The stand-up comedian and actor from San Anselmo, California will bring the laughs to Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre this Friday, October 21 with his 2016 Get In My Head tour.

He said the audience can come along for the ride and join him to contemplate everything from the social evolution of humanity to fondue.

Although Barker has had a career in comedy for well over a decade, the 42-year-old said becoming a comedian wasn’t always written in the stars for him.

“I didn’t always want to be a comedian, I just sort of tried it on a whim one time in my late teens and I didn’t really go into it expecting it to become my career,” he told the Star.

“I kept doing it because I got a real rush out of it and so I just stuck with it – it was purely an act of joy.

“Being a comedian was also so fun to do so I just kept coming back to it.”

When it comes to new material, the comic says the best bet in knowing whether or not his audience will take to it is to simply try it out on them on the night.

“When I create new stuff I usually just go out there in front of the crowd and try it out,” he said.

“I think as a comedian you have an obligation to give people a great show.

“When I’m up on stage I like to stay in the moment.”

Barker said he sometimes uses comedy as a tool to convey a serious message to his audience.

“If I didn’t think it was genuinely funny I wouldn’t do that,” he said.

“My priority is to make people laugh because that’s what they paid for and they deserve that.”

Though Barker is best known for his comedy on the stage, he will also be familiar to fans of the cult television comedy series Flight Of The Conchords, about a couple of struggling New Zealand musicians trying to get a break in New York.

Though American-born, Barker has been praised for his understanding of Australian culture.

Arj Barker will perform his Get In My Head show at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Friday from 8pm.

For tickets, phone 6333 6161 or visit www.bmec.com.au