Making his way across the Pacific in a few weeks is Kevin “Bloody” Wilson.
The Aussie comedian will be performing his LA debut on April 23 at the El Rey Theatre. With a fan base that includes much of the former British Commonwealth (and notable celebrities like Elton John, Dolly Parton, Dave Grohl and Alice Cooper), Wilson will deliver his brand of bawdy humo(u)r.
I recently had a chance to chat with him, and he is looking forward to introducing his F.U.P.C. tour to SoCal audiences. Wilson performs solo with a guitar, and he pointed out that bawdy ballads have a history that stretches back to William Shakespeare and Robert Burns. I mentioned a local bawdy balladeer named John Valby when I was growing up, and we agreed that soldiers especially have a history of bawdy songs to keep spirits up.
“Folks leave my shows laughing, usually with a song stuck in their head,” Wilson observed.
His career was somewhat ushered in contemporaneous with the birth of the internet; his first internet presence was in 1993. He was asked to take down his site, apparently not because it was bawdy but because the internet was not intended for commercial purposes.
Wilson readily admits he began writing songs for (and about) his mates, and the songs weren’t meant for TV or radio airplay. He was asked to record a few songs, and people bought the tapes. Over 22,000 copies later he was still going strong. When record labels came calling, he was not interested in their 11% royalty proposal…his 100% royalty was far more attractive. His second album went quadruple platinum, so he was on the right track.
I asked Wilson if he was concerned with the internet’s ability to share his work for free, and he introduced me to a phrase used by Australian and American forces after WW2: dilligaf. That phrase is tattooed on Wilson as a reminder: “do I look like I give a fuck.”
Elton presented Wilson with a Best Comedy Album in Australia, and said he was their favorite in the house. Dolly was similarly exposed, via her recording band, and became a fan. I mentioned seeing Billy Connolly in his LA debut back in the 1980s, which was attended by Elton.
“We are a brotherhood that occasionally competes, but we all support each other,” Wilson observed.
He figured that his early gigs at local cricket, football and gridiron clubs would be about the extent of his career. Within a few years, however, he was performing at Sydney Opera House and the London Palladium. He now travels for about 120 gigs per year, which takes him around the world.
Wilson gives a thumbs up to a fan’s tattoo.
As we wrapped up our chat, Wilson said he still writes for that first audience. “Would my mates Lenny the butcher or Bob the policeman laugh at this; I never write above that.”
He left me with a trigger warning: his show will be a politically correct free zone.
Tickets available here.
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