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Everyone comfy?

2
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Get comfy!

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Cos the show's about to start!

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00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,399
(Steve Hicks)
Who do you ever pay to talk?

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Maybe a preacher.
Maybe a lecturer. Possibly a politician.

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But even those rarely.

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Comedians are the only ones
that you pay to hear 'em talk.

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Talk to me, make me listen.

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News is supposed to be objective.
Isn't it supposed to be?

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The news!

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But every drug story is negative.

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Oh, well, hold it!

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I've had some killer fucking times on drugs.
Let's hear the whole story.

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(Mary Hicks) What Bill said will never change,

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because it is the basic truths
and they are never wrong.

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(John Humphrys) Plenty of people say

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he is the best American comedian
the country has ever produced

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and he was only 32 when he died.

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- His influence lives on.
- Bill Hicks!

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(Cheering)

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Get out. You're everything that America
should be flushed down the toilet.

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You turd. Get out!

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(Southern accent) "Hey, buddy, we're
Christians. We don't like what you said."

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I said, "Then forgive me."

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and my men on a search

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and get the lay of the land

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Free yourself, folks. You're right.

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You're right. Not those fuckers
who want to tell you how to think.

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You're fucking right!

33
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Sorry, wrong meeting. Again.

34
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I keep getting my days mixed up.

35
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From the moment I met Bill,
throughout our life, it was about laughs.

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Cos I think our parents were just happy
being comfortable. "can we just be quiet?

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"And can we just go to church and be
distracted by our religion? It's orderly here."

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Growing up in that environment
you start to get a little antsy,

39
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because clearly
there has to be something more.

40
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Lindon Johnson talked
about the great society back in the '60s

41
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and I think he was keying into something

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and that was
that America's so wealthy and powerful

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that we have to do
something responsible with it.

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We're gonna defeat poverty,

45
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we're gonna do the Peace Corps
or we're gonna make the world a better place.

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And then I think that Vietnam stalled that.

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So the generation that Bill and I came out of
was, we were looking around going,

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"Well, there's got to be something else
we can do with all this."

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Bill was, uh...

50
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I don't know, I just... He was interesting.

51
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All of my children were special.

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I had a girl. I had only a girl.

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Then I had a boy.

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And then I had a baby.

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There was definitely something there that was
different from Steve and Lynn growing up.

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But Bill... You should have known him,
is all I can say.

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They were so much older.

58
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Five and seven years difference
is a lot of difference.

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(Steve Hicks chuckles)
You couldn't do anything with him.

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He was too little at that point.

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(Mary) Bill was seven
when we got to Houston.

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(Steve) Then we stayed there 12, 13 years.
(Mary) Yeah.

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(Steve) He was just another kid
playing sports, you know.

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It wasn't evident yet
where his life was gonna go.

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(Mary) And, of course,
by then he had met Dwight.

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(Dwight) What I noticed about him is
he was fast. He had a real strong constitution.

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He could do things better and longer
than everyone else.

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An unbelievable scrambler.

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I was fast but I wasn't a very good scrambler

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but I watched him and I just picked him apart
about what he was doing,

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then I was scrambling all the way
to the end zone, no one would touch me.

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After we'd played a few times,

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I just remember everyone leaving
and us being alone

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and me thinking to myself,
"I think this is gonna be a friend of mine."

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The first time I ever met his parents,
Bill did not want to introduce me.

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He just wanted me to go straight up the stairs.

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He would look at me and just go, "Look,
don't talk to them. Just follow me upstairs."

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But of course, you know, an adult says,
"Hello there! Who are you?

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You stop and you say, "I'm Dwight."
Bill's like, "Come on!"

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You're stuck on the landing

81
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between Bill at the top of the stairs
and you're at the bottom of the stairs.

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And, "Well, just hold on. Where are you from?"
I go, "I live in Nottingham Forest too."

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"What does your father do?"
"Works for Shell oil." "Uh-huh?"

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"Just leave him alone!" Bill's screaming at you
to come upstairs. "Come on!"

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"Bill, would you just hold on?
I'd like to know who your friends are."

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"Aaah! What does it matter?
What does it matter?"

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"Well, we're just curious.
Is there a problem we're being curious?"

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When you reached his room, the door would
be closed and locked and you were safe.

89
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I had told him that I wanted to be an actor

90
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and he goes, "I'll show you
these jokes that I wrote."

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Because we were joking around so much, he
started saying we should be a comedy team.

92
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It was completely alien to me.
I had no idea what a comic really was.

93
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He told me that he'd seen Woody Allen
on casino Royale.

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This guy made his living being a comic,

95
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and it really, really fired him up,
the importance of stand-up,

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that society cherished its funny people.

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And for Bill, he knew it. He knew that he was
gonna be the comic that shook people up.

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His mom figured out how to pick the lock.

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The door would open
and she'd be standing there with a butter knife.

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"What are you doing?"
"I know you don't like me picking your lock

101
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"but I am leaving
and you have not responded to me."

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"Well, don't ever unlock my door again!" Ppkk!

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I'd never met anyone
who talked to his parents like that.

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The Hicks family
is a very smart, intellectual family

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yet there was this suspension of reason
when it came to certain issues.

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(Lynn) We were raised Southern Baptist
and had to go to church every single Sunday.

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It was just a strict household.
"You do this. You do that."

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(Steve Hicks) The one thing
I always wanted to get straight,

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cos a lot of times it talks about, "The Hickses
were raised fundamentalist Christian.

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"No, we were raised Southern Baptist
and that's much worse."

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(Mary laughs)

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(Mary) And he's right, really.
That's just the way we lived then.

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But hopefully what you're taught there
teaches you the spiritual,

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and I don't mean religion.

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I mean the basics of how to live a life.

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(Lynn) So when I was 17, he was 10.

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I was like, "Get me out of this house.
I want out."

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And off I went to college.

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I rebelled. Steve, in his fashion, rebelled.
And Bill rebelled too.

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(Dwight) Stand-up comedy was not on
the map in the '70s, for kids to want to be.

121
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But we were very determined

122
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and so we started to do

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this very much guerilla-theatre type
of comedy amongst our friends.

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This group of people's just standing around,
and you appear,

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and you do an outrageous sketch
and then you disappear.

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What the hell was that?

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And, of course, once they got wind of it,
they wouldn't let us alone.

128
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"Are you guys gonna do your thing?"

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After school we would go over to his house
and we would plan them and write them

130
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and they were like gigs to us.

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And it wasn't lost upon us, the fact
that we already knew what we wanted in life.

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This was what we were going to do.

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You had to sacrifice your family,
your relationship with girls,

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your popularity at school.

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We were sacrificing everything for this.
And there was nowhere to do our craft.

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There was no open mics.
There was nothing in 1970s Houston, Texas.

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As a backdrop to all this
is how we met Kevin Booth.

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Bill and I just thought
that Kevin was hilarious,

139
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just cos he was this technical genius
who could build things and blow things up.

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(Kevin Booth) I was known
as the instigator and a facilitator.

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You know, if you had an idea for something,
I would go out and figure out how to build it.

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(Dwight) You know, the fact that he was able
to get his parents' RV and hook up a generator

143
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and then set up speakers and play rock'n'roll

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to the Spartanaires
as they were practising their routines.

145
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Thatjust was like classic Kevin.

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(Kevin) Because of this ranch,

147
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I was able to get what's called
a hardship driver's licence when I was 14

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without even like taking any lessons.

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I just thought the two of them were hilarious.
It was like a new breed of person.

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They did all this weird stuff,

151
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and I guess we just started talking
about music all the time.

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We wanted to be rock stars,

153
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thinking like this was gonna be our way
to break out of suburbia.

154
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Bill was like, "Let's go look
at these guitars downtown."

155
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I'd never driven downtown before,

156
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I was like, "OK, I guess I'm game for this,
if you guys are gonna navigate the way."

157
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(Dwight) He goes,
"Did you see the paper today?"

158
00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:18,799
He goes, "A comedy workshop has opened up
and they have open mic."

159
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"open mic stand-up?" "Yes."

160
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oh, my God. Finally.

161
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(Kevin) So we drove to downtown.

162
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On our way back we passed this place
called the Comedy Workshop in Montrose.

163
00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,999
Bill and Dwight were like,
"That's that place we've been reading about."

164
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(Dwight) We couldn't believe it,

165
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that something like this
had happened in our own backyard.

166
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And we realised that now we had
a real chance. We could actually be comics.

167
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Most entertainers have to deal with the fact,
"I've got to get to LA or Hollywood,

168
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"I got to take acting lessons,
I got to get head shots."

169
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What's our problem?
We can't go out on school nights.

170
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I remember my father sitting me down

171
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and going, "Look, you're not going down
to a nightclub in Houston, Texas."

172
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,519
Man.

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(Mary) We were strict.
We wanted to know where they were.

174
00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,719
And we wanted to know
when they were going to get home.

175
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And if they didn't give us the answer
we wanted, we told them what we wanted.

176
00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,199
(Dwight) Bill and I talked about it
and he said, "We have to do it",

177
00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,159
and I was like, "Absolutely."

178
00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:22,319
The question was, "How are you gonna
get down there on a school night?"

179
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,599
When you're in Bill's bedroom looking out,

180
00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,839
if you hop that fence, you are
in the parking lot of the catholic church.

181
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,639
You could open the window,
but there also was a storm window,

182
00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,519
and he became just very efficient at getting
that thing open and getting out that window.

183
00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,919
(Kevin) You had to be quiet cos the roof
was right above where their kitchen was.

184
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,359
The evil catholic boy
with his 14-year-old driver's licence

185
00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,919
was sitting there
in the catholic getaway wagon

186
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,839
ready to take the Baptist boy
down to the Comedy Store.

187
00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,119
(Dwight) We'd never been in a nightclub,

188
00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:10,679
but when we walked in it was like, "Whoa!
The whole thing is set up for comedy."

189
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,879
And there was chairs
and they were all pointed at the stage

190
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,359
and this was what it was all about.

191
00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,079
We did the first fewjokes
and it started working.

192
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,999
(Kevin) I think everybody
was very receptive to it

193
00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,559
because they were like these little kids
trying to be a part of this adult world.

194
00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:31,919
(James Ladmirault) When Bill first started,
you could see Woody Allen.

195
00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:36,479
He actually had the Woody Allen mannerisms
a bit. But that's not a bad thing.

196
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,359
If you keep doing it and
you don't grow out of it, that's a bad thing,

197
00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,839
but you can tell when a comic first starts
who his influence may be.

198
00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:48,199
(Dwight) Bill and I got off stage
and we were flying. We had done well.

199
00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,719
It was beyond...
You know, the exhilaration was just...

200
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,519
It was just, here we go, we're real comics.

201
00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:58,919
And then the shit hit the fan.

202
00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,719
Cos Mrs Hicks calls Scott's mom,
says, "Is Bill over there?"

203
00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,319
"No, they went
down to the comedy workshop." "oh."

204
00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:11,799
So when Bill gets home, he gets nailed.
Mrs Hicks calls my parents, and I get nailed.

205
00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,799
It went from being thrilled
with the fact that, "Hey, we're doing this"

206
00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:17,799
to, "Now what do we do?"

207
00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,359
We're comics, we have to work on this career.
We can do it.

208
00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,119
And just as I thought that,

209
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,919
my father came home and said, "I've bought
a business in Klamath Falls, Oregon,

210
00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,639
"and we're moving in July."

211
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,719
I was devastated, and I go,
"I gotta tell you something.

212
00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,159
"In July I'm gonna be moving
to Klamath Falls, oregon."

213
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,639
And there was just this silence.

214
00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,559
Bill didn't exhibit any emotion about it.

215
00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:52,599
It was just one more fucking thing
we were gonna have to deal with

216
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,479
and in typical fashion
we just began joking about it.

217
00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,479
"When you get up there to calamity Falls..."

218
00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,239
"It's Klamath Falls." "Whatever.

219
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:04,559
"You're gonna meet a little girlfriend, you're
gonna be happy, you're gonna enjoy yourself."

220
00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:08,359
"Yeah, but I'm missing my friend."
"oh, you'll make new friends."

221
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,399
You know, so we joked a lot about it
but there was this idea that it was all over.

222
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,879
What were we gonna do?
What could we possibly do?

223
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,359
He never focused on doing solo stand-up.

224
00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,799
All our stuff was about characters.
It was about creating these worlds.

225
00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,759
So I think when I left,
he just threw himself into music and the band.

226
00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,559
(Kevin) I couldn't imagine
Bill performing without Dwight

227
00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,079
or Dwight performing without Bill,

228
00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,999
and I thought the three of us
were gonna be doing music forever.

229
00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,719
Dwight took off. And poof, he was gone.

230
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:43,919
And at the time, too, I had actually seen
Dwight perform comedy without Bill

231
00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,039
but I hadn't seen
Bill perform comedy without Dwight.

232
00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,839
And so I wasn't sure how it was gonna go.

233
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,879
A big hand for the very funny Mr Bill Hicks.

234
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,439
- Yeah!
- (Applause)

235
00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:57,559
Whoa!

236
00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,919
(Chatter)

237
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:06,639
Thank you.

238
00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,519
You guys remember.
I gotta see if this is universal or not.

239
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,759
- Remember this thing called flinching?
- Yeah.

240
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,079
You know what this is, you guys? Some guy
would come up to you and they'd go, "Hey."

241
00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,999
You'd go, "God! Watch out, man!"
And he'd go, "Flinch. I owe you a poke."

242
00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:27,119
The guy would go, "Oh, shit, I flinched.
You're poking me."

243
00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,319
You remember that? First time it happened
to me, this guy comes up, says, "Hey, Hicks."

244
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,359
I went, "God! Get away from me."
And he goes, "Ah, flinched. I owe you a poke."

245
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,119
I said, "Get away from me, you jerk."

246
00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,199
Principal's walking by.
The principal goes, "What's going on here?"

247
00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,159
And that guy goes, "He flinched.
He won't let me poke him."

248
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,559
And I said, "This guy's trying to hit me."

249
00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,519
And the principal went, "Did you flinch?"

250
00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,479
(David Johndrow) I remember Kevin telling me
early on that he's gonna be a comedian

251
00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:02,039
and he writes comedy,

252
00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:07,159
and I thought that was really strange, because
we were only 16 years old or something

253
00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,599
and finally I just said, "Kevin,
I want to go over and meet this Bill guy."

254
00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,239
Bill and I had the same sense of humour
from the very beginning

255
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,639
and we just got each other instantly.

256
00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,399
It was, "Really? You got a camera?
Oh, these pictures are good.

257
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,279
"Well, yeah, you're my photographer.
Take some pictures of me.

258
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,519
"I need pictures for a newspaper."

259
00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:29,319
Just immediately, without question, I was the
photographer and he put complete faith in me.

260
00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,159
I just saw it as that I found a kindred spirit.

261
00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,959
He was the guy that was out in front,
breaking barriers.

262
00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,799
Cos it was a very adult world

263
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,799
and he was like the high schooler

264
00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,879
that was telling them what fools they were
for drinking and smoking

265
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,919
and giving them this clear mirror,

266
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:46,879
and you could tell
they all really respected him.

267
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,679
(James) The good sign for a comic

268
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,319
is notjust when audiences
come in and ask for you.

269
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,079
It's when other comics stop what they're doing
and come in the room and watch you.

270
00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,079
There has never been anybody funnier
at his age as a stand-up.

271
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,239
Maybe the only other guy that touched him
at that age was Buster Keaton.

272
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:07,079
The stuff about his family and his parents
and growing up was entertaining to anybody.

273
00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,919
Bill should have been famous right away.

