Carl Barron: Muckin’ Hell.

Carl Barron performs at the Twelfth Night Theatre from Tuesday until Saturday.

Carl Barron is by far and away best known for his work as a member of the Footy Show team. Or for flogging laundry detergent. But perhaps more pertinently, he’s one of Australia’s foremost stand up comedians, making waves not only at home, but across with world with successful shows in New York and London as well as appearances at the prestigious Edinburgh and Montreal comedy festivals. In fact, he’s been almost constantly on the road since 1998 after making an appearance at a pub amateur comedy night. His current tour, Just Muckin’ Round, finds him in Brisbane for a week of truly Australian performances.

“I talk about burping,” the Longreach born and now Sydney based comedian explained recently. “I talk about pulling your undies out of your bum. When you do that some people stand on tiptoe. What other philosophical, deep, intellectual subjects do I talk about? Someone described it to me the other day – it’s one of those terms you hope you never get – she said ‘warm, quirky and puerile’ and I though ‘yeah, fair enough’. I had this weird sense of pride.”

It’s this typical Australian deadpan attitude of revelling in your own mediocrity, and not really giving a shit about it, that’s endearing to a local audience. She’ll be right, mate.

“You have to watch out for a few Aussie mannerisms,” he continued. “If you are dry, as in when someone stuffs up and you say ‘good on ya, mate,’ overseas they might take it quite literally.”

As was the case recently when, after being confronted by a heckler in the States, Barron retorted with just that line. In typical American fashion, the heckler thought he was being complimented.

“If you don’t understand part of my show, then you’re not real bright. It’s not exactly heavy, and there’s no message. Some bloke wrote a review in Melbourne talking about some meaning behind my material. Like if a bird poos on your shoulder, then I’m talking about a bird pooing on your shoulder.”