Jimmy Carr has opened up about an interaction he had with a patched gang member at a gig in Hamilton.
Jimmy Carr has opened up about an interaction he had with a patched gang member at a gig in Hamilton.
British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr has opened up about an interesting experience involving a patched gang member in the audience of one of his shows in New Zealand.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, the comedian detailed how he engaged with a Hells Angels gang member in the front row during a gig in Hamilton.
Carr was in New Zealand in January for his Terribly Funny tour, which included a show at Hamilton’s Globox Arena Claudelands where the interaction occurred.
“I met a guy in Hamilton in New Zealand where they have biker gangs... I met him on stage. I’m chatting to a guy in the front row. ‘What do you do?’” the comedian asked the patched member.
That’s when the audience member explained that he was a member of the bike gang Hells Angels.
“I just love the idea that someone joined a biker gang and gone ‘right, what am I doing? Am I getting the crystal meth? Am I running the hookers? Am I transportation? Am I protection?’
“No, we need someone to do double-entry bookkeeping because this is getting out of hand. There’s no toilet paper, someone’s doing the admin, someone’s doing that for the Hells Angels.”
Rogan interjected, adding: “Do you guys need shell accounts? ... I guess they have to otherwise they’ll fall apart. wild!”
Carr recounted the incident on Rogan’s podcast in a near-three-hour special that was recorded two months ago.
Jimmy Carr appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience, detailing parts of his New Zealand comedy tour in early 2023.
Kiwis reacted to the clip which was uploaded to social media, with many seeing the funny side to Carr’s experience with our gangs.
“A biker gang from New Zealand would absolutely be dorky enough to need an accountant,” one joked.
Another added: “Bearing in mind they all have lawyers. Which more often than not triggers the need for Accountants. Auditors not so much.”
The 51-year-old, who hosts the UK television show 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, used the opportunity to praise New Zealand, its people, and crowd audiences.
He asked Rogan whether he had “played New Zealand” before describing it as a “phenomenal place” with “the best audiences” and most “wonderful people”.
It’s not the first time an international star has had an encounter with patched gang members in New Zealand.
Scottish actor Sir Billy Connolly revealed he was once cornered by the Mongrel Mob while filming for a TV show.
Sir Billy Connolly shared a picture of the bike he rode for his World Tour of New Zealand documentary. Photo / Facebook
Confessing the moment left him terrified as he was all alone, he said the incident occurred in Wellington when he was riding his three-wheeled motorbike and only happened because the style of the jacket he was wearing resulted in the Mongrel Mob mistaking him as a member of the notorious US-based gang, Hells Angels.
“I was out riding by myself one morning in Wellington wearing my jacket when I realised I was being flanked by teamsters from the Mongrel Mob. That’s the largest biker gang in New Zealand and it has quite a reputation,” he wrote in his book.
“They surrounded me at some traffic lights and pulled me into a side street. I felt vulnerable because I was completely alone,” he added, “One of them asked, ‘Where’d you get your jacket?’ I said ‘I got in Los Angeles. A girl made it for me. She got permission from the Hells Angels.’”
He continued to say he “loved” the jacket, which featured “Too Old To Die Young” on the back of it in “Hells Angels-style typography and with a logo of a skull”.
Sir Billy Connolly shared a photo of his jacket in his new book, Rambling Man: My Life On The Road. Photo / Facebook
Adding that the group of gang members “were pretty aggressive”, The Hobbit actor said they went away, “had a little conference” and ultimately told him he was okay to wear the jacket before letting him leave.
“Afterwards, my TV crew went crazy because they didn’t get any of that on film. And I didn’t talk about it onstage because I wanted to get out of town in one piece,” he said.
The confrontation occurred in 2004 when Connolly was filming his World Tour of New Zealand documentary series.