274
00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,159
Open house night, open house night,
your parents go out, talk to your teachers,

275
00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,039
find out you've been lying through your teeth.

276
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,159
"His name is Bill?"

277
00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,559
"I thought it was Malt Vic."

278
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:34,839
Come home the next night and my father's
sitting there and he goes, "Hold it, Malt Vic.

279
00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,839
"Went out to the school last night and I talked
to your teachers and I talked to Miss Jones

280
00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,839
"and she said you called her a frothing slug.

281
00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:56,599
"What is that all about?"

282
00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,359
"Well, Dad, she's a loser."

283
00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:05,399
"Everyone's a loser, everyone's a jerk?
Tell me, Mr Blister, who's the real loser?"

284
00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,279
"Promise you won't get mad, Dad."

285
00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,999
(Steve Hicks) Where it really hit me was
one weekend I was home from college

286
00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:23,959
and he said, "Come down to this comedy club

287
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,159
and here was Bill performing
and the place was sold out,

288
00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,479
and I remember going and telling all my
friends, "Man, you gotta come, this is unreal."

289
00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,639
And it hit me pretty powerfully. It really did.

290
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:40,399
What Bill's comedy was,
was his view of our life.

291
00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:46,239
He had been able to turn that
into this thing that could entertain strangers.

292
00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:49,719
(Chuckles) "oh, that's what you been doing
the last few years."

293
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:51,839
Both of my parents are college graduates.

294
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,719
My older sister's a college graduate.
I'm a college graduate.

295
00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,599
Here came Bill and he said,
"I'm going to LA to be a comedian."

296
00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,519
What does that mean, you know?
We had no idea.

297
00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,559
(Kevin) When Bill basically said, "I'm moving
to LA and I'm not gonna play music any more",

298
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,279
I was really taken back,
it was definitely depressing.

299
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:12,679
(James) LA was something that had to be
done. It was the next step. You had to go.

300
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,199
(Mary) I cried, of course, and I said, "Bill...

301
00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,959
(Cries) "nobody will say
a thing if you don't go."

302
00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,479
And he said, "Mom, this is hard for me
so I'm going, so please stop crying.

303
00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,759
"If I don't make it, I'll come back.
But I've got to try."

304
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,319
(Steve Hicks)
That's how he lived the rest of his life.

305
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,559
I mean, he had girlfriends and relationships.

306
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:39,719
But certainly life on the road as a comedian,
there's a lot of time by yourself.

307
00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:00,119
(Andy) I was working at the Comedy Store
and Bill came up one afternoon.

308
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,439
Pale, bad haircut, had a suitcase with him.

309
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:07,759
He said, "I'm here to be a comic",
and I explained to him about amateur nights.

310
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,359
I got lucky, and was passed
on my first audition. Bill did too.

311
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,239
The difficult part was stage time
once you became a regular.

312
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,719
Bill was in a hurry too.
He had an impatience about him.

313
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,199
But you went there to be on stage,
to hone your performing abilities,

314
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,199
and, you know, to showcase for producers.

315
00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,639
(Steve Hicks) I remember
we went out to visit him.

316
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,399
Being on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles
at the world-famous Comedy Store

317
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,039
where people like Robin Williams and Richard
Pryor and Billy Crystal also performed

318
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:45,799
and then Bill Hicks.

319
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:49,679
That was the Mecca for comedy
and Bill got his name up there.

320
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,719
oK, there's one for the books
right there, you know.

321
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,239
He was where he wanted to be,
and that was pretty clear.

322
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,399
(Dwight) You know, he would call me up
in these fits of inspiration

323
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:09,519
and go, "You have to get down here, we got
to do this script. It's our key out of this."

324
00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,759
I'd already decided
that that's what I was gonna do,

325
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:16,799
so I left the University of oregon
and drove south to Los Angeles.

326
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,399
I remember knocking at the door
and it was an intense moment.

327
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,999
I had the map out
and I was going, "Dónde ésta..."

328
00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:27,879
And, "Sir, you can't come in here."

329
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,519
"Where...dónde ésta the olives? They
choppé the olives?" "Sir, you can't. Please."

330
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,999
And he goes, "Come on in,"
and of course it was just tiny,

331
00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:39,479
and we would wind up
living there for two years.

332
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,199
I'd driven 11 hours because Steve wanted to go
down to the Comedy Store. I said, "Sure."

333
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,679
We got in his car, and drove down to
Hollywood and I walk into the Comedy Store.

334
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,959
This is it, you know,
the ground zero of stand-up comedy.

335
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:56,839
He always went up really early in the show
like second or third.

336
00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,879
He never swore. He was the clean-cut comic.

337
00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,999
It was a nice way to restart
a new chapter of our friendship.

338
00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:12,039
I think we both knew that we weren't
gonna be working together as stand-ups

339
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,719
cos he had already
gone on to be successful.

340
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,359
The whole focus was
all this was leading to a script.

341
00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:21,399
If we could sell a script, well, then,
that's when you get can excited.

342
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,639
We started to come up with an idea
of, how do we evolve these characters?

343
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:31,199
The father character and the mother character.
It would make a good movie.

344
00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,119
We were writing constantly,
pages and pages of scenes

345
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,159
and we knew these characters,
the voices were in our head.

346
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:46,239
(Steve Hicks) He flew back from LA
to be the best man at my wedding.

347
00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:48,799
He was always gonna be my best man

348
00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,479
and we were gonna be there for each other
whenever those times were.

349
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:53,919
But he had to perform that night,

350
00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,679
and so after the wedding
a bunch of people went down there

351
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,159
and, "Yeah, let's go see him. What the hell!
Let's go down there, you know?"

352
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,159
(Lynn) I didn't know I had a funny brother.

353
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,079
That was the first I was aware

354
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,599
that that was what he wanted to do
as a serious profession.

355
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,839
He was hilarious.

356
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:18,239
(Dwight) The guy at William Morris said,
"We all want to meet with you."

357
00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,519
He was a big frickin' agent in Hollywood.

358
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:25,319
He looked at us and he goes,
"You guys are 19?" And we go, "Yeah."

359
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:27,599
He goes, "How did you get in my office?"

360
00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,159
So we kind of told him
the story of being stand-ups

361
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,119
and that we're just out of high school

362
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,799
and we're writing a script
about being from high school

363
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,999
and that really intrigued him.

364
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:39,759
He goes, "I want you to rewrite it.
It doesn't have much of an ending.

365
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,359
"And I really want to see
another script from you guys.

366
00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,999
"After that, I want to talk
about representing you.

367
00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:46,919
"You guys are gonna be good screenwriters."

368
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,959
And I was very excited too.
This was my first break.

369
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,119
Bill was just disappointed

370
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,959
because we'd put so much
into that script, obviously,

371
00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,239
and he would have liked to hear
that it got bought.

372
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:15,439
And in the months that followed that,
he just lost interest in writing,

373
00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:20,279
and I could not fire him up about,
"We have a ton of ideas about scripts.

374
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,319
"Let's just write another one. Let's get him
what he wants and see if we can do this."

375
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,359
He just wasn't into it. He didn't want to.

376
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,639
He was through being a screenwriter.
He wanted to move on into being a comic.

377
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,599
- (Clunk)
- Hello, this is Bill.

378
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:39,759
I just needed to talk with somebody and
this tape recorder is all I've got right now.

379
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,319
I haven't been funny in a long time.

380
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,639
I haven't come up with new material
in a long time,

381
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,359
and, I tell you what, there's nothing scarier,

382
00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:53,399
especially for me out here, forsaking college
and an easier life, coming out here.

383
00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:58,919
What happens if I am just not funny?
I have nothing. I am a bum.

384
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:03,079
I could be five years in the Store
and no one gives a shit there.

385
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,519
Fuck doing this stuff.

386
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,279
(James) LA wanted six minutes of clean
to do on the Tonight Show,

387
00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,399
and, uh...that wasn't enough for Bill,
Bill wasn't growing enough.

388
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,439
The only way you could grow
was to get more stage time.

389
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,919
(Dwight) Bill had...you know, was a veteran.

390
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,079
For Christ's sake, he was 21 years old in 1982.

391
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,999
And he had been a comic for seven years.

392
00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:34,839
Coming to LA was such a romantic
and meaningful and emotional experience

393
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,239
and then leaving was like a thief in the night

394
00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:40,759
with every possession he has
streaming out of the back of his car,

395
00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,079
Bill in his leatherjacket with his guitar

396
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:49,999
and me going away with a knapsack to oregon
just glad to be the hell out of there.

397
00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:56,439
And knowing that we both had all the tools
we needed for the rest of our lives.

398
00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:03,039
For Bill, that period in Los Angeles was when
he solidified his identity as a stand-up comic.

399
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,039
You know, it taught him how to be on his own,
to take his comedy seriously,

400
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:08,679
that this was what he was
gonna do for the rest of his life.

401
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,519
It strengthened him and wised him up.

402
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,839
(James) But even when
he went to LA the first time,

403
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,839
I don't think Bill had really found his voice.

404
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,239
You could be liked and you could be doing
well, but that day you find your voice...

405
00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:23,999
The difference is night and day.

406
00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,199
(Kevin) Bill called me
and I thought he was still in LA.

407
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,759
He's like, "Guess what" and I was like, "What?"
He goes, "I'm here."

408
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,559
I was like, "What?" and he goes, "Yeah,
I'm here in Houston and guess what else.

409
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,079
"Me and you are gonna take
psychedelic mushrooms tonight."

410
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,999
I was like, "Yeah, that's funny, Bill."

411
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,759
He's like, "No, Kevin,
it's not what you think it is."

412
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,799
And if there was the only person
that could talk me into doing it, it was Bill.

413
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,079
And we took some mushrooms
in this vegetarian restaurant,

414
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,239
and we just laughed our asses off.

415
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:59,799
only Bill would try hallucinogenics
before he tried alcohol.

416
00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:05,519
He just had a whole new appetite, you know.
"I want to try everything."

417
00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,279
When he came back to Texas

418
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,879
realising that the difference between where
he was and say where Richard Pryor was,

419
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,439
was a way big thing,
way bigger than he'd thought,

420
00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,959
he knew that he was gonna
have to break moulds

421
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,439
and that it wasn'tjust enough
that he was the baby-faced kid.

422
00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,079
And I don't think he knew exactly
where it was that he had to get to,

423
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,999
but he just knew that he wasn't there yet.

424
00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:35,399
(James) I think we left as kids
and came back as real seasoned comics.

425
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,079
Some sort of forces were moving
people from Houston together.

426
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,639
There were so many kindred spirits
and other comics

427
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,319
that made Houston different
from other parts of the country.

428
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,439
How many guys in here
just broke up with my girlfriend?

429
00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,159
(James) There were six of us at the time,
and it was founded by Steve Epstein.

430
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,959
(Steve Epstein) I was more of the courtjester
in a sense in that I was kind of goofy.

431
00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:02,679
I...I say, Steve Epstein
was driving a 78 rabbit!

432
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,679
Ooh-orr!

433
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,359
(John Farneti) He'd just flap around
like an unattended fire hose

434
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,159
but he got everything going.

435
00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,599
(James) Andy Huggins we met in LA.

436
00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,799
I had a feeling Andy was more like
a Houston comic than an LA comic.

437
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,919
And after Armageddon, there'll be
a small reception at the Ramada Inn.

438
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,479
(Andy) Jimmy talked me
into coming back to Houston.

439
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,759
He said, "You want to do stand-up?
We got more stage time for you here."

440
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,319
That's all I needed to hear.

441
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:32,639
John Farneti was a very successful lawyer,
butjust a terrific performer.

442
00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:38,199
I was born in Wyoming. I lived there
until I learned how to read a road map.

443
00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:42,559
(John) I'd wanted to do it since I was six
but there was nowhere on earth to do it.

444
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,319
Then suddenly
there's this place where you just walk in

445
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,839
and people are lined up in the rain
to get in and see it.

446
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,879
And I wanted, like everybody,
to hang around with Bill Hicks.

447
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,719
Everyone knew he was
just head, shoulders, waist,

448
00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,239
kneecaps and ankles above everybody else.

449
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,159
My problem with going to U of H,
I went there in the summer session.

450
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:05,119
All I had in all my classes were jocks
trying to make up credit, you know?

451
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,599
You know that feeling?
They weren't there to learn at all.

452
00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,239
I remember the first day
of my eastern philosophy course.

453
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,919
The instructor walks out and goes,
"God is consciousness.

454
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:22,879
"And we are all God
trying to realise our full potential."

455
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,639
Wow.

456
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,679
This guy in the back row goes,
"Yeah, we gonna need to know that?

457
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,759
"Is that gonna be on the quiz?"

458
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:39,759


459
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,159
(Kevin) From the time he started taking
mushrooms and smoking cigarettes

460
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:43,599
to that night he first got drunk,

461
00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,359
I think it was only a matter of months.

462
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,399
When the Comedy Annex started hopping for
the first time, it was an exciting place to be,

463
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,359
and it was the place to go every night
where there was drugs, alcohol and women.

464
00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,359
We were there every night.

465
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,879
(Steve Epstein) Pineapple
and Huggins were hysterical drunks,

466
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,639
so I think he was ready
to learn from us in other ways.

467
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,599
(Kevin) I remember he came up
to David Johndrow and I

468
00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,559
and he was like, "I want to try a drink.
"What's a drink people drink?"

469
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,159
I said, "You want to try drinking
for the first time, order a margarita."

470
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,719
Then he went up to the bar and goes,
"I'll have seven margaritas."

471
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:19,039
And he downed seven margaritas
and went up on stage.

472
00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:20,439
(Steve Epstein) He never drunk before,

473
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,239
and the bitterness came out for the first time,
itjust came pouring out.

474
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:30,479
He was literally crawling around the stage
with a full house of 200 people watching him.

475
00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,479
But he was still funny.
People were still laughing the whole time.

476
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,879
(David) The drinking was a way
that he was able to have this breakthrough

477
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,879
of really going out on the edge and
not being concerned with people's reactions.

478
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,239
Then all of a sudden he could really be bold

479
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,359
and really say what he wanted
and not be concerned.

480
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,359
- How's your ex-girlfriend?
- Oh, my girlfriend! Thanks, pal!

481
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,919
Throw salt on the fucking wound! Thanks a lot!

482
00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:58,679
Why don't you just come up here
and throw salt on? Here's my heart. Throw salt.

483
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,319
Come on. Dig it in.

484
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,359
Yeah, my girlfriend left me. Five years.

485
00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,879
I loved her more than anything
in the fucking world and she just split on me.

486
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,239
Remember your first love?
Didn't that hurt? Isn't it hard to get over?

487
00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:15,919
But I think it helped my career
when she left me.

488
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,439
Cos I'm a driven man now.

489
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,119
I was driven by a fantasy,

490
00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,959
that one day, this girl who I loved more than
anyone in the world and I gave my heart to,

491
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,959
and she spat upon it and spun out the door,

492
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:33,359
one day this girl's gonna be living
in a trailer park somewhere in Oklahoma.

493
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,799
Swampy trailer ground

494
00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:42,759
and clouds of Aids mosquitoes swarming around
her and blocking out the light from the sun.

495
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,719
She has like nine
naked little kids with rickets.

496
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,199
They got birds in their hair
and jam on their face

497
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:53,359
and rats laying babies in their ears at night.

498
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,919
And they bring home dead animals
beside the road to eat.

499
00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,319
And she lives with this ex-welder
who doesn't have a job.

500
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,119
He's got fur all over his back.

501
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,479
He's fat like 600 pounds

502
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,239
and he makes love to her
with a broom handle at night.

