David Quirk's show Shaking Hands With Danger won the Piece of Wood Award (the comedians’ choice award) as well as a nomination for Best of the Fest in Sydney. Now the Melbourne performer is set to return to his hometown's Butterfly Club for an encore show where he will again bare his unfaithful soul. Part tribute, part confessional, it's a love story in reverse where people get hurt and cheaters change their spots.
We chat to Quirk about why is show has been so lauded and ask him about his fight with Slash.
What do you think it is about infidelity that makes your show so taboo?
I'd say the infidelity. But beyond that, I think it's because most people know, and sometimes even accept, that people fail sometimes. Less people make a show about it.
You were awarded the MICF Piece Of Wood Award by a committee of comedians this year, what do you think it was about your show that made you stand out?
I'd say the infidelity, and that it's an honest one. It talks about finding love, finding Slash, leather jackets and plane crashes. I think that's what people want in a show.
Has Shaking Hands With Danger affected your love life?
Yes.
You're off to perform the Edinburgh Fringe Festival soon, how would you compare U.K. audiences to those here at home?
It's been a few years since I went to that festival, but I found them to be similar to here. In my mind they might be more aggressive, but I have a terrible memory.
What can you tell us about your fight with Slash that you haven't told your audiences yet?
This is the best question I've ever been asked. If I had my way, I'd have written the whole show about this. And I did have my way but other people said, "don't be an idiot". I remember that he was wearing jeans that were looser than I would have expected. That surprised me. Also, at the baggage carousel he was recognised by a group of portly bogans. They had rock t-shirts on and clearly couldn't handle seeing Slash in person, I couldn't either, but it came out in bad ways for them. They yelled "Hey Slash, play us a solo!", and things like that. I was against them. That's a rude thing to say to anyone, but to be fair he is a guitarist so I understand why they yelled it but he didn't even have his guitar with him, so those men proved themselves to be both rude and highly unrealistic.
