Sloss takes a sledgehammer to so-called love in his new hour, So? – and, as the Scotsman reveals, he’s more than qualified to do so. “I’ve been in relationships where I wasn’t in love and I was like, ‘Oh God, it’s obvious we’re not in love.’ What’s the best way to hide this? Post about it constantly. Hide it in plain sight. If you convince the public, you’ll convince yourself. That’s also how I convinced myself I was funny,” he laughs.
“I talk about relationships: why people get into them, why I get into them, why they fail, why mine have failed,” Sloss explains. “I’m not a person who denies the existence of true love but I am a person who calls bullshit on the 80 percent of relationships that are not true love – relationships that are built out of fear, out of self-doubt and the indoctrination of how we pitch relationships to young adults all over the world.
“You can say I sound bitter all you want, but I’ve broken up 45 couples. That’s 90 lives saved. And I don’t have a Nobel Peace Prize. It’s bullshit if you ask me.”
There’s a charming authenticity about Sloss – a quality that not only comes across in conversation, but in his comedy. It’s why he’s a hit wherever he tours, from Europe to the US.
Starting out as a teenager, it took Sloss some time to find his voice. “I did what I call ‘porridge comedy’. We all agree that porridge is good for you, it’s healthy and it’s filling. But there’s nothing to it. It fills you up and it doesn’t do anything other than that. I was 18 – who gives a fuck what an 18-year-old thinks? Obviously the same still stands. Who gives a fuck what a 26-year-old thinks? Now my stand-up is more based on my opinion.”
For Sloss, it’s not about being wrong or right. It’s about his audience enjoying a top evening. “I love the fact that, if you disagree with me – which most of my audience do – they still laugh. You don’t have to agree with what I say to enjoy my comedy.
I’m very aware of how stupid I am. I’m not a politician. I’m not there to get your vote. I’m there to make you laugh. Whether I make you laugh because you find me ridiculous or you agree with me, to me we’re all still in the same room and having a laugh together.”
By Nick Mason
Venues: Taxi Riverside, Melbourne Town Hall – Main Hall
Dates: Thursday March 30 – Saturday April 22 (bar Mondays)
Duration: 75 Minutes
Tickets: $22 – $32
