Steve Hughes is not a comedian for the faint-hearted.
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But he never wanted to be.
The former heavy metal drummer has been anti political-correct for the past decade and he has no signs of slowing down.
“Being a comic, that’s very dangerous, it’s very dangerous for everyone really,” Hughes said.
He described his stage show as “spoken word with killer gags”.
“My comedy is usually always been based around social politics and what’s happening,” Hughes said.
He is a fan of Australian comedian Jim Jefferies, who has an often graphic and confronting brand of comedy.
However, it is not a genre of comedy he could see himself dabbling in.
“It depends on your style, I can’t do it [Jefferies’ comedy style], I can’t get away with it,” he said.
“There’s nothing off limits to me, in the sense that anyone wants to do a joke about a topic, I have no moral qualms.
“It’s just that I don’t touch them all because sometimes they just don’t suit me and I’m just not interested.”
Hughes has been touring around the world with his infectious laugh and comedy shows for more than a decade, appearing in Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, and Spicks and Specks.
Making his Launceston debut, Hughes will visit The Royal Oak with his firecracker comedy as part of Fresh Comedy on Friday, August 18.
“I think Tasmania will probably get into it, maybe they’re less PC than the rest of the world. I’m hoping,” Hughes said.
Given his anti political-correct stance, he does appreciate some main stream comedians and their abilities to make the everyday banalities of life hilarious.
He admired English comedian Michael McIntyre, who “can do 20 minutes on the kitchen drawer, where you hold sticking tape and spare biros”.
“I’d like to write jokes just about going to the shop, but I’m just not very good at it. It’s very difficult to make going to the shops funny,” Hughes said.
“Comedy, to me, doesn’t always have to have an issue or a point … it can be just ludicrous and about nothing.”
He wasn’t sure how he even got into comedy.
One minute he was playing in heavy metal bands, and the next minute, he started performing comedy and not in bands, Hughes said.
“It was a mixture of watching 80s horror gore films, Richard Pryor stand-up and listening to Slayer and Metallica, and punk guys doing spoken word about politics. That kind of all formulated into the way I approach it [comedy].”
- Steve Hughes will headline Fresh Comedy, with supports, on Friday, August 18. Doors open at 8pm at The Royal Oak, with the show kicking off from 8:30pm. Tickets are available from TryBooking for $20 or $25 on the door.