Arj Barker Let Me Do The Talking

Fri 10 Dec 2010 ,

Stand Up

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First published on 7 Sep 2010. Updated on 5 Apr 2011.

This event has finished

The phrase "Arj Barker is embarking on an Australian tour" seems a little like "the planet Earth is moving in an elliptical orbit about the Sun". The love affair between the US-born comic and our wide, brown, sea-girt land has been an enduring and fruitful one. He's even got it going on with our little sister across the Tasman, via his role on Flight of the Conchords. What is it with Barker and Australasia?

Review: Arj Barker is not one to come quickly to a point. He meanders, he digresses, and then when you least expect it, bam! His aren't quick one-liners, but rather a slow-burn style of comedy. It may take him 10 minutes to set it up but by the time he's done the laughs will be rolling in like breakers onto Bondi. Embarking on the first of four shows in Sydney, Barker hit the stage running. Such is the Australian's love affair with the Californian comedian that Barker was effectively playing to a home crowd.

Of course, best laid plans and all that.

Now at some point we have all found ourselves stationed uncomfortably close to an obnoxious heckler at a comedy show. They seem to think that they are a genius addition to the show while you quietly pray that they slip into a coma. The heckler was in residence this evening, emitting a piercing whistle that ruined jokes and stirred the ire of all in the theatre. Initially Barker politely requested that they cease and desist, however the whistling douche persisted and so Arj Barker brought the pain, getting the offender booted from the show in a burst of masculine authority. No one fucks with our Arj!

Backing up a little for the more confused audience members, Barker threw his all into the rest of the show. Barker tried to rally the troops behind his AQUA theory – Always Question Unvalidated Authority – but people were too jolly to bother being sceptical. Comedian? Yes. Revolutionary? Not so much.

The combination of his gracious apologies and the unwavering devotion of his fans meant that everyone went home happy, humming along to the closing musical number that hinted at an as yet untapped lyrical skill-set.

If you caught either of his two sets at the last World's Funniest Island (may it rest in peace) then you would have been familiar with some of the material, however Barker's jokes are solid enough to stand up to a second go ‘round and still get the laughs. He's funny, does a killer Australian accent and hates jerks. What's not to love? Emily Lloyd-Tait

"I don't know what it is," he shrugs. "I just came to Australia originally to do some gigs and party and have a good time. I didn't ever expect that this would become the biggest part of my career, but to be honest I feel right at home here 10 years later. Maybe my sense of humour is similar to the Australian one. I am a little bit dry and sarcastic and I know you guys don't mind a bit of that, but I never veranalyse anything. I just try to do a good show and have fun."

He's in good company. After all, Australia arbitrarily adopts an international comedian every year or so: "Ross Noble?" we collectively say. "Oh, he's ours now."

"Sure sure. And of course, Jimoin was a big part of the comedy scene. It just sort of happens, I don't know why and how, but it's nice. I did feel welcome here so it's definitely a great feeling."

Of course, we run the risk of taking our locals for granted – and you'd best not do that with Barker. His upcoming tour aside (which is being filmed for another DVD, folks, so dress nice), he's got 2011 mapped out and then he's going off the road for an unspecified amount of time.

"I've basically been touring nonstop for 15 years and I've worked really hard and I've saved up a little so if nothing else I'm ready for a really nice break from the road," he explains. "I've already got a great start for my new show, which is called Eleven and is coming out in 2011 and once that's finished I'm taking a break. I want to live in one place and be able to not have to go to the airport everyday: just lead a ‘normal' life for a year and see how I like it."

He pauses briefly. "Like, I had dinner at a friend's house in Sydney the other night: my friend called and said, ‘I'm making a roast, come on over,'" he sighs. "And it was so simple and enjoyable and I realised that is something I miss: just having dinner at a friend's house. It sounds a little corny, but I want to learn to play piano a little bit, maybe take up hang gliding. I have a lot of things that I want to do that don't involve my job and haven't been able to do them so I'm definitely going to have a great time."

Sounds like Barker's got 2012 marked out as becoming a one-man higher education annex.

"Yeah," he laughs, "I suppose I do have a lot of things. I'm not gonna just be sitting around. Although that's on the list too – sitting around and playing PlayStation. It's definitely going to be a fun year."

That being the case, might we suggest making a rewarding commitment to Red Dead Redemption?

"Oh man!" he exclaims. "I have that game and it's beautiful. I'm still learning how to lasso and all that, 'cause it's the kind of thing that just takes hours and I haven't really had a chance to really dive in. That's actually the exact kind of thing I would love to do on my year off: finish a video game. How ‘bout that?" Andrew P Street

Arj Barker State Theatre, 7-9 & 11 Dec; Enmore Theatre, 10 Dec