Arj Barker keeps the laughs coming, one town at a time

By Sheree Hoddinett  

Comedy fans are in for a treat, as international funny man Arj Barker heads for Bribie Island. Barker brings with him his razor-sharp wit, laid-back charm and all-new material guaranteed to have audiences laughing until their cheeks hurt. 

Barker is seen as Australia’s adopted son of comedy. He has also been seen on our television screens, with appearances on The Project, Just for Laughs and playing Dave on the hit show Flight of the Concords. 

The long-time international touring comic is returning to Bribie (yes, he’s been here before!) as part of his ongoing Australian tour and while he may joke about the geography, his love for connecting with regional crowds is no punchline. 

“I like staying busy,” he said. “I can’t just play metro areas and big venues all year. I’ve been doing this a long time, big venues, small venues, doesn’t bother me. I just like working.” 

The Californian-born comic has carved out a unique niche with Australian audiences over the past three decades, finding inspiration in everyday life and occasionally, ghosts. 

“Today I started writing about ghosts, like why aren’t there more of them? What do they even do during the day?” he said laughing. “Maybe they float along the beach or read ghost stories. I don’t know, but it’s stuff like that I’ll explore.” 

Despite a sharp comedic edge, Barker has no airs about his process. He writes daily when possible, drops into small local shows to try out material and remains humble about his roots in stand-up. 

It all began with a nudge from a friend who encouraged him to give stand-up comedy a go. 

“I don’t know why he didn’t do it himself. He’s funny. But I’m glad he pushed me,” Barker said. “I’ve given him credit publicly over the years. After that, I just fell in love with it. I never looked back.” 

Barker has a worldwide following, as a standup he won the coveted Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has also performed regular sell out seasons at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. 

With a career spanning more than 30 years, Barker splits his time between Melbourne and Northern California, depending on where the gigs take him. While comedy remains his primary focus, he’s built a rewarding life outside the spotlight. 

“I realised 10 or 15 years ago that I needed hobbies,” he said. “I love guitar, I’ve dabbled in photography, there’s some bird shots on my Instagram and I’ve got a woodworking series on YouTube called Do It Myself TV. It’s a bit of comedy, a bit of instruction.” 

His comedic style has matured with time too. Barker now leans away from overusing yelling or swearing for impact. 

“Less is more,” he said. “I still yell sometimes, but not as much. You want it to mean something when you do it.” 

When asked if he ever worries about jokes flopping, he’s quick to point out that most audiences are there because they already know and enjoy his work. 

“People don’t come to my show by accident. They come to laugh,” he said. “The rare times something doesn’t land, it’s usually a distraction, someone drunk or a baby crying.” 

He’s still amused by the media buzz surrounding a past show where he asked a mother to take her baby outside. 

“It wasn’t about the baby distracting me. It was distracting the audience. I’ve spent too much time getting here to compete with a monkey, robot or raccoon,” he jokes. “But hey, it got people talking and ticket sales went up!” 

Throughout it all, Barker remains grounded. He credits his Australian fan base, his two small dogs (Frankie and Freya) and the joy of learning for keeping him going. 

So does he see retirement on the horizon? 

“Not really,” he said. “Maybe I’ll slow down, maybe I’ll take a break to travel or play music. But comedy’s fun and it pays the bills.” 

And his advice for aspiring comedians? 

“Don’t wait. Start now. You’ve got the internet,” he said. “Make something, put it out there. There’s more opportunities than ever. Just go for it.” 

Barker now tours Australia and New Zealand on a regular basis, even attracting sold out audiences at some of the largest theatres in the country. He has also performed in Holland, Sweden, Norway, USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand. 

Arj Barker – The Mind Field is on September 12 at the Bribie Island Hotel. For tickets and show info, visit https://www.arjbarker.com