503
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,879
And one night he's gonna be romancing her
with that stick and his heart is gonna explode

504
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:21,039
and she's trapped under 600 pounds
of flaccid, sweaty, fish belly cellulite

505
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,999
that's moving like the tides of the ocean

506
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,959
and blood and phlegm and bile
pours out of his mouth

507
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,919
and moseys into her face, into her face,

508
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:37,039
and just before she drowns in that vomit
she turns to the TV and I'm gonna be on it.

509
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,159
Ha-ha-ha.

510
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,719
(David) once Bill decided
that he would just be in his home base

511
00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,519
and he would just do his own comedy
the way he wanted

512
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:55,079
and that the world would come to him,
well, it did.

513
00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,359
(John) He was just too good
not for fame to find him,

514
00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:02,119
no matter how many corners
it had to go around.

515
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,839
(David) Jay Leno showed up at the Annex
and they all adored Jay Leno at the time,

516
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,159
cos he was the professional stand-up comic.

517
00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:11,159
He was just the best.

518
00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,879
(James) Jay did help. Jay liked Bill's act.

519
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,759
He gave Bill advice.
He made a few phone calls.

520
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:25,199
(John) When Leno said this guy was good, I
would imagine Letterman knew totally he was.

521
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,239
(Applause)

522
00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,159
Hello. Good evening.

523
00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,399
Good evening. My name is Bill Hicks.

524
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,119
Thank you.

525
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,799
Full name is William Melvin Hicks.

526
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,959
Thanks, Dad. It's a name
with certain connotations, huh?

527
00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:46,359
(Southern accent) Hi, my name is Melvin Hicks.
This is my wife and my sister.

528
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,759
Ha-ha. OK, man.

529
00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:52,719
All right.

530
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,919
(Steve Hicks) He called us
every time he was gonna be on

531
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,559
and I used to always tell him,
"Bill, it's just not you,"

532
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:04,399
but, you know, that first time, the impact
and nirvana of being on national TV,

533
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:08,039
I mean, we felt that too, watching him,
and I was like, "No, it was great."

534
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,559
Christmas rolled around,
my friends got go-carts.

535
00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:14,439
I'm 12 years old, I got a college dictionary.

536
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,559
Mom goes, "Bill, it's the thought that counts!"

537
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:20,439
(Chuckles) Oh, Mom,
but what were you thinking? Seriously.

538
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:22,559
Yeah, well...

539
00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,679
Laughter has become big business in Houston.

540
00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,119
(David) Now you've been on television,
it's like a stamp of approval.

541
00:34:29,240 --> 00:34:33,519
So if you were on the David Letterman Show,
it was like, "Yeah."

542
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,439
(Mary) He did not want
Jim and me to see him.

543
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,119
I guess he thought we wouldn't understand.

544
00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:55,159
But we did sneak into that one in Austin.

545
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,879
Steve thought we were in shock
when we saw Bill perform.

546
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,439
(Steve) I know you were in shock...
(Mary) Uh-uh.

547
00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,559
..cos he did not know they were
in the audience so it was the entire show.

548
00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:10,159
(Mary) I was not shocked, I was in awe,
to tell you the truth, I could not believe...

549
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,279
- How the years have changed your memory.
- (Mary laughs)

550
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:17,519
(Mary) I couldn't believe that he was up there
and he had such poise.

551
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:22,199
I think Bill was the one in shock.
But all he said was, "Well, that's what I do."

552
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,999
And I said, "Well, that was very good."

553
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:30,519
(David) And then the odd thing about it is
he didn't really temper his material for them.

554
00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:31,999
Not like I would have.

555
00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,039
And I think they kind of treated it like,
"Well, that's his world.

556
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,719
"We don't understand it,
but that's what he does."

557
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,919
He was open for anything, really.

558
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,599
Yeah, I have had a good job.
I've had a good job.

559
00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:49,599
I'm not complaining
about every fucking job I had.

560
00:35:49,720 --> 00:35:54,119
I used to work at a lady's shoe store. I liked
that. I got to see this all day long, man.

561
00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:57,439
It was great. Women came in,
they'd wear dresses to try on these shoes.

562
00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,799
I'm the guy
that helped them on with their shoes.

563
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,079
I don't know if you ladies do that on purpose,
but keep it up, will you?

564
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,199
They're sitting there going, "Oh..."

565
00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:12,559
"How does it look?"

566
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,119
Oh, God.

567
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,879
It looks great.

568
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,999
Yeah, it's you. It's definitely you.

569
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,199
"Mm.

570
00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,639
"It's kind of tight."

571
00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:31,959
Oh, no.

572
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,119
"I can stretch it out for you."

573
00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:46,359
So after I got fired from that job...

574
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,479
No one said it'd be pretty!

575
00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:54,239
(Kevin) Bill was always an all-or-nothing guy.
There was no halfway for Bill.

576
00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:56,559
And wanting to experiment with mushrooms

577
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:01,919
was to him a way of trying to, like,
further his evolution as a person.

578
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,879
Just hearing about something
was not good enough.

579
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:09,159
Bill always wanted revelation to be first-hand.

580
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:13,559
our family got this ranch,

581
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:18,839
and it ended up being a place where
we could come and get away from everybody.

582
00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,719
A lot of our friends were like,
"You guys are just trying to get fucked up,"

583
00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:26,319
so Bill was like, "No, we really are
trying to get somewhere else with this."

584
00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:30,399
(David) So we would go out
and fast a little bit and prepare

585
00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:33,199
and then have this experience
and see what happened.

586
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:36,399
Well, some really amazing things happened.

587
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,679
The world is one magical motherfucker,

588
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,719
and if you take a certain amount
of mushrooms, you're in a magical world.

589
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:11,439
A lot of people have this thought
when they take these,

590
00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,559
"Does anybody know about this?"

591
00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,479
Because it's like a secret.

592
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,839
It's like this fundamental thing
about the human brain,

593
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,399
but no one knows about it
and no one talks about it.

594
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:36,559
There was one time in particular,
the harmonic convergence.

595
00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,919
(Kevin) It was basically this time
when all the planets were to align

596
00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,599
in some alignment that only happens
once every 10,000 years.

597
00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:49,799
I remember walking down this tunnel of light

598
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,959
and feeling like Bill and I
were walking into a spaceship.

599
00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,159
Bill was just asking,
"Who are you and why are you here?"

600
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,599
and basically being told

601
00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,199
that the boundaries
of space and time were all in our minds

602
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:04,159
and that we all are one, and everything is one.

603
00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:08,639
We all are one, everything is one.
We all are one, everything is one.

604
00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:12,839
I remember Bill just looking at me like, "Oh,
my God. can you believe thatjust happened?"

605
00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,279
And at first I was like going, you know,
"That was just something I thought of",

606
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,159
and then Bill explained
everything that I had just seen

607
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,159
and then the day went even further than that

608
00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:24,999
where it was like tapping
into these other minds,

609
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,159
like, thousands of them all at once.

610
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,919
And I'm really sceptical.
I was ready to say, "OK, we're on drugs."

611
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,159
But something about what happened
on this day was different.

612
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,959
It was significant and very tangible.

613
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,159
We all are one, everything is one.

614
00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:41,559
(David) You know,
this was accepted by human beings

615
00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,839
that you take substances
to change your consciousness,

616
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,799
from the beginning of human history.

617
00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,919
(Kevin) After that day,
I think he really was like 100% sure

618
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,239
that something did exist on the other side

619
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,479
and it helped him go out there
and become a lot more fearless,

620
00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:03,279
and a part of his art was being able to
broadcast cutting edge ideas to the public.

621
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,199
(Bill) We came here for the truth, right?

622
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:10,679
That's all I want out of life, is the truth.
Is that too much to ask for?

623
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,759
You ever see a positive story
about drugs on the news?

624
00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:15,559
Ever? Me either.

625
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,279
Isn't that weird?
The news is supposed to be objective.

626
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,919
Same LSD story every time. We've all heard it.

627
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:28,399
Young man takes acid, thinks he can fly,
jumps out of a building. What a tragedy.

628
00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,599
What a dick, really, when you think about it.

629
00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:36,279
If he thought he could fly, why didn't he take
off from the ground and check it out first?

630
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:43,079
Why give acid a bad name
cos you're a moron, you know?

631
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,999
I'd like to see a positive LSD story.
Would that be newsworthy, just once?

632
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:52,839
Today a young man on acid realised

633
00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:56,599
that all matter is merely energy
condensed to a slower vibration,

634
00:40:56,720 --> 00:41:00,559
that we are all one consciousness
going through itself, subjectively,

635
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,319
there's no such thing as death,
life is only a dream,

636
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:05,319
and you're the imagination of yourselves.

637
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:07,559
Here's Tom with the weather.

638
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:13,439
Wow.

639
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,719
(Kevin) All the drinking and drugging too,

640
00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:20,199
some of the club owners were concerned
about how erratic the shows would be.

641
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:24,039
Alcohol with Bill was definitely
like throwing gasoline onto a fire.

642
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,359
You know, it was kind of a tightrope, cos
you never knew what was gonna happen,

643
00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,519
and usually, if there was
a lot of drinks being pounded down,

644
00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:32,359
it was gonna go bad.

645
00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:34,599
I mean he was always like an angry kid

646
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:38,199
but when he drank the alcohol
he was letting everybody have it.

647
00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:42,119
And so we were like,
"ooh, this is a new kind of comedy."

648
00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:45,039


649
00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:50,159
(Andy) Bill was what we used to call
a short ball. He got drunk real quick.

650
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:51,599
What happened?

651
00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:55,439
(Kevin) The main thing that I always
remember was him getting on stage

652
00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:58,199
and people in the audience
sending him up drinks.

653
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:02,719
Fuck it, I'll drink red wine if no one's
gonna offer me anything real. Fuck you.

654
00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:05,879
And people said I couldn't improvise.

655
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,879
(David) He could drink a lot because
he had all the adrenaline of the show

656
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,799
and he said, "I'm a bull,
I can't be brought down."

657
00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:17,679
Conflict.

658
00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,439
(David) Coke dealers
would be giving Bill free coke.

659
00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:21,559
Can I get a shock of Jack up here?

660
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,199
(David) How much can we get Bill
to take on stage? Let's all watch.

661
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,639
It was just like a red flag for club owners.

662
00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:29,799
He was like suddenly
not on Letterman any more.

663
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:32,159
He started losing bookings.

664
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,039
Just be careful going home tonight,
cos I'm driving right along with you fuckers.

665
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:39,679
(Lynn) I got there in the middle of the set
and nobody was laughing, really.

666
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:43,159
(Steve) But he was laying down on his back

667
00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:46,079
- screaming into the microphone.
- (Lynn) It was awful.

668
00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:50,279
(Steve) It was terrible. It wasn't a show any
more. It was a drunk on stage is what it was.

669
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:54,479
I'd taken a friend from work. "You're gonna
love him. He's my brother. He's hilarious."

670
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:58,639
(Lynn) You know, to have a room clear,
I felt bad for him.

671
00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,479
(Steve) He called me the next day
and said, "Well, they fired me too.

672
00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,079
"Seems to be the thing. Everybody fires me."

673
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:06,959
I'd go, "Yeah, it wasn't funny."

674
00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:12,999
(Steve) Bill didn't bring these problems
into the family.

675
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:17,159
Just the fact that now he drank
and now he smoked, well, so did I,

676
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:19,119
so how big of a deal was that?

677
00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:22,239
(Mary) You know, I don't know
what I would have said, had I said anything.

678
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:24,679
Maybe I should have, but I didn't.

679
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:28,799
But I knew there was something in there
during that time.

680
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:30,959
You can see it in his eyes.

681
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:34,519
(Steve) That was after he got in that fight
and he broke his leg

682
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:37,919
and he was performing
and leaning on crutches.

683
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:42,639
I'd like this man to leave the room. If I could
have that, please. Thank you very much, sir.

684
00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:46,279
Yeah, why don't you pull out the fact that
you're a mobile biped right in front of me?

685
00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:49,679
Why don't you do a fucking cartwheel
into your stall, sir?

686
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,239
Thank you, I'd like to do
my impression of Ironside now.

687
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:55,439
Next week we have Helen Keller...

688
00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:58,719
No. I'm delirious. I'm delirious.

689
00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:00,799
It's the heroin.

690
00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:05,439
Seriously.

691
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:07,519
Aah!

692
00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:11,879
- Good evening.
- (Woman) Good evening.

693
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:16,119
Don't worry, there is no pain.
I just didn't want to spill my beer.

694
00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:19,199
There are priorities even in the world of pain.

695
00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:21,799
(David) I wish that we had been
more worried about him, maybe.

696
00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:25,399
But there was kind of a code that we had,
Kevin and Bill and I,

697
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,119
which was, "You were gonna do
what you were gonna do

698
00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:31,319
"and I'm there for you
but I'm not gonna stop you."

699
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:34,719
But it was kind of cool
because it was like we had faith in each other.

700
00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,759
We tended to trust
that he knew what he was doing.

701
00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,399
(Ranting) Are you happy?

702
00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:42,839
(Andy) It suffered.

703
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:46,959
There were club owners that were willing to
forgive and forget, cos he was that good,

704
00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:51,079
and there were other club owners
that...you know, it wasn't worth it.

705
00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:53,079
It wasn't worth it.

706
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:58,119
(Dwight) When I saw him at my wedding,
he was clearly enmeshed in substance abuse.

707
00:44:58,240 --> 00:45:01,479
You know, and he'd obviously been up
all night and he looked beaten.

708
00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:04,679
My wife-to-be, and she'd never met Bill,
she didn't know anything about him,

709
00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:09,759
thought he was wild, funny but wild,
could not be contained.

710
00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:12,399
(Andy) There were half a dozen of us
that were in a bad shape that way,

711
00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:17,159
and we were drinking suicidally,
basically, that's where it was headed.

712
00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:20,719
(Steve) We were sitting up,
me and Bill, and he just started crying,

713
00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:26,439
and he broke down and he said, "Man,
I've got a problem. My life is out of control."

714
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:30,079
My big answer was,
"Well, just stop, then, Bill. Stop doing that."

715
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,039
And he straightened back up real quick

716
00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:35,519
but it was the one thing
I always thought I let Bill down about.

717
00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:39,919
And it was just from ignorance. I didn't know
how to handle it, didn't know what to do.

718
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,879
(Kevin) When a Bill Hicks show became
more about, "How drunk can we get Bill"

719
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:47,279
instead of, "Let's see how far
Bill can take us with his ideas,"

720
00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:49,679
that's when the party was over.

721
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,759
You know, realising,
"What the fuck am I doing?

722
00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:55,999
"These people are not my friends, you know?
These people are trying to kill me."

723
00:45:56,120 --> 00:46:01,039
Led him down the path of knowing, "If I don't
make a drastic change, I'm gonna die."

724
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:07,839
(Andy) That was a moment of clarity for Bill.

725
00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:11,679
(James) That could have been
the wake-up call. I guess he just woke up.

726
00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:16,159
He realised what he was working for
and this was in the way of it.

727
00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,879
(Andy) Bill quit drinking in February of '88,
I quit in April,

728
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:28,279
and we started going to meetings together
in downtown Houston.

729
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:32,119
(James) Being the stupid alcoholic I am,
I didn't go, "Good, good for him,

730
00:46:32,240 --> 00:46:35,359
"he should go in there not thinking
about what a fuck-up I was.

731
00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,759
"You need to get sober and get clean.
Good job."

732
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:42,839
(David) Bill knew there was no way he was
gonna be able to sustain any kind of sobriety

733
00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:46,999
surrounded by all these Houston comics.

734
00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:50,279
(James) He told me,
you have to get rid of the people,

735
00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:55,279
that you can't be around the same
environment and expect to survive.

