02 Mar 2024
21:00
Seomra Beag
Since 2014 The Laughing Stock Comedy Club have had an annual tribute to the comedy genius and philosophical prowess of Bill Hicks.
Hosting ‘10 Public Members Bill’ around Ireland, in that time.
As Hicks was a humanitarian to most and lover of all animals, TLSCC were proud to shine a light on Bill's own charity ‘Bill Hicks Foundation for Wildlife’. While raising much needed funds for other charities that we feel Bill would have approved of. Homelessness, Cancer and Carers support all benefited financially.
The performers that stuck with us and continually waved their performance fee got the message and added to it greatly. The spirit of Bill kept us going through the years.
We peaked in 2020, a week before the lockdown. Bill's brother Steve Hicks joined us in Dublin to celebrate Bills legacy. That night will remain in the hearts and minds of the comedians, singers, musicians, poets and revelers, forever.
From 1990 until his death in 1994 Bill Hicks was serious about politics and comedy.
He was the only international comedian who really put it to the American Military Complex. This was a tough place for him to be, both physically and mentally. Physically because he brought his comedy to hard to reach places in America. Mentally, because 2 American soldiers broke his leg after a gig. They were offended by his informed thought out theory on Americas bombing of other countries that had rich resources.
“You know we armed Iraq. I wondered about that too, you know during the Persian Gulf war those intelligence reports would come out: "Iraq: incredible weapons - incredible weapons." How do you know that? "Uh, well... we looked at the receipts."
It's fair to say that Bill Hicks had a serious appetite for rock n roll and was fearless in his quest at taking down sacred cows and charlatans. He used the art of comedy to challenge the establishment and the moral arbiters of 80's and 90's America.
As American culture was/is a big part of western society, we all got it. His life story was called 'American'. It's fair to say that looking back now 30 years after his death, he was the ultimate American. He used his freedom to talk truth to power. He achieved so much in his brief 32 years before pancreatic cancer decided his faith.
From apathy to gladiators, from banality of pop music to the evil of record executives, he din't go easy. His no holds bared approach to comedy was refreshing for the smart asses who saw reading as a way out and not as a chore or something forced upon them. "Yep! looks like we got ourselves a reader".
It was unfortunate for the X generation that Hicks the southern Texan didn't reach the starry heights he was destined for, in his lone star state of mind/America. He found his comedy home in 90's UK where liberal views meant taking down the Tories and stopping all wars. With the help of a good soundtrack for energy and direction, along with good drugs for the trip/ride.
“If you want to understand a society, take a good look at the drugs it uses. And what can this tell you about American culture? Well, look at the drugs we use. Except for pharmaceutical poison, there are essentially only two drugs that Western civilization tolerates: Caffeine from Monday to Friday to energize you enough to make you a productive member of society, and alcohol from Friday to Monday to keep you too stupid to figure out the prison that you are living in"
Heralded as a tour de force by critics, the righteous dude by fans, and self professed ‘voice of reason’, Hicks was all these things and more. The best way to describe him in the current climate is as he called himself in his 1989 comedy video ‘Sane Man’.
“You never see a positive drug story on the news. They always have the same LSD story. You've all seen it: "Today a young man on acid … thought he could fly … jumped out of a building … what a tragedy!" What a dick. He's an idiot. If he thought he could fly, why didn't he take off from the ground first? Check it out? You don't see geese lined up to catch elevators to fly south; they fly from the fucking ground. He's an idiot. He's dead. Good! We lost a moron? Fucking celebrate. There's one less moron in the world”.
In his last weeks, Hicks re-read ‘Lord Of The Rings’ and made telephone calls to friends to say goodbye before he stopped speaking on February 14, 1994. He died on February 26 at the age of 32,
In early 1995, Hicks's family released a brief essay he had written weeks before his death:
February 7, 1994 –
I was born William Melvin Hicks on December 16, 1961, in Valdosta, Georgia. Ugh. Melvin Hicks from Georgia. Yee Har!
I already had gotten off to life on the wrong foot. I was always "awake," I guess you'd say. Some part of me clamoring for new insights and new ways to make the world a better place.
All of this came out years down the line, in my multitude of creative interests that are the tools I now bring to the Party. Writing, acting, music, comedy. A deep love of literature and books.Thank God for all the artists who've helped me. I'd read these words and off I went—dreaming my own imaginative dreams. Exercising them at will, eventually to form bands, comedy, more bands, movies, anything creative. This is the coin of the realm I use in my words – Vision.
On June 16, 1993 I was diagnosed with having "liver cancer that had spread from the pancreas." One of life's weirdest and worst jokes imaginable. I'd been making such progress recently in my attitude, my career and realizing my dreams that it just stood me on my head for a while. "Why me!?" I would cry out, and "Why now!?"
Well, I know now there may never be any answers to those particular questions, but maybe in telling a little about myself, we can find some other answers to other questions. That might help our way down our own particular paths, towards realizing my dream of New Hope and New Happiness.
Amen
I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit
This Saturday 2nd March they go at it again. In ‘Seomra Beag’ @ John Lee’s Music Venue Tullamore.
Doors 8pm
Showtime 9pm
This year's theme will once again be “LISTEN, the next revolution is going to be a revolution of ideas”...
