I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm a big, big fan of Bill Hicks. In my humble opinion, he is possibly the best stand-up comedian to have graced the planet. But as many of his fans will testify, he was so much more than just a stand-up. His routines cut through all the crap that is thrown at us day after day, and his comedy revealed the lunacy that passes for politics these days.I say 'these days' even though he died 16 years ago. He was just 32 years old. The irony was that his routines from the early 1990s that dealt with US foreign policy, George Bush, and Iraq were just as relevant 10 years after his death. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen Bill when he performed live at the Neptune Theatre in Liverpool back in 1992 when I was a student. I had seen him on TV quite a few times before then and kind of expected to recognise most of his material. About 80% of the show was new material, much of it seemingly improvised or highly topical (it was the week after the Los Angeles Riots).
I am therefore, soooo looking forward to seeing American: The Bill Hicks Story tonight. There are many clips from Bill's shows available on YouTube. This one perhaps best sums up his philosophy:
The title of this post? It's how Bill referred to himself.
If we just redistributed all the defence money? We've seen the results of that kind of naivety, in India where we funnel money to the poor while the rich stuff their pockets, and in Africa where aid leads to babies with amputated limbs. Bring better policies, Bill. Wasn't particularly funny either, more like Bob Geldorf, just with less shouting.
ReplyDeleteYou a Bill Hicks fan, I'm not having that !
ReplyDeleteIf we're at the point where we're asking dead stand-ups for better policies, then we are in trouble...
ReplyDeleteAfraid I thought he sounded more like a preacher than a comedian.
ReplyDeleteGive me the late great Dave Allen any day.
Still,if everyone liked the same thing how boring would life be.lol.
Oh, he was definitely a preacher!
ReplyDeleteBill Hicks was a great comedian, he was perceptive, brutally honest, outspoken,with an astute mind.Very intelligent, who advocated power and freedom. I was a fan in the early 90's, but actually appreciate him more today!
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more, he died when i was 2 years old, only discovered Bill Hicks last year. He had views and ideals that were way ahead of his time, a trait of a great man.
ReplyDelete"it's just a ride.."
ooh two cams..eek!! I have permanently changed my username to lifes so there is no confusion.
ReplyDelete