736
00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,399
(Kevin) Bill realised that he had to jump ship

737
00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:02,839
and as crazy as it sounds, moving to a big
city by yourself is the way to get sober,

738
00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:06,079
and, um...Bill just disappeared to New York.

739
00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:19,199
When you're dealing with drugs
and alcohol, willpower, it's the opposite,

740
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:23,319
it's when you admit that you don't have,
you're powerless.

741
00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:29,239
(Steve Hicks) I don't think there was ever
a question that he was not gonna continue

742
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,559
even though the struggles
must have been mighty.

743
00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:36,079
He was tapped on the shoulder
and this was what he was going to do

744
00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:39,239
and it doesn't mean
it's gonna be handed to you

745
00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:44,159
and I'm sure that it had to have
been unbelievably challenging.

746
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,879
He told me that it was six months

747
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,719
before he could start being funny again.

748
00:47:50,720 --> 00:47:54,359
That's when he went from being
just an above-average comedian

749
00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:57,079
to being something spectacular.

750
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:07,519
(Applause)

751
00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:10,839
- Let me hear you say yo!
- (Audience members) Yo!

752
00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:13,799
- Say it! Yo!
- Yo!

753
00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:16,399
- Well, all right.
- All right.

754
00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:20,439
That's it, end of your part. Thank you.
Hope you don't mind if I smoke.

755
00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:23,519
I know it's getting harder
to find a place to smoke these days.

756
00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:27,599
I feel like I'm in high school
with the bathroom window cracked again.

757
00:48:27,720 --> 00:48:30,679
I don't do drugs. I don't think
they tell us the truth about drugs, though.

758
00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:35,599
They tell you marijuana smoking
makes you unmotivated. That's bullshit.

759
00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:38,599
When I was high, I could do everything
I normally could do just as well.

760
00:48:38,720 --> 00:48:42,919
I just realised it wasn't worth
the fucking effort, man, that was it.

761
00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:47,319
Why get out of bed? I'm just gonna get stuck
in traffic and go to a job I hate. Fuck it.

762
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:50,199
Stay in bed and watch cartoons.

763
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,759
(John) By the time he came back
in late '88 for a show,

764
00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:56,639
he almost didn't talk to me orJimmy,
who was with him on the bill that night.

765
00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:01,479
He was staying away from me, "You guys
drink, you get loaded. I can't be near that,"

766
00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:03,759
which we didn't understand or appreciate.

767
00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:05,799
Here he is, Bill Hicks!

768
00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,039
(Cheering and applause)

769
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:15,359
Cut!

770
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:17,719
How about a hand
for Jimmy the odious Pineapple,

771
00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:19,679
- and John...
- (Cheering and applause)

772
00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:23,999
..John, his whimsical show, Farneti.

773
00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:25,999
(Woman) Yes!

774
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:29,719
Give them some love, guys.
Damn, give them some love.

775
00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,159
Can I get a Coke before I get one of my...?

776
00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:35,199
I started out in this club ten years ago.

777
00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:38,719
(Laughs) Pretty bold of me to admit that.

778
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:41,159
I want you to know
I started out when I was 15 years old.

779
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:44,359
It's kind of weird doing comedy when you're 15
and want to impress strangers.

780
00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:46,359
I don't know these people.
It's scary, you know?

781
00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:49,839
You don't know if you're funny.
You don't know, you know, what you're doing.

782
00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:54,359
All the other comics were helpful. If I had a
bad show they'd buy me a drink or something.

783
00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:57,279
"Damn good show,
you're so brave, man, get a drink."

784
00:49:57,400 --> 00:49:59,039
Pretty soon,
I was trying to get a little better.

785
00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:02,679
People I didn't even know
would buy me a drink after the show.

786
00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:06,879
Women would come up to me, you know,
buy me drinks or offer me coke

787
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,239
and I started doing coke
and drinking every night

788
00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:13,879
and women I don't even know
getting me coke and booze and...

789
00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:17,919
Phew. I just want to tell you
what my life's been like for ten years.

790
00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,279
How's your jobs?

791
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:25,399
(James) I said, "Bill, gosh,
you're not doing your mom any more.

792
00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:28,359
"That's so funny."
He goes, "Yes, but I've done that."

793
00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:32,999
"Yeah, but it's funny." I was still in the
thing where, "This is what he's all about."

794
00:50:33,120 --> 00:50:35,879
But he was in this thing,
"I have other things I want to say."

795
00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:39,759
John Kennedy is murdered. Martin Luther King
is murdered. Jesus Christ is murdered.

796
00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:44,959
Reagan's shot, wounded, cancer eight times.
That fucker still walks, doesn't he?

797
00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:47,079
(Growls)

798
00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:48,959
(David) When Bill first came back

799
00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:52,239
and announced to me that he really
was sober several months later,

800
00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:53,679
I didn't believe him at first,

801
00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:57,039
and I watched him do a set at the Laff Stop

802
00:50:57,160 --> 00:50:59,359
and all of a sudden it was like,
"Oh, my God." Bill was back.

803
00:50:59,480 --> 00:51:03,119
The fundamentalists, they try to get
creationism taught in schools as a science.

804
00:51:03,240 --> 00:51:04,959
Now what exactly would that be?

805
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:08,719
"We're gonna be preaching this science,
on the sixth day God created the world.

806
00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:13,959
"On the seventh day he rested, and...
Well, shit, class dismissed, you got it!"

807
00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:16,879
(Kevin) It was like he had rehatched
out of a cocoon or something like that.

808
00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:18,399
He had the same stamina

809
00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:21,839
that he had as the young boy
that could run the 220s on the track team,

810
00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:23,719
and smoke everybody.

811
00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:27,639
You know, and I said, "Now is the time
we have to make a video recording

812
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:29,639
of a feature-length set,

813
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,879
and that's when we did Sane Men.

814
00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:36,039
I remember coming in
to do the show that day

815
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:40,799
and I was just so scared that he was gonna
break his sobriety before he went on stage.

816
00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:45,439
And Jimmy Pineapple,
who opened the show, had also gone sober.

817
00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:50,519
Backstage, Jimmy said, "Screw it, I'm gonna
down some whiskeys before I go on stage."

818
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:54,199
(James) I hadn't been sober that long.
I go, "I could try it again later."

819
00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:56,919
But for this show, these audiences,

820
00:51:57,040 --> 00:51:59,399
working with Bill,
I wanted to knock it out of the ball park

821
00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:03,879
and I wasn't gonna fuck around
with the jitters about being sober.

822
00:52:04,840 --> 00:52:10,239
I know some of you people are looking up here
and saying, "Hey, man, this guy is it."

823
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:17,479
Well, you're right.

824
00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:20,799
I am it. I've always been it.

825
00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:23,839
Even when I was a kid, I was it.

826
00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:26,479
When we played tag...

827
00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:31,719
..some kid would hit me
and say, "Hey, you're it",

828
00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:35,159
and I'd say, "You're goddamn right, buddy."

829
00:52:36,200 --> 00:52:39,919
(Kevin) And here I am really praying
that Bill's not gonna do the same thing

830
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:41,919
and I went back into Bill's green room

831
00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:45,719
and Bill was still just drinking water
and pacing around and smoking.

832
00:52:45,840 --> 00:52:49,439
(David) We were already making films
for Axis Television

833
00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:54,319
and I was backstage and Kevin had said,
"Wait till you see his new stuff."

834
00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:59,919
This was like the sober Bill, and I guess
he'd been on the road working new material.

835
00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:03,359
How about a nice round of applause
for Mr Bill Hicks?

836
00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:05,359
(Applause)

837
00:53:05,480 --> 00:53:07,239
Yeah, it's good to be here.

838
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:09,359
I haven't been here in two years.

839
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:12,919
Thanks.

840
00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:15,639
That warmth I've missed in Austin.

841
00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:17,759
"So? We been here.

842
00:53:18,200 --> 00:53:20,039
"It's not our fault you got to travel around.

843
00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:23,399
"Shit. We supposed to follow you around?
You supposed to be back here.

844
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:26,079
"What are you doing? Where are you?"

845
00:53:26,200 --> 00:53:29,639
Where have I been?
I've been on my flying saucer tour.

846
00:53:29,760 --> 00:53:31,559
Which means like flying saucers,

847
00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:33,719
like two have been appearing
in small southern towns

848
00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:36,439
in front of a handful of hillbillies lately.

849
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:40,159
No one doubts my existence.

850
00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:45,519
I've noticed a certain anti-intellectualism
going around this country, man.

851
00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:48,799
I was in Nashville, Tennessee, last week,
and after the show I went to a waffle house.

852
00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:51,759
I'm sitting there and I'm eating
and I'm reading a book. I don't know anybody.

853
00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:54,159
I'm eating and I'm reading a book.

854
00:53:54,280 --> 00:53:56,959
And this waitress comes over to me.
"Tut-tut-tut!

855
00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:59,359
"What are you reading for?"

856
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,079
I went, "Wow, I've never been asked that."

857
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:07,879
Not what am I reading,
but what am I reading for?

858
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:10,559
Well, God damn it, you stumped me.

859
00:54:15,480 --> 00:54:16,879
I read for a lot of reasons

860
00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:21,599
but the main one is so I don't end up
being a fucking waffle waitress.

861
00:54:21,720 --> 00:54:26,759
Am I stepping out of some intellectual closet
here? I read. There, I said it.

862
00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:28,199
I feel better.

863
00:54:28,320 --> 00:54:32,559
(David) Suddenly he's just commanding
the audience. There's no breaks.

864
00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:34,599
It's just perfectly choreographed.

865
00:54:34,720 --> 00:54:37,159
I don't do drugs.
I want to thank management for offering.

866
00:54:37,280 --> 00:54:40,479
(Clears throat) But I said no.

867
00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:44,359
When I say no, it means how much
and can I get it tomorrow? No.

868
00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:47,599
It means...seriously,
it means no...is the bar open?

869
00:54:47,720 --> 00:54:49,559
OK, no, it means...

870
00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:51,559
Let's see.

871
00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:54,079
No, I used to do drugs.
I had no luck with drugs, man.

872
00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:56,199
Got pulled over tripping once.

873
00:54:56,320 --> 00:54:59,039
Whoo! There's a dream come true.

874
00:54:59,160 --> 00:55:01,959
I'll match that to any drunk story you got.

875
00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:05,639
Pulled over tripping. Jesus!

876
00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:10,999
The cop was tapping on this window.
We're staring at him in this mirror over here.

877
00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:17,199
"How tall are you?"

878
00:55:25,160 --> 00:55:28,279
Ooh-ooh!

879
00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:31,479
Shit.

880
00:55:31,600 --> 00:55:33,639
Ambush.

881
00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:36,359
Hey, where do I live?

882
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:38,599
Twins?

883
00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:42,159
Oh, shit.

884
00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:44,239
Be cool.

885
00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:48,799
(David) I think he had to work
to get to that point.

886
00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:51,999
He had to go through some dark shows
and break some furniture

887
00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:54,959
but after going through that
I think he knew where his limits were

888
00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:59,479
and, uh...how much the audience could take
and how far he could push 'em.

889
00:55:59,600 --> 00:56:02,959
Our emotions are running wild
and our mind has stopped, man.

890
00:56:03,080 --> 00:56:07,999
The flag-burning thing. Oh, God, did that
bring up some fucking retarded emotions!

891
00:56:08,120 --> 00:56:11,839
The flag! The flag! They can't mean the flag!

892
00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,759
They didn't say that,
they said, "If the guy burns the flag,

893
00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:19,439
"he perhaps doesn't need to go to jail
for a fucking year."

894
00:56:19,560 --> 00:56:22,239
Pretty harsh on their part, isn't it?

895
00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:26,839
People are going, "Hey, buddy,
let me tell you something.

896
00:56:29,920 --> 00:56:33,279
"My daddy died for that flag."

897
00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:37,399
"Really? I bought mine.

898
00:56:39,520 --> 00:56:42,439
"You know they sell them at Kmart and shit?
Three bucks."

899
00:56:42,560 --> 00:56:44,559
"He died in the Korean War for that flag."

900
00:56:44,680 --> 00:56:47,239
"What a coincidence.
Mine was made in Korea.

901
00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:52,959
"He didn't die for a fucking flag.
It's a piece of cloth.

902
00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:58,199
"He died for what the flag represents,
which is the freedom to burn the fucking flag."

903
00:56:58,680 --> 00:57:05,559
And as my friend Jimmy Pineapple would say,
case fucking closed.

904
00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:08,999
(Kevin) We filmed two sets that night.
His parents were there for the first set.

905
00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:12,959
And now that he had gone sober,
I think they were just more proud of him

906
00:57:13,080 --> 00:57:16,639
and I don't think Bill
was really censoring himself that much.

907
00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:18,359
He'd kind of gone beyond that.

908
00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:22,719
(Mary) Bill's demeanour was different.
His eyes were brighter.

909
00:57:22,840 --> 00:57:26,519
My thought was,
"Thank goodness that that's behind us."

910
00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:31,719
I never said anything like that to Bill.
I just accepted him like he was.

911
00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:34,639
(Birdsong)

912
00:57:35,960 --> 00:57:39,119
- Watch this!
- Wow.

913
00:57:39,240 --> 00:57:43,159
(Steve) We did have this place south of Austin
called Wimberley,

914
00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:48,719
and when he'd come to Austin,
Bill went down there with us.

915
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:54,879
You know, I think that he just really
got into the rhythm of this place,

916
00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:56,639
which was a total getaway.

917
00:57:56,760 --> 00:57:58,799
- The cracker man.
- (Chuckling)

918
00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:01,919
All right. It's a duck frenzy.

919
00:58:02,040 --> 00:58:04,399
- Yeah!
- (Squeals)

920
00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:08,279
(Steve Hicks) Coming from the hecticness
of what he did, what all of us did,

921
00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:11,279
that was a great little place
to spend a week, you know,

922
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:14,319
before he went back out and hit it again.

923
00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:18,319
(Dwight) I really don't think
the full Bill kicked in until he went sober.

924
00:58:18,440 --> 00:58:19,959
I really don't.

925
00:58:20,080 --> 00:58:24,479
I think a lot of people were still
coming to see the shock jock comedian,

926
00:58:24,600 --> 00:58:29,559
and now Bill was slipping in
some loftier ideas to lead people with.

927
00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:31,999
You know, just because this is a comedy club

928
00:58:32,120 --> 00:58:35,279
doesn't mean that we can't do
something more with this.

929
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:37,599
My clothes have got to be clean, Dad.

930
00:58:37,720 --> 00:58:41,039
- We're gonna have to do them again.
- Well, that's right.

931
00:58:41,160 --> 00:58:46,719
(Dwight) When I saw him in Chicago in 1989,
we hadn't seen each other for three years.

932
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:50,919
His life was completely on track
and he was beaming about it.

933
00:58:51,040 --> 00:58:54,679
It's been a very exciting week for me
because I'm working with Dwight, who...

934
00:58:54,800 --> 00:58:59,479
He and I started off doing comedy together
when we were 13 years old in Houston, Texas.

935
00:58:59,600 --> 00:59:02,239
It's good to be in Chicago.
What a great town, man!

936
00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:04,839
Went to Linkin Park Zoo.
How many people have been there?

937
00:59:04,960 --> 00:59:06,839
A couple? Yeah?

938
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:09,759
Well, if you haven't been there,
I'll save you a little time.

939
00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:11,559
I'll do a quick visual impression for you guys.

940
00:59:11,680 --> 00:59:14,879
First time ever seen.
This is every animal in Linkin Park zoo.

941
00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:20,319
Here we go. Save you some time. Ladies and
gentlemen, every animal in the Linkin Park Zoo.

