Comedy has always been a frontier for pushing the envelope, whether that is touching on taboo subjects or revealing uncomfortable truths.
In recent years, with the rise of social media, everyone is able to have their own view heard. Some comedians say they are being "gagged" or restricted in what they can say.
Limerick comedian, Karl Spain says it comes down to the craft of comedy and being able to touch on these subjects skilfully.
“A lot of comedians say ‘you can't say anything any more'".
“If you could not say anything any more. You would be saying ‘Are you going to the mime club tonight?"
Truthfully, these are the comedians selling out venues and releasing comedy specials, so clearly they can say what they want.
Karl Spain's new tour titled 'Well, What Did You Expect?' begins in the new year with a headline show at Vicar Street on April 19th.
One of the main themes of his show is how we make judgements about each other based on things we cannot change about ourselves.
“Because I am a white male, and I am into football, a lot of assumptions are made about me," he says.
“I was at the Edinburgh Festival a few years back and a Japanese woman came up to me after a show. She asked me 'You are Irish?
“Then she goes 'You drink too much... I said to her 'I actually don't drink at all', then she kind of slapped my stomach and said 'How did this happen then?”
“I think her lack of English kind of made her more abrupt or direct. She probably thought 'Oh he is Irish. He is probably an alcoholic."
Common misconception
Even though he describes himself as left of centre, he is still open to hearing other people's side of the story.
“My whole thing is I try and see the other side of the argument.
“If I disagree with someone, I can still talk to the person, and we need to listen to people. Stop shutting down conversations as well.
“Even the word woke. I think it's a dangerous word, because it means different things to different people. It can be positive or negative."
At the same time, he understands things have changed and what was acceptable back when he was growing up is not now.
“I give out to young people. It's kind of like, where's your music? Come on! The Rolling Stones just want to die.
“They have basically been dead for 43 years but are still releasing new music."
TV shows have changed as well from the days when he was growing up. “You know the TV show gladiators? They had Wolf and Hunter.
Nowadays, the TV show where you are likely to have people called Wolf and Hunter is as experts on The Chase.
“Nowadays, the TV show where you are likely to have people called Wolf and Hunter is experts on The Chase.”
“We've gone from grown men on steroids wearing an outfit stolen off some girls team to nerdy quiz shows.”
When it comes to whether modern audiences are more sensitive, he has an interesting anecdote.
“We need to have these conversations and talk about things. To find out how much you should hate a person.
“It is like when I was at a party in the 80s or early 90s. If we had someone come in if the music is blaring and said ‘Can we turn down the music?’ The attitude would have been 'Okay Mary, we will see you on Monday then..."
“Whereas now it's like “Turn down the music, there are people triggered by loud music or noises.”
Even recent events have made it into his new show as well. "The joke I was thinking about around the riots was like, Is that what Ireland would be like if Conor McGregor got elected president?
On tour
“I bet you though if you did a survey about why the people did it they would probably say something like ‘I just got a call from one of the lads about it’," he says.
When it comes to touring, Karl Spain spent most of 2022 with Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges, who is not only his contemporary but a close friend.
“Kevin is awesome and touring with him was so much fun. When we were on tour, we became a kind of group along with the security staff and the backstage crew.
“We would have dinner together, and we did 16 nights in Glasgow where Kevin lives. He is so much fun.”
“It was such a laugh, and I was thinking ‘I could do this for the rest of my life.”
“Some of the practical jokes by the lads were hilarious. One of the security guys nearly killed the tour manager by hiding in the back of his car scratching his neck while he was driving."
On a more serious note, he was actually instrumental in the early days of Bridges' career when he was breaking onto the scene.
“I got Kevin (Bridges) gigs when he was starting out. I did a gig with him in Edinburgh and I said “You’re great, you should come over to Ireland”.
“I got Kevin gigs when he was starting out. I did a gig with him in Edinburgh and I said “You’re great, you should come over to Ireland”.
“He ended up kind of becoming part of the Irish comedy scene in his early days.
“I remember saying to him ‘You can book me as your support when you become big in the future’. I think he has repaid me a million-fold....it does help to be nice to people.”
He also credits Des Bishop with helping out young up-and-coming acts in the Irish scene.
“He was a big mentor to Joan McNally and helped launch her career. It used to be a bigger thing in comedy...helping each other out.”
Lending a helping hand can go a long way in the industry, especially when you hear about how some of the younger acts get treated.
“I have heard some horror stories of emerging talent where a seasoned comic comes up to them after their set and says ‘You have two of my jokes in there’.
“What they are doing is stealing the joke from them and sadly no one is going to believe the younger act."
With shows in Dubai in January and Killarney around March, it is all building up to his big show in Vicar Street in April. Having seen both sides of the industry, he is clearly enjoying his moment in the spotlight.
