For years, Carl Barron led a double life: roof tiler by day, comedian by night. But as the comedy gigs increased, he downed his tools and began joking full time.
We speak to the Australian funnyman about burps, sleep, undressing on stage, drool, and a “bunch of weird shit”.
When did you first realise you were funny?
I remember at school, in Grade 4, every time I was called up to the front of the class I just found it easy to do something with my face and all the kids would laugh. Even before that, my mum and dad used to sit around and I’d stand in front of them and kind of play around. I always remember being able to make people laugh.
So when did you decide this was going to be a career for you?
I didn’t really decide. I was working as a roof tiler for years and I did comedy at night, and then I started getting more gigs and started doing less of my day job. Then I got a TV show? But I haven’t really decided yet.
I don’t think you’re going back to the roofs anytime soon though.
I doubt it but sometimes I have this nightmare where I dream I’m roof tiling and I think: ‘What am I doing here, aren’t I supposed to be on stage?’
How do you go about making your comedy universal?
My comedy is kind of universal anyway. For instance I talk about burping and I don’t like to generalise but I’m pretty sure everyone in the world burps. So there are a few things I pull out when I go to different countries. The thing I do in Australia tends to be a bit dry, laconic, so I just try and wake myself up a bit when I go overseas.
But basically I do the same stuff around the world and if they don’t like it then I think: ‘Oh well, I just won’t do that next time.’ I say, if people don’t understand my comedy then there’s something wrong with them. They’re thick.
Is there anything you wouldn’t do on stage?
I wouldn’t take my clothes off. Ten years ago I would’ve — no I wouldn’t. What don’t I do? I mean I don’t like to make people feel bad. I have a go at myself and people as a whole but I wouldn’t stand on stage and be really tough on somebody. If there’s someone in the audience who’s really overweight I won’t stand on stage and go on about someone being really overweight because I’d imagine the person would feel really bad. I kind of avoid that.
What’s the deal with airline routines? Why do so many comedians do them?
It’s just that you [fly] so much and when you do standup you just talk about what you do. But then again most comics don’t have a lot of routines about hotels. I think every comic I know has airline stories — I don’t know why that is. I guess a lot of weird shit happens on planes to pick up on.
What’s the best way to deal with hecklers?
My approach is to give them the floor. Ask them: ‘Well, what do you want to say?’ and just let them talk a bit. I don’t try to make people feel bad. Just turn it into a therapy session, ask them: ‘What’s wrong with you? What are you yelling for?’ Most people shut up — they don’t expect it.
Do you feel a day-to-day pressure to be funny?
No, not at all. I think I’m naturally funny anyway. Before I did comedy I was always making my friends laugh. I think if people do expect me to be funny that’s their problem, not mine. I’m like a lot of comics, a bit serious off stage.
So there’s a big difference between your personality on stage and off.
Well I hope so. *laugh* I hope I’m not really like I am on stage. I think on stage I’m a little more mental, I feel a bit nuttier. It just happens, I don’t know what it is. I’m a little like that in my day-to-day life as well. It’s not a huge difference but there’s a difference. I hope. You try to be funny on stage and you get a laugh, sometimes I try to be funny in the shop, it doesn’t work and they just think you’re a dickhead. So I’m not always funny in every situation. Quite often I’m pretty corny.
What makes you laugh?
People do these weird things, like I was having coffee with my friend in Sydney the other day and he’s talking away, he’s not an old guy or anything, and he just accidentally drooled. And I just keep mentioning it to him and he tells me to stop mentioning it. I just find shit like that funny. This huge amount of drool just went down to the floor — a really long piece.
What interests do you have outside comedy?
I’m a bit of a cricket fan, play the piano, been learning French — I like to study little courses. I did a wine tasting course a while ago that I really enjoyed and I’m not all that into wine. And I like to travel. Apart from that I don’t really do a lot.
What can people expect from you onstage?
I’m not very offensive, I’m a little bit mental, I like to have fun on stage. As well as doing the routines I try to have fun because not every comic does that. Most of the time I try not to take it all too seriously. It’s just a big joke, people revere your stuff and they talk about it like it’s some serious issue you’re addressing, and I’m thinking: ‘Just relax, it’s just a bunch of weird shit.’
- This article originally appeared on iafrica.com.
Nils van der Linden 