942
00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:32,559
(Growling)

943
00:59:34,600 --> 00:59:37,199
What a fucking rip-off.

944
00:59:37,320 --> 00:59:39,919
(Dwight) We had
this unique relationship that...

945
00:59:40,040 --> 00:59:43,439
I brought out things in him
that normally would not be brought out,

946
00:59:43,560 --> 00:59:45,039
and he did the same thing.

947
00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:47,639
What do you feel? What's inside you?

948
00:59:47,760 --> 00:59:51,279
What makes you tick?
What fires you up? What pisses you off?

949
00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:54,199
It's nice to have someone
in your life that's like that.

950
00:59:54,320 --> 00:59:57,759
He brought that out of you.
He expected it out of you.

951
00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:02,119
This is called logic. It won't hurt you, it'll
set you free. But we'll get to that later.

952
01:00:02,240 --> 01:00:07,999
(Dwight) I think a lot of comics have confused
being a great comic with being like Bill Hicks.

953
01:00:08,120 --> 01:00:12,959
Well, no, being a great comic has to do with
your inner voice matching your outer voice.

954
01:00:13,080 --> 01:00:14,399
That's what Bill did.

955
01:00:14,520 --> 01:00:18,839
His personality on stage was just
an animated extension of who he was.

956
01:00:18,960 --> 01:00:21,639
Hey, get this, man. I was in Las Vegas, right?

957
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:25,959
I'm going to get an elevator at the hotel. I'm
smoking. There's a lady next to me coughing.

958
01:00:26,080 --> 01:00:29,319
"Heh-hem! Heh-heh-heh-hem!"
Shut the fuck...

959
01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:33,959
I look out the window of the hotel and I see
the sunset, and it's green and purple,

960
01:00:34,080 --> 01:00:36,159
and it's 3pm,

961
01:00:36,280 --> 01:00:38,759
and then a mushroom cloud
forms in the desert,

962
01:00:38,880 --> 01:00:43,039
and the hotel starts shaking
and every elevator stops working.

963
01:00:43,160 --> 01:00:44,879
I was a little bit curious.

964
01:00:45,000 --> 01:00:48,319
So I turn to this lady who lived in Las Vegas
and I say, "What was that?"

965
01:00:48,440 --> 01:00:51,719
And she goes, "Oh! That's the army.
We don't know what they're doing out there.

966
01:00:51,840 --> 01:00:53,719
"Ha-ha-ha!"

967
01:00:56,000 --> 01:00:58,639
And you're worried about my cigarette smoke?

968
01:00:58,760 --> 01:01:02,359
I would get a fucking priority list happening.

969
01:01:02,480 --> 01:01:07,239
And then I talked to people who lived in Vegas
and they go, "Well, they're 100 miles away."

970
01:01:07,360 --> 01:01:11,999
Yeah, well, my little deodorant aerosol can is
50 miles from the ozone so shut the fuck up.

971
01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:15,239
I'll use Cheez Whiz aerosol, anything I want.

972
01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:21,319
Shut up. Quit setting off nuclear bombs, OK,
it being our planet and all, don't you think?

973
01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:23,879
What gives them the right to set off bombs?

974
01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:26,159
Ha-ha! I love y'all.

975
01:01:27,080 --> 01:01:29,519
(Dwight) He knew that he was
just formulated to be a comic

976
01:01:29,640 --> 01:01:31,799
who was supposed to shake things up.

977
01:01:31,920 --> 01:01:34,359
It's all about money, not freedom, y'all, OK?

978
01:01:34,480 --> 01:01:37,919
Ha-ha. Nothing to do with fucking freedom.
You think you're free?

979
01:01:38,040 --> 01:01:40,839
Try going somewhere
without any fucking money, OK?

980
01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:44,719
When you laugh at 'em, it makes you think
about things you hadn't thought about before.

981
01:01:44,840 --> 01:01:49,719
It's about fucking money, not about freedom.
Don't ever think that it is. Thank you. Sorry.

982
01:01:49,840 --> 01:01:52,599
I am a child of God sent here
to bring salvation to the earth,

983
01:01:52,720 --> 01:01:55,719
and you're welcome.

984
01:01:55,840 --> 01:01:59,239
(Dwight) When people walked out of
his shows, they may not have admitted it,

985
01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:01,999
but theyjust were changed a little bit.

986
01:02:02,120 --> 01:02:04,079
(Steve Epstein)
He knew that he'd have problems

987
01:02:04,200 --> 01:02:08,679
because he would be going to places that
his fan base, his audience, may not follow it.

988
01:02:08,800 --> 01:02:14,399
(David) As Bill evolved as a comedian,
the comedy clubs were probably de-evolving.

989
01:02:14,520 --> 01:02:16,959
- (Yells)
- Please quit yelling, man.

990
01:02:17,080 --> 01:02:20,759
It's not funny, it's stupid, it's repetitive
and why the fuck would you yell?

991
01:02:20,880 --> 01:02:23,559
- (Yelling)
- I'm serious.

992
01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:25,959
OK, what does that mean now?
Now what does it mean?

993
01:02:26,080 --> 01:02:28,199
I understand where it comes from. So do you.

994
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:31,639
Now what does it all mean?
What is the culmination of yelling that?

995
01:02:31,760 --> 01:02:35,039
- (Man yells)
- He's not here. He's not gonna be here.

996
01:02:35,160 --> 01:02:39,679
Now what? Now where are we? We're here at
you interrupting me again, you fucking idiot.

997
01:02:39,800 --> 01:02:43,559
Yes, we're here at the same point again

998
01:02:43,680 --> 01:02:46,999
where you, the fucking peon masses,

999
01:02:47,120 --> 01:02:50,479
can once again ruin anyone
who tries to do anything

1000
01:02:50,600 --> 01:02:53,119
because you don't know
how to do it on your own!

1001
01:02:53,240 --> 01:02:58,239
That's where we're fucking at once again,
the useless waste of fucking flesh

1002
01:02:58,360 --> 01:03:01,639
that has ruined everything good
in this goddamn world!

1003
01:03:03,520 --> 01:03:06,719
(Andy) People started to notice Bill
at this point.

1004
01:03:06,840 --> 01:03:09,399
(Steve Hicks) You know,
a lot of the places I travelled to

1005
01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:11,759
to be able to experience that with him.

1006
01:03:11,880 --> 01:03:15,079
We were brothers, we were pretty close,
and that's what we did,

1007
01:03:15,200 --> 01:03:17,359
you know, going to Las Vegas for the first time

1008
01:03:17,480 --> 01:03:21,839
and being there on opening night
by request by Rodney Dangerfield.

1009
01:03:21,960 --> 01:03:23,959
You know, and it was cool being backstage

1010
01:03:24,080 --> 01:03:27,799
at the filming of an HBO
one Night Stand special.

1011
01:03:27,920 --> 01:03:33,559
(Man) From the Vic Theatre in Chicago,
please welcome Bill Hicks!

1012
01:03:33,680 --> 01:03:37,919
(Cheering)

1013
01:03:40,560 --> 01:03:43,559
Good evening, brothers and sisters,
friends and neighbours,

1014
01:03:43,680 --> 01:03:48,559
vibrations in the mind of the one true God
whose name is love.

1015
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:52,479
How many smokers do we have here tonight?

1016
01:03:52,600 --> 01:03:55,039
(Cheering)

1017
01:03:55,160 --> 01:03:58,879
That's a lot of energy for you fuckers.
That's good. Usually you get...

1018
01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:05,199
(Coughing)

1019
01:04:05,320 --> 01:04:06,999
Thank you, guys, thank you.

1020
01:04:07,120 --> 01:04:10,879
Next time I need you, just hawk up
a chunk of lung for me, all right?

1021
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:15,319
Rear back, launch a phlegm gem
towards the stage.

1022
01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:16,959
(Hawks)

1023
01:04:17,080 --> 01:04:21,999
But listen to this.
How many non-smokers do we have here?

1024
01:04:22,120 --> 01:04:24,279
(Cheering)

1025
01:04:30,600 --> 01:04:33,879
Bunch of whining little maggots.

1026
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:44,799
You obnoxious,

1027
01:04:44,920 --> 01:04:46,799
self-righteous...

1028
01:04:46,920 --> 01:04:49,439
slugs.

1029
01:04:49,560 --> 01:04:52,199
(Cheering)

1030
01:04:52,320 --> 01:04:54,319
Don't take that wrong.

1031
01:04:55,600 --> 01:04:58,999
I'd quit smoking
if I didn't think I'd become one of you.

1032
01:05:02,840 --> 01:05:06,159
But you got to understand something.
I don't do anything else. I don't drink.

1033
01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:09,999
Now, a lot of you non-smokers are drinking,
OK? I'm a non-drinker and I smoke.

1034
01:05:10,120 --> 01:05:14,359
Now, to me, we're trading off vices.
That seems fair to me.

1035
01:05:15,240 --> 01:05:18,479
Yeah. Little fuck. "No, it's not. No, it's not.

1036
01:05:18,600 --> 01:05:23,159
"Why should our lives be threatened by your
nasty habit? Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh-nyeh-nyeh!"

1037
01:05:23,280 --> 01:05:24,479
Yeah, but you know what?

1038
01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:29,679
I can't kill anyone in a car cos
I'm smoking a fucking cigarette, all right?

1039
01:05:29,800 --> 01:05:31,799
And I've tried.

1040
01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:37,839
Turn off all the lights and rush 'em,
they always see the glow.

1041
01:05:42,640 --> 01:05:45,959
"Man, there's a big firefly heading this way.

1042
01:05:46,080 --> 01:05:48,479
"Shit! It's knocking over shrubs!"

1043
01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:55,199
(James) It's really weird, he could do
an HBo special one night at a big arena,

1044
01:05:55,320 --> 01:05:59,079
and then to go back on the road
and do crappy clubs.

1045
01:05:59,200 --> 01:06:01,879
(Woman) American Airlines flight 577.

1046
01:06:02,000 --> 01:06:04,479
(Steve Hicks) I think to him
that was part of the journey,

1047
01:06:04,600 --> 01:06:09,039
getting his vision out to more people,
that was what he needed to do.

1048
01:06:09,160 --> 01:06:10,799
I'm really tired. I apologise.

1049
01:06:10,920 --> 01:06:15,079
I'm really tired of...from travelling,
and tired of doing comedy,

1050
01:06:15,200 --> 01:06:20,159
and tired of staring out
at your blank faces looking back at me,

1051
01:06:21,360 --> 01:06:27,039
wanting me to fill your empty lives with humour
you couldn't possibly think of yourself.

1052
01:06:27,160 --> 01:06:29,799
Good evening.

1053
01:06:29,920 --> 01:06:32,719
(Andy) American audiences, people
are too quick to take offence over here.

1054
01:06:32,840 --> 01:06:35,559
He just couldn't get any momentum going.

1055
01:06:35,680 --> 01:06:41,239
(James) So I guess there was a frustration
level of you grow past where you're working

1056
01:06:41,360 --> 01:06:45,679
and Bill was moving faster
than the audiences at times.

1057
01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:49,439
What is pornography, man? No one knows.

1058
01:06:49,560 --> 01:06:50,879
The Supreme Court says

1059
01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:54,719
pornography is any act that has
no artistic merit and causes sexual thoughts.

1060
01:06:54,840 --> 01:06:59,599
That's their definition essentially.
No artistic merit. Causes sexual thoughts.

1061
01:06:59,720 --> 01:07:01,759
Hm.

1062
01:07:01,880 --> 01:07:06,039
Well, that sounds like every commercial
on television, doesn't it?

1063
01:07:07,080 --> 01:07:11,439
You know, when I see those two twins
on that Double Mint commercial,

1064
01:07:11,560 --> 01:07:13,719
I'm not thinking of gum.

1065
01:07:16,760 --> 01:07:18,079
I am thinking of chewing.

1066
01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:22,599
Maybe that's the connection they're trying
to make there in a roundabout way.

1067
01:07:25,760 --> 01:07:27,719
You've all seen that Busch Beer commercial.

1068
01:07:27,840 --> 01:07:30,919
The girl in the short hot pants opens
the beer bottle on her belt buckle,

1069
01:07:31,040 --> 01:07:34,879
leaves it between her legs,
it foams over the bottle and over her hand,

1070
01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:39,239
and the voiceover goes,
"Get yourself a Busch."

1071
01:07:40,640 --> 01:07:42,599
Hm.

1072
01:07:44,240 --> 01:07:47,559
You know, correct me if I'm wrong,
that looks just... No.

1073
01:07:47,680 --> 01:07:48,999
No.

1074
01:07:49,120 --> 01:07:54,359
That fine liquor company wouldn't try
and plant that idea in my head, would they?

1075
01:07:54,480 --> 01:07:58,279
Not that fine upstanding liquor company.

1076
01:07:58,400 --> 01:08:00,759
Let me tell you what commercial
they'd like to do if they could,

1077
01:08:00,880 --> 01:08:03,279
and I guaran-fucking-tee
if they could, they'd do this right here.

1078
01:08:03,400 --> 01:08:07,999
Here's the woman's face. Beautiful.
Camera pulls back. Naked breast.

1079
01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:10,799
Camera pulls back. She's totally naked.

1080
01:08:10,920 --> 01:08:13,999
Legs apart. Two fingers right here.

1081
01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:17,719
And it just says drink Coke.

1082
01:08:24,200 --> 01:08:27,399
Now, I don't know the connection here,

1083
01:08:27,520 --> 01:08:31,559
but God damn if Coke
isn't on my shopping list this week!

1084
01:08:32,920 --> 01:08:37,479
(Kevin) After doing these big long shows,
which always wore him out, being on the road,

1085
01:08:37,600 --> 01:08:41,759
it was good to be back in Austin
and to be playing music with his friends.

1086
01:08:41,880 --> 01:08:43,919
The start of the Marblehead Johnson thing

1087
01:08:44,040 --> 01:08:48,479
was the three of us playing the night
of the first Gulf War breaking out,

1088
01:08:48,600 --> 01:08:51,079
and Bill had these new songs
that he had written.

1089
01:08:51,200 --> 01:08:55,759
My band Year Zero broke up
and we were looking for something to do

1090
01:08:55,880 --> 01:09:01,759
and Bill came to town one day
and sat in with us, and it totallyjelled.

1091
01:09:01,880 --> 01:09:03,719
You're watching the live feed of the war

1092
01:09:03,840 --> 01:09:07,159
and the classic...you know, the shells
going over downtown Baghdad.

1093
01:09:07,280 --> 01:09:09,239
It was weird watching that kick off live,

1094
01:09:09,360 --> 01:09:13,599
and that's the surreal thing about American
wars now is that they're televised

1095
01:09:13,720 --> 01:09:17,039
with some sort of ratings blood lust.

1096
01:09:17,160 --> 01:09:21,439

Chicks dig jerks

1097
01:09:21,560 --> 01:09:23,439


1098
01:09:23,560 --> 01:09:29,279
(John) Bill then got the HBO special
and gained greater and wider notoriety.

1099
01:09:29,400 --> 01:09:31,719
Still there wasn't that explosion.

1100
01:09:31,840 --> 01:09:34,279
Why didn't the country like Bill
as much as we do?

1101
01:09:34,400 --> 01:09:38,119
(Steve Hicks) He went
to the Just For Laughs Festival at Montreal.

1102
01:09:38,240 --> 01:09:42,079
Just For Laughs
is like the cannes Film Festival for comedy.

1103
01:09:42,200 --> 01:09:44,919
They come from all over the world
and it's a big deal.

1104
01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:48,359
(Kevin) He realised for the first time
in canada that there was a new boundary

1105
01:09:48,480 --> 01:09:55,119
and far more thirst for his perspective about
what was going on with the American dream.

