Josh Thomas's first time

Josh Thomas hasn't got a girlfriend. It's an important part of his show, The Adventures Of Josh Thomas and The World’s Greatest Love Machine, a title which, he says, is often misread.

"The title is me AND THE world's greatest love machine. no one ever reads it properly and thinks I am saying I am the world's greatest love machine. I am not. Don't get me wrong though, I am a very, very very generous lover."

About six foot tall with a mess of blonde hair and quite baby faced, Josh gives a great performance of a socially inept, awkward and shy young man with a keen sense of humour and observation, something the younger ladies in the audience really seem to appreciate.

It's his first time in Ireland and his first time at the Cat Laughs Festival. He's just turned 21 - literally, on the flight over from his native Australia - possibly not how you'd envisage the start of being 21, something he references at the start of his show.

When I was younger I thought with puberty that would be it - my voice would get deeper, I'd have hair on my face and I'd become a man. The older I've been getting the more I've realised that's unlikely to happen. So I'm just stuck as I am.

It's a very personal, direct and honest view of who an how he is. "I don't have a girlfriend, I'm not very good with 'the ladies'" he tells the audience, "It's a true story, but I had to break up with my last girlfriend via SMS. We'd been getting intimate when she said "You don't have very much hair on your face Josh. You don't have very much hair on your body Josh. Sometimes for me it's a bit like being with a woman..."" The audience laughs in a huge wave of sympathy.



Josh has been doing stand up for the past 4 years - at the age of he was the youngest ever winner of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s RAW Comedy Competition in 2005. He also made the finals of So You Think You’re Funny, the Edinburgh Festival’s RAW equivalent. He thought he was the King of the world.

He's done 6 shows at the Cat Laughs, appearing with names including Jason Byrne, Neil Delamere, Tommy Tiernan, Craig Hill and Karl Spain.



I sat down with him for a couple of minutes to have the briefest of brief interviews - five quick questions:

His advice for young comedians:

"Don't do it! Why would you hate yourself that much? Ah no, no.

Just do it. Get out there and just do it. I got in by just getting up and saying "I'll do a routine" and it started like that. Just go and get it done."

On the Internet:

"Ah I love it. Love it. What more can I say? You can find me on my website and on MySpace. I sometimes sit there just refreshing. There's also videos of me on You Tube":

Favourite thing about Kilkenny:

Well I was slightly ambitious, arriving on Tuesday. I've toured the castle (45 minutes), I've walked over the bridge (by accident but it's a nice bridge), I've seen Dunnes and - ooh I was interviewed by Glenda Gilson, is that her name? She was scary. But I really like the place.

The most commonly asked question he gets:

"What's it like being a comedian so young? Which is a silly qestion really cos I don't know the answer, come back to me when I'm older and I'll tell you. I mean, c'mon journalists... seriously!"

Finally, what question he'd ask if he was interviewing:

Er, I don't know. I'd never, ever ask a comedian what it's like to be a comic. There's no real answer to the question. I'd probably ask one to write a joke for me.

And with that he's gone. Given the reaction of the crowd and respect of fellow comedians, here's one comic with plenty of stories to tell to plenty more audiences in the future.

Josh can be found online at:

• His MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/mynameisjoshthomas - his blog about being in Kilkenny is here.
  
  
• His website: http://www.joshthomas.com.au - sign up for his newsletter and get a duck - here's mine:
  

Part of the Cat Crew

Being a Kilkenny man it was only fitting that I take my own recommendation and volunteer for this year's Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny.



If you happen to be around Kilkenny this weekend, keep an eye out for the volunteers in their fetching blue t-shirts - they'll be more than happy to help if they can. Headed up by wonderwoman herself Trish Duffe, there's friendly people at every venue.



I have to admit it's the first time I've been in Kilkenny for the Festival for a few years and the place looks great. The buzz and atmosphere in the town is one of enthusiasm, humour and people who - pardon the pun - are out to have a laugh. The massive queue for yesterday's train is a testament to the draw of the Festival.



I'm full of admiration for anyone who can get up in front of an audience armed only with a sharp wit, keen observation and enough charisma and courage to keep an audience laughing along. And last night they certainly did that.



I have the great pleasure of working in the Rivercourt Hotel, where last night we had on the bill:

• Compére, host and extremely funny man Ian Coppinger from Dublin
  
  
• The outrageously camp, leather kilt wearing hilarious Craig Hill from Glasgow
  
  
• Geeky just-out-of-high-school and first time to Ireland Josh Thomas from Australia
  
  
• and the ever likable, most popular and tear inducing comedian Neil Delamere

It's funny (not ha ha) but I was incredibly shy last night. Granted I was busy with the volunteering (yes I was!) but I found it difficult to go and say hello to some of them, to ask for a photo or to be so bold as to bother them for an interview. I can only imagine how difficult getting up there must be, the mental preparation, the stress and the come down.

I've spotted Ed Byrne, Kevin Gildea, Matt Kirshen and Andy Parsons all out and about. Tonight I get to work with (ahem) Des Bishop, John Lynn, Maeve Higgins and one of my personal favourites Tommy Tiernan. I'm going to keep an eye out for PJ Gallagher too.

I cannot wait.