An Interview with Justin Hamilton
Tell me about your show?
It is an hour of me being positive about all the terrible things that happen in the world. It has a structure that isn’t apparent until the very end and only if you have been paying attention. It should make you feel good about life without feeling like a dirty Christian. If you’re a Christian and offended by that I say to thee turn the other cheek and get a sense of humour numbnuts!
You’ve made several successful appearances in the Melbourne Comedy Festival over the years. Does it get any easier year to year?
Parts of it get easier…the knowing not to party to hard in the first week bit gets easier, you realise that even though you’re not out and about you really aren’t missing out on too much. You feel much better at the end because when you do party you’re fresh unlike some comedians who look like they can only survive if they’re hooked up to a heart/bum machine.
You originally come from Adelaide and are performing this show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, are Adelaide and Melbourne audiences different?
Not really…any jokes that put down Adelaide seem to struggle in Adelaide but then again when you rag on Melbourne they love it and vice versa. The irony is that the crowds are very similar. Sydney crowds seem to want you to be a bit homophobic and talk about your knob, Brisbane crowds lose their minds when you ask them if anyone there has read a book and Tassie crowds are just so excited you even turned up.
Do you find from previous experience that your show can change as the festival progresses?
Definitely. If the show remains the same then it doesn’t grow. So many people in the business fail to realise the show is organic and should ebb and flow with your interests and moods. If someone saw my show at the beginning of a season and then at the end you may not notice too many changes but would walk out feeling it is a lot tighter, a lot stronger and that is basically through making little changes every night.
Is there any truth to the rumour that Kent Valentine’s pet rabbit likes to eat your leg hair?
Yep, I have the only vegetarian leg hair in the world. I would sometimes smoke a funny cigarette and next minute Sebastian is nibbling on my leg. Hot.
*To check out details of Justin’s show go to Justin Hamilton: Smash