1106
01:09:55,240 --> 01:09:57,239
First of all, this needs to be said.

1107
01:09:57,360 --> 01:09:59,879
There never was a war.

1108
01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:06,399
How can you say that, Bill?
Well, a war is when two armies are fighting.

1109
01:10:10,240 --> 01:10:12,479
So you see right there, I think.

1110
01:10:13,200 --> 01:10:15,159
We can all agree. Yeah.

1111
01:10:15,280 --> 01:10:17,999
Those guys were in hog heaven out there.
You understand, man?

1112
01:10:18,120 --> 01:10:21,079
They had a big weapons catalogue opened up.

1113
01:10:21,200 --> 01:10:23,759
"What's G12 do, Tommy?"

1114
01:10:23,880 --> 01:10:28,519
"Well, it says here it destroys everything
but the fillings in their teeth.

1115
01:10:28,640 --> 01:10:33,359
"Helps us pay for the war effort."
"Shit, pull that one up."

1116
01:10:33,480 --> 01:10:35,679
"Pull up G12, please."

1117
01:10:35,800 --> 01:10:37,479
Shhwwshh!

1118
01:10:44,000 --> 01:10:45,799
Kkkcckkk!

1119
01:10:46,840 --> 01:10:49,359
"Cool. What's G13 doing?"

1120
01:10:50,680 --> 01:10:52,799
Everyone got excited about the technology,

1121
01:10:52,920 --> 01:10:57,079
and I guess it was pretty incredible
watching a missile fly down an air vent.

1122
01:10:57,200 --> 01:10:58,519
Pretty unbelievable.

1123
01:10:58,640 --> 01:11:05,119
But couldn't we feasibly use that same
technology to shoot food at hungry people?

1124
01:11:05,240 --> 01:11:08,279
You know what I mean? Flying over Ethiopia.
There's a guy that needs a banana.

1125
01:11:08,400 --> 01:11:10,399
Shh-kkkrrrkkk!

1126
01:11:12,240 --> 01:11:14,799
Shh-ww-shh!

1127
01:11:20,280 --> 01:11:25,599
Here he was not onlyjust playing
in the arena of international comedy,

1128
01:11:25,720 --> 01:11:28,199
he was excelling in that arena.

1129
01:11:28,320 --> 01:11:32,959
Cos I live in the States,
a very puritanical place, full of superstition,

1130
01:11:33,080 --> 01:11:37,439
and ancient, ancient religions that
no longer serve their function on this planet,

1131
01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:40,079
because they're based on fear instead of love.

1132
01:11:40,200 --> 01:11:44,599
But, uh...they say
rock'n'roll is the devil's music.

1133
01:11:44,720 --> 01:11:46,679
Well, let's say that it is. I got news for you.

1134
01:11:46,800 --> 01:11:49,199
Let's say that rock'n'roll is the devil's music

1135
01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:53,759
and we know it for a fact
to be absolutely unequivocally true.

1136
01:11:56,600 --> 01:11:59,119
(Laughs) Boy, at least he fucking jams.

1137
01:12:00,920 --> 01:12:03,319
OK, did you hear that correctly?

1138
01:12:03,440 --> 01:12:06,359
If it's a choice between
eternal hell and good tunes

1139
01:12:06,480 --> 01:12:10,399
or eternal heaven
and New Kids On The fucking Block...

1140
01:12:11,960 --> 01:12:16,119
I'm gonna be surfing on the lake of fire,
rockin' out.

1141
01:12:16,240 --> 01:12:18,919
Oh, come on, Bill, they're the New Kids.
Don't pick on them.

1142
01:12:19,040 --> 01:12:23,439
They're so good, they're so clean-cut and
they're such a good image for the children.

1143
01:12:23,560 --> 01:12:29,159
Fuck that. When did mediocrity and banality
become a good image for your children?

1144
01:12:29,280 --> 01:12:32,999
I want my children to listen
to people who fucking rocked!

1145
01:12:33,120 --> 01:12:36,839
I don't care if they died
in puddles of their own vomit!

1146
01:12:36,960 --> 01:12:40,959
I want someone who plays
from his fucking heart!

1147
01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:45,319
I want 'em to fucking play with one hand
and put a gun in their other fucking hand!

1148
01:12:45,440 --> 01:12:48,599
Now, I hope you enjoyed the show! Bkkk!

1149
01:12:48,720 --> 01:12:51,559
Yes! Yes!

1150
01:12:53,680 --> 01:12:56,919
Play from your fucking heart!

1151
01:13:02,960 --> 01:13:07,639
(Clears throat) I am available
for children's parties, by the way.

1152
01:13:07,760 --> 01:13:09,079
(Kevin) I don't think Bill knew

1153
01:13:09,200 --> 01:13:12,919
that this video they made there was gonna
suddenly be broadcast on British TV,

1154
01:13:13,040 --> 01:13:16,959
and then that was gonna be
the beginning of the next step.

1155
01:13:25,360 --> 01:13:28,679
From the United States,
please raise the roof for Bill Hicks.

1156
01:13:28,800 --> 01:13:30,519
- Yeah!
- (Cheering)

1157
01:13:30,640 --> 01:13:33,559
I love being a comedian. It's the greatest
job in the world for one simple reason.

1158
01:13:33,680 --> 01:13:35,999
I don't have a boss.
Definite plus in a lifestyle, man.

1159
01:13:36,120 --> 01:13:38,399
Every job I've had with a boss,
always harassed.

1160
01:13:38,520 --> 01:13:41,479
"Hicks, how come you're not working?"
"There's nothing to do."

1161
01:13:41,600 --> 01:13:44,239
"Well, you pretend like you're working."

1162
01:13:44,360 --> 01:13:47,879
"Well, why don't you pretend I'm working?

1163
01:13:48,000 --> 01:13:51,279
"You get paid more than me. You fantasise."

1164
01:13:51,400 --> 01:13:53,799
(Steve Hicks) In Edinburgh,
he won the Judges' Award.

1165
01:13:53,920 --> 01:13:57,319
He realised, "Man, oK,
there is an audience for what I do."

1166
01:13:57,440 --> 01:13:59,599
(John) Here's an American ridiculing America.

1167
01:13:59,720 --> 01:14:04,079
He had been so good at making fun
of his parents, especially his father.

1168
01:14:04,200 --> 01:14:06,919
Now he was terrific
at making fun of his fatherland.

1169
01:14:07,040 --> 01:14:10,999
(David) The American dream
was supposed to be us running from the Brits,

1170
01:14:11,120 --> 01:14:16,399
and now Americans are having to tell the Brits
what's become of the American dream.

1171
01:14:16,520 --> 01:14:20,039
(Steve Hicks) They did get it.
They got it. They could handle it.

1172
01:14:20,160 --> 01:14:24,679
How that manifested itself
was his confidence went through the roof,

1173
01:14:24,800 --> 01:14:29,479
and he definitely attributed that
to being in the UK.

1174
01:14:30,880 --> 01:14:34,119
This is amazing. Last show I did...
You're not gonna believe this.

1175
01:14:34,240 --> 01:14:37,799
Belfast, Ireland, last week.
Never been to Belfast, Ireland.

1176
01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:42,279
Played to 900 screaming and adoring fans

1177
01:14:42,400 --> 01:14:47,399
in a turn-of-the-century theatre
that Oscar Wilde performed in,

1178
01:14:48,480 --> 01:14:53,879
only to come back to America,
the country I toured ceaselessly for 15 years

1179
01:14:54,000 --> 01:14:58,319
to play Adolf's Comedy Bunker in Idaho,

1180
01:14:59,480 --> 01:15:04,919
and found 25 apathetic people,
strangers one and all,

1181
01:15:05,040 --> 01:15:09,279
who stared at me like a dog
that had just been shown a card trick.

1182
01:15:15,720 --> 01:15:18,159
One of life's little ironies.

1183
01:15:19,440 --> 01:15:23,359
(John) When Bill talked to me about
breaking out in England and making it there,

1184
01:15:23,480 --> 01:15:25,399
I thought, "Oh, shit," you know?

1185
01:15:25,520 --> 01:15:29,359
over in England? But it was
pretty much for him a fait accompli.

1186
01:15:29,480 --> 01:15:31,479
"This is the place that gets me,

1187
01:15:31,600 --> 01:15:36,759
"I'm filling theatres, not comedy clubs,
impartial comedy clubs."

1188
01:15:36,880 --> 01:15:39,439
(Kevin) It wasn't really until
I saw the Revelations special

1189
01:15:39,560 --> 01:15:41,919
that we were all like, "Oh, my God," you know.

1190
01:15:42,040 --> 01:15:46,559
"Bill's like a rock star over there,
that's amazing. You know, finally."

1191
01:15:46,680 --> 01:15:53,079
(Cheering and applause)

1192
01:16:01,240 --> 01:16:03,519
You're in the right place.

1193
01:16:03,640 --> 01:16:05,919
It's Bill.

1194
01:16:06,040 --> 01:16:08,199
I'm so sick of arming the world

1195
01:16:08,320 --> 01:16:11,479
and then sending troops over to destroy
the fucking arms, you know what I mean?

1196
01:16:11,600 --> 01:16:16,199
We keep arming these little countries
then we go and blow the shit out of them.

1197
01:16:16,320 --> 01:16:18,159
We're like the bullies of the world, you know?

1198
01:16:18,280 --> 01:16:25,119
We're like Jack Palance in the movie Shane
throwing the pistol at the sheep herder's feet.

1199
01:16:25,240 --> 01:16:27,239
Pick it up.

1200
01:16:31,840 --> 01:16:35,199
"I don't want to pick it up, mister.
You'll shoot me."

1201
01:16:39,480 --> 01:16:41,679
(Whispers) Pick up the gun.

1202
01:16:45,040 --> 01:16:47,039
"Mister, I don't want no trouble, huh?

1203
01:16:47,160 --> 01:16:51,479
"I just came downtown here to get
some hard-rock candy for my kids,

1204
01:16:51,600 --> 01:16:54,399
"some gingham for my wife.

1205
01:16:54,520 --> 01:16:57,799
"I don't even know what gingham is,
but she goes...

1206
01:16:57,920 --> 01:17:01,239
"she goes through
about ten rolls a week of that stuff.

1207
01:17:01,360 --> 01:17:03,319
"I ain't looking for no trouble, mister."

1208
01:17:06,080 --> 01:17:08,039
(Whispers) Pick up the gun.

1209
01:17:08,160 --> 01:17:10,519
(Groaning)

1210
01:17:23,440 --> 01:17:25,479
Pkk! Pkk! Pkk!

1211
01:17:27,280 --> 01:17:29,239
"You all saw him.

1212
01:17:29,360 --> 01:17:32,319
"He had a gun."

1213
01:17:32,440 --> 01:17:33,759
(Kevin) Bill was a true patriot,

1214
01:17:33,880 --> 01:17:37,399
and that is like a true American and a true
patriot does question the Government

1215
01:17:37,520 --> 01:17:40,279
and that's what being a patriot means,
is that you question the powers.

1216
01:17:40,400 --> 01:17:43,159
I mean, I think he was still
always proud to be an American

1217
01:17:43,280 --> 01:17:47,159
but he was embarrassed about the things
that his government was becoming.

1218
01:17:47,280 --> 01:17:51,279
By the way, if anyone here
is in advertising or marketing,

1219
01:17:51,400 --> 01:17:53,759
kill yourself.

1220
01:17:53,880 --> 01:17:55,839
Thank you, thank you. Thanks.

1221
01:17:55,960 --> 01:17:59,879
Just a little thought.
I'm just trying to plant seeds.

1222
01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:02,719
Maybe...maybe one day they'll take root,
I don't know.

1223
01:18:02,840 --> 01:18:05,119
You try. You do what you can.

1224
01:18:06,120 --> 01:18:08,279
(Whispers) Kill yourself.

1225
01:18:09,200 --> 01:18:11,079
Seriously, though, if you are, do.

1226
01:18:11,200 --> 01:18:13,639
Uh...no, really.

1227
01:18:13,760 --> 01:18:18,039
There's no rationalisation for what you do
and you are Satan's little helpers.

1228
01:18:18,160 --> 01:18:20,079
OK? Kill yourself, seriously.

1229
01:18:20,200 --> 01:18:22,359
You're the ruiner of all things good.
Seriously.

1230
01:18:22,480 --> 01:18:24,879
This is not a joke.
"There's gonna be a joke coming."

1231
01:18:25,000 --> 01:18:26,799
There's no fucking joke coming.

1232
01:18:26,920 --> 01:18:30,919
You are Satan's spawn,
filling the world with bile and garbage.

1233
01:18:31,040 --> 01:18:32,799
You are fucked and you are fucking us.

1234
01:18:32,920 --> 01:18:37,519
Kill yourself. It's the only way
to save your fucking soul. Kill yourself.

1235
01:18:37,640 --> 01:18:39,839
(Cheering)

1236
01:18:39,960 --> 01:18:41,719
Thanks, thanks.

1237
01:18:41,840 --> 01:18:43,719
Planting the seeds.

1238
01:18:43,840 --> 01:18:47,679
I know all the marketing people are going,
"He's doing a joke." There is no joke here.

1239
01:18:47,800 --> 01:18:50,639
Suck a tailpipe. Fucking hang yourself.

1240
01:18:50,760 --> 01:18:54,079
Borrow a gun from a Yank friend.
I don't care how you do it.

1241
01:18:54,200 --> 01:18:58,599
Rid the world
of your evil fucking machinations.

1242
01:18:58,720 --> 01:19:01,279
Machi... Whatever. You know what I mean.

1243
01:19:02,880 --> 01:19:05,199
I know what all the marketing people
are thinking now too.

1244
01:19:05,320 --> 01:19:08,839
"Oh, you know what Bill's doing?
He's going for that anti-marketing dollar.

1245
01:19:08,960 --> 01:19:11,999
"That's a good market. He's very smart."

1246
01:19:13,880 --> 01:19:18,399
Oh, man, I am not doing that,
you fucking evil scumbags.

1247
01:19:19,400 --> 01:19:21,599
"Oh, you know what Bill's doing now?

1248
01:19:21,720 --> 01:19:24,879
"He's going for the righteous indignation
dollar. That's a big dollar.

1249
01:19:25,000 --> 01:19:28,439
"A lot of people are feeling that indignation.
We've done research. Huge market.

1250
01:19:28,560 --> 01:19:30,239
"He's doing a good thing."

1251
01:19:30,360 --> 01:19:33,239
God damn it, I'm not doing that,
you scumbags.

1252
01:19:33,360 --> 01:19:37,439
Quit putting a goddamn dollar sign
on every fucking thing on this planet.

1253
01:19:37,560 --> 01:19:41,479
(David) It's a universal idea,
but supposedly it's the American creed,

1254
01:19:41,600 --> 01:19:45,759
which is free men, they can say
what they want and believe what they want,

1255
01:19:45,880 --> 01:19:47,199
and that's a powerful idea

1256
01:19:47,320 --> 01:19:50,679
when you see somebody that believes
so much in that kind of freedom.

1257
01:19:50,800 --> 01:19:53,599
That's exactly what you work for.
That's what it's all about.

1258
01:19:53,720 --> 01:19:55,919
Audiences that get what you're saying.

1259
01:19:59,600 --> 01:20:02,879
(Dwight) I got called by NBC,

1260
01:20:03,000 --> 01:20:06,839
so I flew down and spent
the whole week with him.

1261
01:20:06,960 --> 01:20:09,519
He was really relaxed
and he had some time off

1262
01:20:09,640 --> 01:20:13,799
and when we were driving around Los Angeles
we started developing new characters.

