No joke: Former footballer and sports agent Ricky Nixon is to perform his stand-up routine "Chicken Train" at the Comic's Lounge in North Melbourne. Picture: Josie Hayden Source: Leader
It's been no comedy routine in the real world for Ricky Nixon in the past few years. Picture: Derrick Den Hollander Source: Herald Sun
RICKY Nixon can only laugh at the reaction since it became public he would do stand-up comedy gigs in Melbourne next month.
There has been a caustic outpouring from many local comedians, and a move from Melbourne International Comedy Festival organisers to distance themselves from his show.
Some comedians have privately welcomed him, and yet others have welcomed the chance to write new material about him.
"I didn't anticipate the industry reaction," Nixon said.
"I haven't even stood up to tell a single joke yet and some people have rushed to demean me and slag off at me. Some comedians grizzled and moaned and felt the need to have a crack and make it personal."
In the meantime he has had contact from the Gold Coast, Perth and Adelaide trying to organise gigs, and an offer to book a series of shows in Bali. His list of Facebook friends has grown from 300 to almost 3000.
On Thursday, at the exact same time the Melbourne comedy festival was officially being launched at the Arts Centre, Nixon was across town at the Comic's Lounge in North Melbourne working on knocking the rough edges off his novice "Chicken Train" routine.
It includes anecdotes from his AFL playing days with Carlton, St Kilda and Hawthorn and his time as a player agent managing the likes of Gary Ablett Snr, Wayne Carey and Ben Cousins.
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But there is also a more solemn section of the show, in which he discusses his personal crises and how his life spiralled out of control.
"This exercise is not about me trying to make a career as a comedian. I'm trying to be me and give an insight of what I've been through and hopefully at the same time people can come along and have a laugh," the 49-year-old said.
"I want to try to get across what I've been through and that I can laugh at myself. And to get across that I know there's no one else to blame for the situation I was in other than myself."
Nixon said he believed baring his soul before an audience would help him get on with the next phase of his life.
"I realised that if I was going to get my health, my ambition and my values back I had to take on something that was going to be a big challenge.
"It's actually about doing what Australians used to do well, and that is to have a go. Because these days the preoccupation seems to be about having a go at someone rather than just having a go.
"It's two years since I made the mistake of going to a hotel room when I shouldn't have, and people still want me to pay the price. Well I'm getting down from the cross because somebody else needs the wood.
"Nobody's been kicked in the head over the past two years more than I have, but I'm trying to move on with my life and do it by having a laugh at myself.
"(Former Richmond player) Matthew Richardson taught me the greatest part of this whole exercise, and that is that when Richo decided to start laughing at himself every one else began to laugh along with him.
"He tells a very good story about missing a shot at training and some bloke yelling over the fence that he was the worst kick in the world. Richo replied 'Yeah I am' and it defused any angst or tension. And that's stuck with me."
Nixon's first show is at the Comic's Lounge on Sunday March 24 at 2.10pm. Tickets go on sale on Monday.
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