A household name here in Australia, American comedian and actor Arj Barker is equal parts natural comedic talent and perseverance.
Acutely ambitious from an early age, he’s been in the business for almost 30 years and returns to us now with his brand-new show 'Arj Barker Comes Clean'.
When asked about his views on how he is received by an Aussie audience, he jumps straight in and shares his thoughts on the ‘relationship’.
“Well, for whatever reason, my comedy seems to have resonated with the public here. It’s a relationship with the Australian public that keeps growing and I keep coming back, and they keep coming back to the shows and it gets better and better. It’s like saying why do I settle down with one person and not other people I went on a date with, you know, you just kinda click.”
The perseverance part is the part explored a little further.
“There were times when I thought I wasn’t progressing, like I’d hit maybe a wall of opportunities that would arise for me. There are also times when I felt uninspired and felt like 'I’ll never write another joke again'. . . Every other day probably, I’d feel like that.”
Naturally, the pursuit of a big dream does stretch a human being until they either make it or they don’t.
“I’ve never had a constant source of confidence. It comes and goes you know, confidence, motivation, inspiration, those are all flashes in the pan that happen when they happen, I try to enjoy them but they’re not like permanent states of being for me, anyway. So, I just keep trucking along and I’m thankful.
“My career is coming up onto almost 30 years and I’m grateful that I can still have a career to be honest. I wasn’t just like a 'that guy came and went type' of performer.”
Arj Barker was what we here in Australia consider to be ‘a working class man’.
“When I tried comedy, I just liked it right away – I was really, instantly hooked on it as soon as I tried it and so I just stuck with it. It was never really something I thought too much about, it was like 'yep, this is what I’m doing, love it, I’m home'.
“And even when I wasn’t making money in the first few years – I wasn’t making a dime, I was just gonna keep doing it. I did it for the love of it, really, and then slowly started making a little living at it.”
Arj’s self-awareness and the ease with which he shares his thoughts about his future is deeply humbling.
“I’ll just keep doing my best and if I start to stink at some point then so be it. Hopefully I will have saved up enough, you know, to retire then when it’s time, go peacefully to the slaughter house but I don’t worry about it too much, I mean I’ll just keep doing the best I can. . . I don’t think I’m the best comedian in the world, there’s always something to strive for, you know.”
He continues.
“There’s thousands of comedians you can choose from – you can find someone that tickles you how you wanna be tickled, but thankfully the majority of feedback I get is positive. I always feel, like I said, I’m the closest to what I call well-known in Australia, so if I go, say, into a pub people come up and say 'hi'.
“I suppose the people that don’t enjoy my work probably just don’t say anything, they go 'oh there’s that son of a bitch' or whatever, but that’s fine, I mean I wouldn’t expect that 100 per cent of people think I’m awesome. I’m thankful that enough people do that I have a career, that enough people come out. Thanks to those people I will keep doing what I can.”
Arj Barker Tour Dates
Until 14 March – Arts Theatre (Adelaide Fringe)20 March – Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane)
21 March – Canberra Theatre (Canberra Comedy Festival)
25 March-19 April – Athenaeum Theatre (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)
6 May – Albany Entertainment Centre (WA)
7 May – Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre (WA)
8-9 May – Regal Theatre (Perth Comedy Festival)
10 May – Goldfields Arts Centre (Kalgoorlie)
12 May – Queens Park Theatre (Geraldton)
13 May – Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre (WA)
14 May – Mandurah Arts Centre (WA)
15-16 May – Regal Theatre (Perth Comedy Festival)