1263
01:20:13,920 --> 01:20:16,679
Los Angeles, California, stars in the making.

1264
01:20:16,800 --> 01:20:21,279
Everyone's got a résumé in their hands
and dreams in their eyes

1265
01:20:21,400 --> 01:20:24,479
and he'd given up smoking
and he goes, "I just feel great."

1266
01:20:24,600 --> 01:20:27,679
(Kevin) Bill never stopped
wanting to make it in America.

1267
01:20:27,800 --> 01:20:31,879
He was now kind of wondering,
"What does the future hold for me?"

1268
01:20:32,000 --> 01:20:35,039
(Steve Hicks) You know, when I would go
watch him in Austin four nights in a row,

1269
01:20:35,160 --> 01:20:36,679
I would be amazed

1270
01:20:36,800 --> 01:20:40,599
that maybe something that was
just a throwaway line the first night

1271
01:20:40,720 --> 01:20:43,919
became a five-minute bit by the fourth night.

1272
01:20:44,040 --> 01:20:48,879
Put on a helmet, go wait in that foxhole. We'll
tell you when we need you to kill somebody.

1273
01:20:49,000 --> 01:20:50,319
You know, I'm so sick...

1274
01:20:50,440 --> 01:20:54,039
I've watched these fucking congressional
hearings and all these military guys

1275
01:20:54,160 --> 01:20:57,559
and all the pundits seriously...
"Oh, the esprit de corps will be affected

1276
01:20:57,680 --> 01:20:59,599
"and we are such a moral..."

1277
01:20:59,720 --> 01:21:04,759
Excuse me, aren't you all fucking
hired killers? Shut up! You are thugs.

1278
01:21:04,880 --> 01:21:07,959
When we need you to go blow the fuck
out of a nation of little brown people,

1279
01:21:08,080 --> 01:21:09,399
we'll let you know.

1280
01:21:09,520 --> 01:21:13,879
Until then, what do the fucking military...

1281
01:21:14,000 --> 01:21:15,999
"We are the military!

1282
01:21:17,000 --> 01:21:19,519
"Is that a village of children and kids?
Where's the napalm?"

1283
01:21:19,640 --> 01:21:20,999
Shh-kkk!

1284
01:21:21,120 --> 01:21:24,959
"I don't want any gay people
hanging around me while I'm killing kids.

1285
01:21:26,440 --> 01:21:29,359
"I just don't want to see it."

1286
01:21:29,480 --> 01:21:33,839
(Steve) That was, uh...June of '93,
and I have those shows on video,

1287
01:21:33,960 --> 01:21:38,319
and I was at work one day
and he called my wife

1288
01:21:38,440 --> 01:21:42,399
and he said, "Do you have a doctor,
a family doctor, here in Austin?"

1289
01:21:42,520 --> 01:21:43,839
and she said, "Yeah, we do,"

1290
01:21:43,960 --> 01:21:47,959
and he goes, "Could you call and make me an
appointment? I'm having stomach problems."

1291
01:21:48,080 --> 01:21:53,919
Bill called a lot of times while
he was waiting to go on or whatever at a show

1292
01:21:54,040 --> 01:21:58,439
and I heard Jim say,
"Are you getting ready to go on?"

1293
01:21:58,560 --> 01:22:01,959
And Bill said, "No, I'm in the hospital."

1294
01:22:02,080 --> 01:22:04,319
(Steve) And I remember
my wife answered the phone,

1295
01:22:04,440 --> 01:22:08,439
and then she said something like, "Oh, it's
your brother. He's got cancer or something",

1296
01:22:08,560 --> 01:22:10,719
like he was making a joke or something,

1297
01:22:10,840 --> 01:22:13,119
and I got on the phone and, "What's up?"

1298
01:22:13,240 --> 01:22:17,599
and he said, "Well, I got bad news,"
you know, and he said...

1299
01:22:17,720 --> 01:22:22,519
And I just...it just devastated me, you know?
I mean it, you know, so...

1300
01:22:22,640 --> 01:22:24,599
(Inaudible)

1301
01:22:31,840 --> 01:22:37,079
The foundation of our family
was probably laid early on in our lives

1302
01:22:37,200 --> 01:22:42,239
and I don't think that there was ever
any hesitation of decision in Bill's mind

1303
01:22:42,360 --> 01:22:44,599
that he just needed to get back home.

1304
01:22:46,400 --> 01:22:53,079
When he picked me up at the airport at LA,
he came straight from a chemo treatment.

1305
01:22:53,200 --> 01:22:55,399
And I kept saying, "You want me to drive?

1306
01:22:55,520 --> 01:23:00,519
That whole trip, he drove the entire way, ten,
twelve hours a day, every day for four days,

1307
01:23:00,640 --> 01:23:02,879
and he wouldn't let me drive.

1308
01:23:05,560 --> 01:23:08,839
(Mary) He came here
and he was sitting out on the deck,

1309
01:23:08,960 --> 01:23:12,759
and in years before when he'd go out there
and sit on the deck,

1310
01:23:12,880 --> 01:23:15,399
you know, he kind of wanted to be alone.

1311
01:23:15,520 --> 01:23:19,159
So I opened the door and I said,
"Bill, do you want to be alone?"

1312
01:23:19,280 --> 01:23:21,159
and he said, "Who wants to be alone?"

1313
01:23:21,280 --> 01:23:24,119
(Chuckles) I said, "I'll be right there."

1314
01:23:24,240 --> 01:23:28,639
As serious as it was, it was a good time.

1315
01:23:28,760 --> 01:23:33,159
He started telling me
everything he had been doing,

1316
01:23:33,280 --> 01:23:37,199
filling me in on things
he thought I needed to know,

1317
01:23:37,320 --> 01:23:41,319
and he turned to me and he said, "Why, you're
more broad-minded than I thought you were."

1318
01:23:41,440 --> 01:23:42,759
(Chuckles)

1319
01:23:42,880 --> 01:23:46,959
Also at night, Jim and Bill and I would walk.

1320
01:23:48,600 --> 01:23:52,879
Bill was encouraged by
how those tumour markers were going down,

1321
01:23:53,000 --> 01:23:56,839
and that's why Bill
didn't want anybody to know.

1322
01:23:56,960 --> 01:24:03,599
(Lynn) His desire to continue to work
and perform came before everything else.

1323
01:24:03,720 --> 01:24:08,199
Cos he still travelled. This was in August
and he was still travelling and performing.

1324
01:24:08,320 --> 01:24:14,679
Receiving an awful cancer diagnosis
and still wanting to work,

1325
01:24:14,800 --> 01:24:18,599
I mean, how many people really could do that?

1326
01:24:18,720 --> 01:24:20,479
(Steve Hicks) And you know
what he used to say was

1327
01:24:20,600 --> 01:24:23,039
when he was on stage it all went away.

1328
01:24:23,160 --> 01:24:25,719
He just got in his zone and did his thing

1329
01:24:25,840 --> 01:24:29,799
and he never felt it, never thought about it.

1330
01:24:29,920 --> 01:24:33,399
He was also in that period
starting to put together Arizona Bay

1331
01:24:33,520 --> 01:24:35,119
and then Rant In E-Minor

1332
01:24:35,240 --> 01:24:37,119
and he worked with Kevin, his producer.

1333
01:24:37,240 --> 01:24:40,399
(Kevin) We had started working
on Arizona Bay a few months earlier.

1334
01:24:40,520 --> 01:24:42,759
I'm here. Here's my toothbrush.

1335
01:24:42,880 --> 01:24:46,239
Wherever I am. It's my...it's my little home.

1336
01:24:52,600 --> 01:24:56,279
(Kevin) The years and years that Bill and I
had worked together brought us to a point

1337
01:24:56,400 --> 01:24:59,079
where the idea
of combining music and comedy

1338
01:24:59,200 --> 01:25:01,719
just seemed like the next natural progression.

1339
01:25:04,840 --> 01:25:07,119
OK, here we go. Ready. Play again.

1340
01:25:10,680 --> 01:25:13,759
You all saw him. He had a gun.

1341
01:25:13,880 --> 01:25:16,159
(Whistling tune)

1342
01:25:20,320 --> 01:25:23,319
(Kevin) Bill, you know,
had so much energy and so much focus

1343
01:25:23,440 --> 01:25:27,239
I never in a million years would have
thought something was wrong with him.

1344
01:25:27,360 --> 01:25:30,679
(Bill) You know we're recording this for an
album. I'd like to thank you all for laughing.

1345
01:25:30,800 --> 01:25:32,159
(Audience laughs)

1346
01:25:32,280 --> 01:25:35,799
(Kevin) When I got to San Francisco,
Bill was smoking again. That was strange.

1347
01:25:35,920 --> 01:25:37,879
What can I say? The hook is deep, man.

1348
01:25:38,000 --> 01:25:39,959
I went nine months without 'em

1349
01:25:40,080 --> 01:25:45,039
and that fucking hook, they dropped it
back in the water, boom, and there I was.

1350
01:25:48,240 --> 01:25:50,199
Whoo!

1351
01:25:50,320 --> 01:25:53,359
See, folks, here's the deal,
man, in my humble opinion,

1352
01:25:53,480 --> 01:25:56,079
is that what the problem with the world is
is very simple.

1353
01:25:56,200 --> 01:25:57,679
We're undergoing evolution

1354
01:25:57,800 --> 01:26:00,959
and all our institutions
are failing and crumbling around us

1355
01:26:01,080 --> 01:26:04,039
because they're no longer relevant.

1356
01:26:04,160 --> 01:26:06,279
Ha-ha-ha!

1357
01:26:06,400 --> 01:26:08,799
I'd say let 'em go.

1358
01:26:08,920 --> 01:26:13,799
That's all. It's just evolution. Evolution does
not end with us growing opposable thumbs.

1359
01:26:13,920 --> 01:26:17,959
OK? We're at the point now in history,
the first time ever, we can evolve at will.

1360
01:26:18,080 --> 01:26:20,799
And the way we do it is we evolve ideas.

1361
01:26:20,920 --> 01:26:25,039
By the way, there are more dick jokes coming.
Please relax.

1362
01:26:25,160 --> 01:26:27,519
Let's create a new philosophy.
What do you say?

1363
01:26:27,640 --> 01:26:29,519
Let's create a new religion. What do you think?

1364
01:26:29,640 --> 01:26:36,199
I mean, it's not necessarily new.
The...the seeds are real in the religions.

1365
01:26:36,320 --> 01:26:41,119
Love and acceptance and forgiveness.
That's good stuff. Let's...let's keep that.

1366
01:26:41,240 --> 01:26:46,839
Let's just drop all the dogma, OK?
And let's take care of the planet, OK?

1367
01:26:46,960 --> 01:26:48,599
OK.

1368
01:26:48,720 --> 01:26:51,279
I know I'm starting to lose 'em
a little bit here with this shit.

1369
01:26:51,400 --> 01:26:53,919
I'm like digging a fucking hole right now.

1370
01:26:55,560 --> 01:26:57,279
And another thing.

1371
01:26:57,400 --> 01:27:02,119
I don't think we would have gotten
as much done through those couple of months,

1372
01:27:02,240 --> 01:27:04,079
had I known he was dying.

1373
01:27:04,200 --> 01:27:07,799
He was looking now at his life like,
"I've only got so many months to live,

1374
01:27:07,920 --> 01:27:10,679
"I want to finish the script,
make a new Ninja Bachelor Party,

1375
01:27:10,800 --> 01:27:13,199
"record enough material
for several more records."

1376
01:27:13,320 --> 01:27:17,439
So I was in heaven.
I mean that was my idea of a good time.

1377
01:27:20,240 --> 01:27:23,999
He actually included tripping on mushrooms
as part of the sobriety.

1378
01:27:24,120 --> 01:27:29,559
So it was surprising when Bill said, "Let's go
to the ranch again and trip on mushrooms."

1379
01:27:29,680 --> 01:27:31,599
(David) Suddenly Bill calls out of the blue.

1380
01:27:31,720 --> 01:27:35,599
"Hey, I think it's time
we have another ranch blow-out."

1381
01:27:35,720 --> 01:27:40,919
I'm like, "Wow, oK. We just had..."
It's not something that you do that often.

1382
01:27:41,040 --> 01:27:42,959
It's pretty intense.

1383
01:27:45,280 --> 01:27:49,479
The only thing to me that signalled
that something was a little bit different

1384
01:27:49,600 --> 01:27:54,479
is when I suggested something
that we were gonna do in the future

1385
01:27:54,600 --> 01:27:56,959
that he didn't say anything,

1386
01:27:57,080 --> 01:28:01,079
like he knew
there wasn't gonna be a next time.

1387
01:28:01,200 --> 01:28:04,799
Then he wanted to take a photo
when we got back to my house.

1388
01:28:04,920 --> 01:28:09,079
I think that he wanted one last photo shoot.

1389
01:28:19,120 --> 01:28:22,079
(Kevin) I think deep down inside,
Bill was an activist.

1390
01:28:22,200 --> 01:28:25,799
It wasn't Bill's style to be a part of any kind
of mob or group, or anything like that.

1391
01:28:25,920 --> 01:28:30,239
I mean, Bill was gonna do things
in his own way.

1392
01:28:30,360 --> 01:28:34,039
I was in Australia during the week,
and I'm from Texas,

1393
01:28:34,160 --> 01:28:39,279
and all the Australians were going...going,
"Bill, that guy is such a weirdo," right?

1394
01:28:39,400 --> 01:28:43,599
First of all, I'm thinking, don't hate that guy
cos he called himself Jesus, you know,

1395
01:28:43,720 --> 01:28:49,039
and my first thought was, "Come on,
the guy's real name is Vernon.

1396
01:28:49,160 --> 01:28:53,879
"Let him be Jesus for a couple of months,
you know? I mean, what's it to you?"

1397
01:28:55,000 --> 01:28:59,799
(Kevin) March of '93, the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

1398
01:28:59,920 --> 01:29:03,919
performed a raid on a kind of a cult compound
outside of Waco, Texas

1399
01:29:04,040 --> 01:29:06,759
that was headed by David Koresh.

1400
01:29:06,880 --> 01:29:10,319
This story was so fascinating to Bill
that we gathered all our cameras

1401
01:29:10,440 --> 01:29:12,399
and drove up there.

1402
01:29:12,520 --> 01:29:14,999
Hi, Bill, we're almost there. Sense anything?

1403
01:29:15,120 --> 01:29:18,239
(Sniffs) I smell some holed-up people.

1404
01:29:18,360 --> 01:29:19,959
(Chuckles)

1405
01:29:20,960 --> 01:29:22,759
Good afternoon. Where are we going to?

1406
01:29:22,880 --> 01:29:26,039
Oh, we were gonna get
as close as we could and film it.

1407
01:29:26,160 --> 01:29:30,239
(Kevin) The government was careful to
make sure that the press was pushed back

1408
01:29:30,360 --> 01:29:34,319
something like two miles
away from the compound.

1409
01:29:34,440 --> 01:29:37,359
It's still a matter of debate
like who fired first.

1410
01:29:37,480 --> 01:29:41,559
But one thing is for sure, that
they were just firing into a plywood building

1411
01:29:41,680 --> 01:29:44,519
that was filled with, you know,
men, women and children.

1412
01:29:44,640 --> 01:29:47,919
The whole countryjust stood by and was just
like, "Well, they're a bunch of fanatics,

1413
01:29:48,040 --> 01:29:49,839
"they got what they deserved,"

1414
01:29:49,960 --> 01:29:52,639
and I think that's what enraged Bill the most,

1415
01:29:52,760 --> 01:29:57,239
to be that one guy going, "Hey, everybody,
did you just see what they did?

