set to leave you rolling (on the floor laughing, in this instance!) if you are willing to just let go and be a bit cheeky.