Arj Barker knows what he's doing – and his power as a comedian comes full circle in 'Power Hour’.
This show brings a collection of Arj's material over 30 years together in one entertaining hour of reflection, plus there'll be a bit of new stuff and improvisation as well.
There's plenty to reflect on during 'Power Hour' – Arj's first gigs were in an old cafe after he graduated from high school in 1989 – and he's been in the game ever since, appearing on television including 'Flight Of The Conchords', co-writing an Off-Broadway show in New York, and winning an ARIA Award here in Australia, for Best Comedy Release.
We spoke to Arj to learn about his 'Power Hour', as well as what's coming up next for the comedian.
Where do you start when you’re putting together a show with the ‘best of’ your material?!
Well, the term 'best' is highly subjective. . . At best. (Is that a paradox!!!??) So I really just thought about which jokes I enjoy performing the most, and because I'm having a blast, it permeates the delivery and the audience picks up on that and it enhances their experience, resulting in a great time for all. One might even say the 'best of' times!
And how do you determine what has worked best for you over such a big stretch of time?
I'm not trying to be a dick, and these are great questions, but I think we sort of covered this in the first answer. You see, it's simply not a scientific pursuit, picking your 'best' material. Whats best for you, might not be best for me, and now multiply that times hundreds of view points. See the problem? So I just put together what I think is a F...ING AWESOME collection of my material from over the years and I go out there and SELL THE LIVING SH.T out of it, and everybody has a blast. Simple as that.
For an Arj newcomer, how best would you describe your comedy?
It's stupid and silly but quite clever at the same time. There is also some deep meaning in there, if you look for it. Up to you. You take what you want and leave what you don't need. It's like the Honour Box of comedy in a way.
What’s been the most rewarding thing about your comedy career to date?
The most rewarding thing is that after 30 years, I still get to do it! I often say to the audience, “if you guys weren't here, I wouldn't have a job”. Because it's bloody true! A comedian doesn't exist in a bubble after all. And I plan to keep doing it as long as folks show up. Once people stop coming along, I'll probably take up base jump wing-suiting for my last few months of life.
Any interesting – bad or good – audience interactions lately?
Yes actually. It was my previous tour ('Comes Clean'), and as part of a larger routine about UFOs, I was discussing a famous case called 'The Westhall Incident', which occurred in an outer suburb of Melbourne in 1966. There were several hundred witnesses, and to this day it's one of the great unsolved cases. As I was going over the details, I began to notice a minor commotion among some people sitting in the second row, a bit to my right. They were two older couples. I immediately stopped my show and asked if everything was okay. They were apologetic but had become overly excited because one of the gentlemen in their group had been there on that day around 60 years ago, and was witness to the event! Of course I wanted to grill the sh.t out of him, and ask him a million questions, but I could see he was growing uncomfortable with the attention. And to be fair, I had to get back to the gags! It was pretty cool though.
Speaking from experience, what advice would you have for a budding stand-up with dreams of a huge career in comedy?
I'd say: Dawg. You are best to focus on the joy of doing it, and the thrill of learning something new and challenging. And as much as possible (I get that you're only human) avoid fantasising about the fame and fortune part. It might seem counter-intuitive, but that part will take care of itself, and your time is best spent on learning the craft. Also, no matter how successful you get, nothing will surpass the thrill of your first few years, and the ups and downs you experience. Savour it. Savour the flavour. Also, cut me some slack holmes. You new guys are pickin' my bones before I'm even in the ground. I have three mortgages FFS.
What’s next for Arj Barker?
Makin' movies, baby! My friends and I wrote a film, and although it took a while, we actually found someone to fund it, and got it made. One of us directed it, and I play the lead – a destitute crypto currency trader from San Francisco named Brendan Brandon, who unexpectedly inherits a macadamia farm on the east coast of Australia. It's a classic 'fish out of water' type of tale. I come out here for the first time ever, to a tiny, eccentric farming community, and I'm put to the test. I have to grow nuts, get the love interest, defeat the villain (a kiwi fracker) and more. . . It's a silly, fun little film and I think people will dig it. It ought to be out by the end of the year. It's called 'Nutfarm'. Have a squiz!
Arj Barker plays The Concourse 5 May, and Enmore Theatre 6-7 May (Sydney Comedy Festival).