1416
01:29:57,360 --> 01:30:00,679
"Now, seriously, does everybody
really think that's oK, you know?"

1417
01:30:00,800 --> 01:30:04,559
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have some very shocking news for you.

1418
01:30:04,680 --> 01:30:08,719
I have seen photos that you probably
have never seen, some of you never have,

1419
01:30:08,840 --> 01:30:11,039
that's never aired on network television,

1420
01:30:11,160 --> 01:30:16,719
footage of Bradley tanks
shooting fire into the compound.

1421
01:30:16,840 --> 01:30:19,119
The Branch Davidians did not start the fire.

1422
01:30:19,240 --> 01:30:28,519
They were murdered in cold blood by
the pussies, the liars, the scumbags, the ATF,

1423
01:30:28,640 --> 01:30:31,039
and the meaning of it all,
the reason you didn't see it,

1424
01:30:31,160 --> 01:30:34,319
the reason they said the Branch Davidians
started the fire... No, they didn't,

1425
01:30:34,440 --> 01:30:36,759
cos they know now
that David Koresh was trying to finish

1426
01:30:36,880 --> 01:30:39,799
that fucking whatever,
seven-seals horse shit he was doing.

1427
01:30:39,920 --> 01:30:41,239
They know that.

1428
01:30:41,360 --> 01:30:43,159
They burn these fucking people alive

1429
01:30:43,280 --> 01:30:47,719
because the message they want to convey
to you is state power will always win.

1430
01:30:47,840 --> 01:30:52,599
We'll paint you as a child molester and we'll
paint you as a methamphetamine manufacturer,

1431
01:30:52,720 --> 01:30:56,679
we'll say any lie we want over our
propaganda machine, the mainstream media,

1432
01:30:56,800 --> 01:30:59,119
and we'll burn you and your children
in your fucking homes.

1433
01:30:59,240 --> 01:31:02,759
So you just be apathetic, America,
you stay docile,

1434
01:31:02,880 --> 01:31:06,399
and don't you ever forget
you're free to do what we tell you.

1435
01:31:10,560 --> 01:31:14,599
The real implication is why no mainstream
media has picked upon this footage

1436
01:31:14,720 --> 01:31:16,439
and thought that it was news.

1437
01:31:16,560 --> 01:31:21,959
This tells you something about America
and the state of freedom that you live under.

1438
01:31:22,080 --> 01:31:26,519
(Kevin) Just seeing it first-hand,
and seeing him do it on TV.

1439
01:31:26,640 --> 01:31:28,159
What if that was you in there?

1440
01:31:28,280 --> 01:31:30,839
You may not agree with them,
but what if the day comes

1441
01:31:30,960 --> 01:31:35,279
where you're the guy in that church
practising something that they don't like?

1442
01:31:35,400 --> 01:31:37,319
Bill really was in the state of mind,

1443
01:31:37,440 --> 01:31:41,719
of, you know, for one, I'm not taking
any shit from anybody any more,

1444
01:31:41,840 --> 01:31:45,599
or two, I'm gonna just tell everybody
exactly what it is they need to hear,

1445
01:31:45,720 --> 01:31:49,359
because time is of the essence here.

1446
01:31:51,600 --> 01:31:52,519
(David) That last day we tripped out here,

1447
01:31:52,640 --> 01:31:54,239
Bill was preparing
for his last Letterman appearance.

1448
01:31:54,360 --> 01:31:58,839
It was only a matter of days.
He was taking this one really seriously.

1449
01:32:00,720 --> 01:32:05,839
And of course, Bill was the only one thinking
that this was gonna be the last time

1450
01:32:05,960 --> 01:32:09,719
he was gonna perform something to be seen
by the entire American public.

1451
01:32:09,840 --> 01:32:14,879
And he called me up, he was like, "David,
I think I finally did it. It went so good."

1452
01:32:15,000 --> 01:32:17,519
(Ringing)

1453
01:32:19,240 --> 01:32:23,079
And then about an hour or so later, he called
and he was just like, "I can't believe it,

1454
01:32:23,200 --> 01:32:25,279
"they cut it."

1455
01:32:30,800 --> 01:32:37,439
Bill's reaction, I am pretty sure,
was because he knew what he was facing.

1456
01:32:37,560 --> 01:32:40,399
I just remember him saying,
you know, "I'm done with this.

1457
01:32:40,520 --> 01:32:43,079
"I'm tired of trying to please these people,"

1458
01:32:43,200 --> 01:32:47,319
and then, "I'm trying to be myself
and they want me to be somebody else,

1459
01:32:47,440 --> 01:32:52,359
"and so I'm just not gonna do it any more,"
it was kind of final like that.

1460
01:32:52,480 --> 01:32:54,519
(Steve Epstein)
Then he invites me over to Igby's

1461
01:32:54,640 --> 01:32:58,719
and as we were walking, he goes, "This is
gonna be my last night working at Igby's."

1462
01:32:58,840 --> 01:33:01,679
I go, "Why do you say that?"
To me it made no sense at all.

1463
01:33:01,800 --> 01:33:07,439
"I mean, it's a nice club. You like the club."
He goes, "Some things you just know."

1464
01:33:07,560 --> 01:33:11,199
I thought maybe it's cos
he was gonna move to England.

1465
01:33:11,320 --> 01:33:12,639
Folks, I appreciate you coming out.

1466
01:33:12,760 --> 01:33:15,559
It's a very sentimental evening for me
and a very exciting one.

1467
01:33:15,680 --> 01:33:21,279
But this is my final live performance
I am ever going to do, stand-up comedy-wise.

1468
01:33:21,400 --> 01:33:24,879
True. No, no, no, don't get me wrong.
It's not sour grapes.

1469
01:33:25,000 --> 01:33:28,879
I've loved every, you know, moment
of the 16 years I've been doing it,

1470
01:33:29,000 --> 01:33:31,119
in total anonymity in the country I love,

1471
01:33:31,240 --> 01:33:37,319
and, uh...every delayed flight,
every Econo Lodge, I've loved it all,

1472
01:33:37,440 --> 01:33:43,279
playing the Comedy Pouch
in Possum Ridge, Arkansas, every three months,

1473
01:33:43,400 --> 01:33:45,439
it was my treat.

1474
01:33:45,560 --> 01:33:49,199
(Dwight) When I saw the Igby's tape,
itjust flat out blew me away.

1475
01:33:49,320 --> 01:33:54,079
You listen to any set after he knew he was sick
and they're phenomenal, raging.

1476
01:33:54,200 --> 01:33:57,719
You can just feel
the, "I got to get this shit out."

1477
01:33:57,840 --> 01:34:00,959
I went in and I said, "I want to do a show

1478
01:34:01,080 --> 01:34:03,439
"where we rid the world
of all these fevered egos

1479
01:34:03,560 --> 01:34:05,759
"that are taking our collective unconscious,"

1480
01:34:05,880 --> 01:34:08,719
and the CBS guy goes, "Will there be titty?"

1481
01:34:08,840 --> 01:34:14,079
And I said, "Yeah, all right, sure. Uh...sure."

1482
01:34:14,200 --> 01:34:18,919
Boom! A cheque falls in my lap.
I'm a producer. We've had creative meetings.

1483
01:34:19,040 --> 01:34:22,759
"What are these titties gonna do?"
"Uh...jiggle?"

1484
01:34:22,880 --> 01:34:27,479
"Son, you're a genius.
Where have you been all our lives?

1485
01:34:27,600 --> 01:34:30,679
"Oh, at the Comedy Pouch
in Possum Ridge, Arkansas, you fuck.

1486
01:34:30,800 --> 01:34:33,599
"I had no idea if I said the word titty,
I'd get my own show,

1487
01:34:33,720 --> 01:34:37,879
"but damn it,
damn me for not thinking of that."

1488
01:34:38,000 --> 01:34:40,319
What does everyone love?

1489
01:34:41,480 --> 01:34:43,919
(Whispers) Titties. Yes.

1490
01:34:44,040 --> 01:34:46,359
(David) Kevin called me
and said, "Bill's coming over

1491
01:34:46,480 --> 01:34:48,599
"and he wants to talk to us about something."

1492
01:34:48,720 --> 01:34:51,759
And so when he came over,
we knew that something was wrong

1493
01:34:51,880 --> 01:34:56,519
because he was kind of weepy
and he was hugging us and saying he loved us

1494
01:34:56,640 --> 01:35:01,879
and then told us that he had cancer
and had been told that he was gonna die soon.

1495
01:35:02,000 --> 01:35:05,319
You know, it was just like that feeling
of just falling into a tunnel

1496
01:35:05,440 --> 01:35:08,559
and going, "Oh, God,
everything makes sense all of a sudden."

1497
01:35:08,680 --> 01:35:10,559
(James) He called and told me

1498
01:35:10,680 --> 01:35:13,239
and then asked me who he should tell,

1499
01:35:13,360 --> 01:35:15,719
whether he should tell other people or not.

1500
01:35:15,840 --> 01:35:17,919
"Of course you fucking...

1501
01:35:18,040 --> 01:35:21,759
"You know, these are your best friends. You
have to tell them."

1502
01:35:21,880 --> 01:35:25,039
It was just shock forever, you know.
Still can't believe it.

1503
01:35:25,160 --> 01:35:30,759
It always just seemed then,
as it seems now, that Bill is, uh...out of town

1504
01:35:30,880 --> 01:35:33,719
and he's mad at me
and he'll call me when he gets over it.

1505
01:35:33,840 --> 01:35:35,719
(Andy) An awful thing, but Bill's gonna beat it

1506
01:35:35,840 --> 01:35:39,839
and this has got to be
at least 20 minutes of material

1507
01:35:39,960 --> 01:35:43,799
and it's gonna be difficult
but he'll do it, he'll do it.

1508
01:35:43,920 --> 01:35:45,719
This fucking sucks. You're just like...

1509
01:35:45,840 --> 01:35:51,799
I'd lost my mom four years earlier
to the same thing, pancreatic cancer.

1510
01:35:51,920 --> 01:35:55,119
Only Bill, only Bill could that happen to.

1511
01:35:55,240 --> 01:35:57,839
I mean the timing of it was so Bill, you know?

1512
01:35:57,960 --> 01:36:01,479
He said, "John, you know,
everything that happens is right,

1513
01:36:01,600 --> 01:36:04,879
"and that the last thing
that you have is family.

1514
01:36:05,000 --> 01:36:08,199
"It's the only thing you truly have is family."

1515
01:36:08,320 --> 01:36:12,279
Which, of course, it goes without saying,
it never occurred to me.

1516
01:36:12,400 --> 01:36:15,479
(Dwight) Right before we hung up
I said, "I'll see you again,"

1517
01:36:15,600 --> 01:36:18,559
and he said, "I know," and hung up.

1518
01:36:18,680 --> 01:36:20,079
(Steve Hicks) He said, "I don't want to die.

1519
01:36:20,200 --> 01:36:22,959
"It is like the biggest joke on me
in the world.

1520
01:36:23,080 --> 01:36:26,399
"You know, here I've been a comedian
all my life, and now the big joke's on me,

1521
01:36:26,520 --> 01:36:29,519
"right when it was all coming together."

1522
01:36:29,640 --> 01:36:32,359
(Bill) Is there a point to all this?
Let's find a point.

1523
01:36:35,520 --> 01:36:38,639
Is there a point to my act?
I would say there is.

1524
01:36:40,560 --> 01:36:43,039
I have to.

1525
01:36:44,080 --> 01:36:46,399
The world is like a ride in an amusement park,

1526
01:36:46,520 --> 01:36:50,079
and when you choose to go on it, you think it's
real, cos that's how powerful our minds are,

1527
01:36:50,200 --> 01:36:53,839
and the ride goes up and down
and round and round, it has thrills and chills,

1528
01:36:53,960 --> 01:36:58,199
and it's very brightly coloured
and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while.

1529
01:36:58,320 --> 01:37:00,279
Some people have been on the ride
for a long time

1530
01:37:00,400 --> 01:37:04,039
and they begin to question,
"Is this real or is this just a ride?"

1531
01:37:04,160 --> 01:37:07,439
And other people have remembered
and they come back to us and say, "Hey,

1532
01:37:07,560 --> 01:37:12,159
"don't worry, don't be afraid ever
because this is just a ride,"

1533
01:37:12,280 --> 01:37:14,919
and we kill those people.

1534
01:37:15,040 --> 01:37:16,679
Ha-ha!

1535
01:37:16,800 --> 01:37:21,839
"Shut him up. We have a lot
invested in this ride. Shut him up.

1536
01:37:21,960 --> 01:37:23,959
"Look at my furrows of worry.

1537
01:37:24,080 --> 01:37:29,999
"Look at my big bank account and my family.
This has to be real."

1538
01:37:30,120 --> 01:37:34,079
It's just a ride. But we always kill
those good guys who try and tell us that.

1539
01:37:34,200 --> 01:37:37,039
You ever notice that?
And let the demons run amok.

1540
01:37:37,160 --> 01:37:39,479
But it doesn't matter because...

1541
01:37:40,760 --> 01:37:44,999
it's just a ride
and we can change it any time we want.

1542
01:37:45,120 --> 01:37:49,199
It's only a choice. No effort. No work. No job.
No savings of money.

1543
01:37:49,320 --> 01:37:52,999
A choice right now between fear and love.

1544
01:37:53,120 --> 01:37:58,239
The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks
on your door, buy guns, close yourself off.

1545
01:37:58,360 --> 01:38:01,439
The eyes of love, instead,
see all of us as one.

1546
01:38:01,560 --> 01:38:05,879
Here's what we can do to change the world
right now to a better ride.

1547
01:38:06,000 --> 01:38:08,639
Take all that money we spend
on weapons and defence each year,

1548
01:38:08,760 --> 01:38:11,519
and, instead, spend it feeding, clothing
and educating the poor of the world

1549
01:38:11,640 --> 01:38:14,799
which it would many times over,
not one human being excluded,

1550
01:38:14,920 --> 01:38:18,679
and we can explore space together...

1551
01:38:18,800 --> 01:38:21,559
- (Applause)
- ..both inner and outer...

1552
01:38:21,680 --> 01:38:23,439
forever in peace.

1553
01:38:23,560 --> 01:38:27,479
Thank you very much.
You've been great. I hope you enjoyed it.

1554
01:38:27,600 --> 01:38:29,119
Thank you very much.

1555
01:38:29,240 --> 01:38:31,639
(Cheering and applause)

1556
01:39:08,400 --> 01:39:09,719
My mom called me the other day.

1557
01:39:09,840 --> 01:39:14,159
She's going, "Bill, honey,
it's your daddy's birthday tomorrow.

1558
01:39:14,280 --> 01:39:18,759
"I want you to call him up and wish him
a happy birthday. It'll mean so much to him.

1559
01:39:18,880 --> 01:39:20,479
"Please don't you forget to do that.

1560
01:39:20,600 --> 01:39:23,559
"It'll mean so much to him,
to wish him a happy birthday.

1561
01:39:23,680 --> 01:39:27,679
"Please do it for me, honey. Please."
I said, "OK, Mom, sure."

1562
01:39:27,800 --> 01:39:31,039
I called up my dad.
Said, "Dad, happy birthday."

1563
01:39:31,160 --> 01:39:34,039
He goes, "Thanks, son. Here's your mother."

1564
01:40:21,880 --> 01:40:25,159
(Lynn) I kind of look
at the audience out there too.

1565
01:40:25,280 --> 01:40:29,199
Are they going to be able to take
that inspiration that they feel

1566
01:40:29,320 --> 01:40:31,999
and move it forward?

1567
01:40:32,120 --> 01:40:34,119
(Bill) It's not enough
just to make jokes about it.