GIG FACTS
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WHAT: Comedy @ Tonic with Gary Eck and James Smith.
WHEN: Thursday. Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 8pm.
WHERE: Country Club Tasmania, Prospect.
HOW MUCH: $15 on the door.
THE last time stand-up comedian James Smith was in front of a Tasmanian audience, they weren't laughing.
That is when he was a law student many years ago, when the University of Tasmania hosted a national debating competition when Smith was at university.
He did not continue on that law school path, becoming a funny man instead.
Smith will have a much different experience on Thursday when performs at Comedy @ Tonic with Gary Eck.
"From all accounts, it has been deemed to be a great gig, so I can't wait to do it,"' Smith said.
"I tend to talk human behaviour, and I do some observational humour and I talk about relationships.
"I have a little bit of social commentary in that, but it is mainly the things each of us go through or find awkward or stressful, stuff that is relatable to all of us and I try to give it a comedic twist.
"People are coming to escape from life for an hour, to be relieved of their worries and be uplifted, and I think if I can connect with them, that does provide a really sound connection."
He said the best part of being a stand-up comedian was being able to enjoy his work every day, a job that chose you and not the other way around, but admitted there was some pressure.
"I feel an enormous responsibility to the crowd, just like I have an expectation if I go to the movies or to see a band.
"It is a dialogue, like any sort of reciprocal relationship, you are giving and so are they, and both sides have to give their full effort for it to be at its best.
"When I go to see comedians, I want them to be as good as they can be and I feel that pressure to be the same way."
He described Eck as one of his great friends in life and one of the funniest comedians going around, and that together they would successfully create a humour-filled night.
The Launceston gig will be Smith's last before he heads to the US to perform on Conan and be part of the Montreal Comedy Festival.