Unreleased Bill Hicks material coming this year

According to this Rolling Stone article and some other online sources, a company named Comedy Dynamics will release later this year not only a DVD boxed set of Bill Hicks' live shows but also audio of some previously unavailable performances.  I'm stoked!  I once had the privilege of seeing Hicks perform at a Raleigh comedy club, and he was amazing.  I instantly became a huge fan of his work, and I own every CD and DVD of his that I have been able to find. 

If you don't know his comedy, it was dark, funny, and all over the map.  He would criticize anyone and anything.  I definitely recommend his shows--but be aware that most are decidedly adult.

I can't wait to hear the new (to me) material!

Bill Hicks is not bitter, so neither am I

Every now and then, I find myself depressed and angry and feeling more than a tad bitter.  When I do, I like to recall the late, great Bill Hicks and his rant about how a painful moment in his life led him to have a dream, a dream that motivated him.

By the way, if you don't know Bill Hicks, then you may not realize just how sarcastic I'm being, and you may be unprepared for what you will hear if you press the play button on this one.  So, don't listen to this clip unless you're ready to hear all the words and deal with some very powerful imagery.



I do know Hicks, so for me sometimes this bit is just the right pick-me-up.

So sue me.

Because every now and then

you need a little Bill Hicks.



Yes, we all do.

You need to own this

Ryko has just released a new comedy bundle, Bill Hicks: The Essential Collection, and you need to buy it stat. In fact, you should probably go to the store his long-time supporters have set up and buy the t-shirt bundle there. Yes, I did, even though I have all the previously available Bill Hicks material.

Come to think of it, when the new biopic, American: The Bill Hicks Story, becomes available in the U.S., you need to pick it up as well. (For a quick take on this film, which debuted at SXSW, check out this Wired article.

I've mentioned before that I was fortunate enough to see Hicks perform live once here in Raleigh. I was at the Sycamore Hill Writers' Conference, and we all went to a local comedy club just to catch whatever acts were playing. Hicks was the headliner. Seeing him made me realize, as few comedians do, just how intensely intelligent and important stand-up comedy can be. I doubt I'll ever do a show a tenth as good as his routine appearances, but I aim to keep trying.

Of course, he was also vulgar and offensive and at best R-rated, which I mention in case you don't want to hear that kind of performance; I don't want to steer you wrong.

Hicks died of pancreatic cancer when he was only 32 years old. He's been dead about 16 years, and yet his reputation keeps growing. If you don't know him, try this collection. If you do, you should already know that you need it.

Bill Hicks on my mind

One of my many ongoing projects is the preparation for my spoken word show at Balticon. (I sure hope a decent crowd shows up, because this sucker is a lot of work.) As I've been jotting notes and arranging bits, Bill Hicks (the comedian, not the musician) has been prominent in my thoughts. I've mentioned him before in this blog, so I'll make this simple: If you don't know his work, you need to check him out. Buy a CD or watch one of the few available DVDs, and you'll quickly appreciate the intensity and intelligence of this guy--and you'll laugh until you hurt.

I should warn that he was also foul-mouthed and willing to discuss any topic, including many dirty ones, so forget my recommendation if you don't want to hear that sort of thing.

If I can be a tenth as entertaining and insightful as Hicks was, I'll be happy.

I wish he was still around.

Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks, the comedian, not the musician, died quite some years ago. I still listen to his work from time to time, and I recall fondly the one evening I had the privilege of seeing him perform live. While checking for another book on amazon.co.uk, I noticed that an expanded edition of Hicks' Love All the People was available there. This volume provides transcripts of many of his bits and shows. Also available there was Agent of Evolution, a Hicks biography by his good friend, Kevin Booth. I recommend both of these if you have any interest in Hicks.

If you don't know his work, pick up one of his DVDs or CDs on Amazon--provided you're okay with adult content and language. If you're a kid, give this stuff a pass until your parents say it's okay. If dirty words or sexual topics bother you, also give it a pass.

The night I saw him live, I was with a group of 15 writers at a writers' conference. We were all blown away by how bright, thoughtful, and, of course, funny Hicks was. Even those who didn't generally go for his brand of humor had to concede his writing talent.

Check out his work.