CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 151: AMY HETHERINGTON ON HER PROUD AS PUNCH TOUR

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Darwin comic Amy Hetherington, is currently a 50-show tour! The tour includes shows in 30 different towns across WA, SA and VIC, and will also see her return to Perth Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Amy will be covering a whopping 20,000km during her trip - reaching rural towns and cities that often miss out when touring comedians and artists hit the road.

Futuremag Music sat down with Amy to chat about the tour and all things surviving a regional tour.

FMM: You’re currently on tour, yayyyyy! Where are you joining us from today for this interview and what do you love most about where you currently are?

Amy: Yep, in the middle of a 50-show tour around Australia! It’s massive and fun and a lot of it is in regional Australia. I’m chatting to you now at a café in Denmark, WA. Enjoying a coffee and watching people with caravans try and navigate a roundabout – it’s bloody hilarious.

FMM: This tour is titled Proud As Punch. What are some things you are most proud of?

Amy: Haha I’m proud of dumb things and I think that’s what this show is about. It’s about celebrating little wins, and how pride changes as you get older. Like, I’m pretty proud when I can get all the grocery shopping from the car to the kitchen in one go! Or at the moment I’m pretty proud when I can time toilet stops in the towns with nice public toilets. But I’m also proud of this tour – it’s massive and as a self-managed and self-produced act, it’s a lot of work to get off the ground. Always nice when the work pays off and the shows are well attended – which gratefully is the case this year

FMM: This tour includes shows in 30 different towns across WA, SA, and VIC, covering 20,000km. What’s your regional tour survival kit?

Amy: 1. Jokes: You’ve gotta bring your own jokes. And you’ve got to work on them. Regional towns deserve the best entertainment, so hone the material and fill the suitcase to the brim with thigh slappers

2. Local knowledge: Join the community FB groups and get the goss, because if you can drop a few local references into a show, you can blow the roof off the venue. Small towns love being part of the joke, so I always get there early, hang out and ask questions. Do your research; it’s worth it.

3. Fridge: The car needs to have a fridge, especially for the big drives without many spots to stop. Have some fresh water, chilled fruit and when you pull over at the end of a big 10-hour drive, a nice cold beer.

4. Best Manners: Just in case you get pulled over… or if you see someone at a Caravan Park has a proper coffee machine.

5. Snacks: Essential. Variety is the spice of life, so get a mix of things. Calories don’t count in the car so send it. And you’ve gotta stop at bunch of outback servos and roll the dice on the bain-marie.

6. Spare undies: 2x lots of spare undies in case the servo snacks have been in the bain-marie too long

FMM: This show delivers some of your most fun and vulnerable work yet. What themes can be expected in your comedy sets?

Amy: It’s a bit about the challenges of parenting and of being proud of my independence. There’s stories about meltdowns and breaking under pressure but there’s also silly stories about having to hump a washing machine. I think comedy is about vulnerability and relatability… it’s the truths in it that are the funniest. Lots of themes of family and feminism and then a bunch of silliness too – cos in the end it’s my job to make people laugh

FMM: Some of your content explores the weirdness of the Territory. Your set was a hit at Darwin Festival and I’m so glad I was able to see it. How do audiences respond to this if they haven’t been to the Territory and haven’t witnessed the beautiful quirkiness of the place?

Amy: Awww thank you. Everyone has a connection to the Territory, they’ve been on holidays, or have a mate from there or have seen a video on the Internet so it’s actually pretty easy to bring them into the quirkiness… they love it and I really enjoy playing with the stereotypes of the Territory in the material. I wouldn’t be the comedian I am if I wasn’t Darwin based – your home influences your material and your voice – and I’m very grateful to have the NT as my home.

FMM: We loved the playlist you sent us for songs you must have on your outback comedy tour. I hadn’t discovered Bad/Dreems before, but now I’m loving them! You said you’re really loving this new Aussie punk rock movement. What’s standing out for you from this movement?

Amy: I’ve loved Bad//Dreems for a while now. They’ve got connections to the NT too which I appreciate. But what I’m loving in this new Aussie punk rock vibe is the fuck ya attitude, the political messages and the high energy delivery. It’s a pump up and it’s fun, but it also says something. And I’m here for that.

FMM: We love when music and comedy collide. Are there any songs that make you laugh out loud?

Amy: Being a mum, there’s a bit of kids’ music in my life and the Regurgitator kids’ album is a banger. And there’s a band called Junior Burger who I adore. They’ve got a song about toilet training and it’s a crack up.

FMM: What’s been the most bizarre thing someone has said to you during a comedy set?

Amy: I had someone interrupt my set once to tell me I was doing “better than they expected.” that was weird and niece.

FMM: Where’s the strangest place you have done a comedy set?

Amy: A Servo on the Stuart Highway. I once did a show at a service station halfway between Darwin and Katherine. It was a bit of a random pop-up gig, the servo booked me and invited some truck drivers and only three of them came. The servo is closed now… I take no responsibility

FMM: What’s the main thing you hope people take away from your shows?

Amy: I want people to have a good time. Life is hard, money is tight. I keep the shows affordable and bring them to places that often miss out cos there’s value in that. I want to entertain people and in the end, if they have a fun night out, that’s all the matters to me :D

FMM: What’s next for you after this tour?

Amy: I get back to Darwin in May… and then it’s dry season and events and festivals galore up there. If you haven’t been to the NT people should definitely plan in for May-August

FMM: Anything else you would like to add about this tour or upcoming projects we haven’t covered?

Any: Go and follow my mate Kel Balnaves on social media, he does a lot of the tours with me and is brilliant. He’s got an old commodore too that we’re touring in – it’s a bucket of rust and we love it.

https://www.instagram.com/kelbalnaves/

February 5-9 Fringe World Perth WA

February 12 Carnarvon Yacht Club Carnarvon WA

February 13 Batavia Brewing Geraldton WA

February 14 New Cornwall Hotel Narrogin WA

February 15 Overland Motel Kalgoorlie WA

February 16 33 Degrees Esperance WA

February 17 Bremer Bay Brewing Bremer Bay WA

February 20 Watsacowie Brewery Minlaton SA

February 21 Di Giorgio Family Wines Coonawarra SA

February 22-March 1 Adelaide Fringe Adelaide SA

March 2 Hewitson Theatre Gawler SA