Barkering up the right tree

He might be from California, but Arj Barker may as well be an Australian citizen given how often he's here and how much he's adored by audiences nationally.
``Well, I don't know if I'm eligible for citizenship or not, but they're pretty nice to me when I come here,'' says Barker.
``Everytime I come, all the security guys at the airport are like `hey Arj, here to do some more shows?''

But Barker says it's not just the friendly airport staff and ``ticket sales'' that keep him coming back - ``it's just everything.'' After doing a series of stand up shows in the US, Barker got his big break in 1997 when he won the newcomer award at Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the age of 23, the youngest person in the awards history to win the gong. In the 14-years since he has become a staple at the world's most prestigious comedy festivals and gained a cult following thanks his laidback, dude-orientated, observational humour.

Barker says what really gave him ``street cred'' was his role as indifferent New Yorker Dave on HBO's Flight Of The Conchords. The two-season show and creation of Kiwi comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement was a huge international hit, so much so that rumours off a Conchords have been hot gossip in Hollywood.
``I might have started that rumour,'' says Barker.
``One time I said `I wouldn't say it's an impossibility that they won't do another series or movie, but I haven't heard anything about it.'
``Due to the popularity it must have crossed their minds, bands get back together all the time and do reunion tours.
``But I haven't heard anything . . .yet.'' The show's success has opened Barker up to the possibility of ``more acting'' down the track.
``I'd love to do something dramatic,'' he says.
``I'd love to do acting on TV or movies, whatever comes my way.
``I like trying new things and I'm getting to the point where I can take time and do what I want, I'm paying my bills.''

With success has come sacrifice, and although Barker can boast an international comedy career and almost as many Twitter followers as Lil' Bow Wow (``I have, like, 110, 000 followers and Lil' Bow Wow has 800,000 followers but there's always someone with more'') its come at a cost.
``It's not hard to maintain friendships because good friends are always there for you, no matter if you're travelling around the world.
``Romantic relationships are always difficult.
``I'm kind of nomadic; I go somewhere for three months at a time, then somewhere else, which hasn't been too good for that but you can't have everything.
``A lot of my friends have families and I'm single, living in hotels.
``I'm really pleased with my career and the adventure I've had.
``It might have come at the cost of relationship security, but had I done that I wouldn't be here, touring around Australia and I might have been happy or might not have been.''

For tickets and dets on Arj's Gold Coast show on Tuesday, March 22 . . .click on the highlighted link back there.