Taran: Welcome back to season two of Taron's Parallel Universe. And my first guest of season two, guest number uno, is Aaron McCarthy, very proud quark man. Oh no, Aaron, you're not allowed to speak yet. I heard you trying. Aaron McCarthy, I'm very, very proud quark man, aren't you, Aaron?
Aaron: ⁓ immensely, yeah. ⁓ you see I I kinda anticipated there was gonna be talk cork, so I was gonna talk cork?
Taran: What is it that you love so much about Korok do you think?
Aaron: Every bit of it. Everything. ⁓
Taran: even when there's bad things about it.
Aaron: I can't think of any off the top of my head. Can you think of any?
Taran: Hmm, I don't want to be cancelled, but I don't think it's, I don't think it's paradise.
Aaron: ⁓ ⁓ I think it is. Maybe Gangster's Paradise. Maybe it's a bit like Coolio, but
Taran: Okay, well apart from loving cork, you are a comedian as well and I wanna ask, if you weren't doing what you're doing now in your life, what would you be doing career-wise do you think? And it could be anything.
Aaron: I think I think if I had my way I probably would be a professional bodybuilder.
Taran: Yeah. Which is interesting.
Aaron: Yeah, I used Okay.
Taran: Cause I don't know any professional bodybuilders. I thought that was something you could do on Venice beach.
Aaron: I will say that the majority of professional bodybuilders in this country are also bouncers at the weekend. Usually the
Taran: Will you go- You gotta make a bit of cash, don't you?
Aaron: But yeah, so basically like I remember when I first started going to the gym, I know looking at me now you wouldn't think like, you know, you're being a pretty bad bodybuilder to be fair, but ⁓ I remember where I was going, it was there was a play and all of the like no, I would say they're like these like Eastern European, like massive fellows with no hair. ⁓ but but yeah, like they that's what I'd have done. I'd I'd love to have done that. But I didn't I it like you know how like it's a du in you're trying to do comedy, it's like ⁓ I
Taran: Mm, yeah.
Aaron: be bothered writing no, you know, but that's fairly important to do. But this is like imagine you'll be there like your job is right, I need to eat plain chicken and rice and and like you can't go on the piss ever.
Taran: ⁓ yeah. That's tough. and you have to go to the gym.
Aaron: Yeah, that's the one problem with it. If you didn't have to go to the gym constantly and eat healthy and n get and if you didn't have to get like ⁓ at least eight or nine hours sleep, it would be a great job.
Taran: It's like... It'd be like being a pilot that doesn't go on planes if you didn't do the eating and the excess. So do you think that isn't something I don't know? Is there an age range for bodybuilding? Could you not do it now?
Aaron: Yeah. Mm yeah, but like y I it's kind of like I I suppose any sport, like we like imagine if I decided no, I'm I'll I said, Do you know what? I've decided I'm going to win an All Ireland Hurley medal. I'm gonna be a part of the cork team and win it. That's thirty guy
Taran: I'd look you dead in the eye and say best to look. But it wouldn't happen.
Aaron: I'd be like, no. I was like, this is my dream. I'm gonna make the team now. I think like I probably like hit mit miss ⁓ my ⁓ my prime. I think you'd want to you'd want to be in your mid twenties and you'd want to probably be full of ⁓ performance enhancing. But that's that was fine.
Taran: Yeah. So you didn't become a bodybuilder and you think it's too late, but the life that you are living now, do you think you chose it or do you think it happened to you?
Aaron: No. Yeah. I think both. I think ⁓ I think mainly it was my own doing, to be honest. Like there's the things I've because I ⁓ I think like any of the things that happened or like the situation that like the whatever I was born into or the kind of situation that were thrust upon me, I think the way that I handled every single situation has led to this.
Taran: Yeah. Why? Why do you think you handle them badly?
Aaron: I think I handle everything atrociously badly. I think everything that has ever happened, ⁓ you know that kind of like the meme of like the f the crossroads, your man walking one way or the other. I think I've egg exclusively taken the wrong s one each time. I think even I think because I'd probably be like I'd look even when I know this is the right way, I might like Darren like, ⁓ there's a squirrel is after taking off down the other way. And I'd follow him and then all of a sudden I follow the squirrel into a pub.
Taran: Yeah, I'm white. Yeah, so do you feel, cause you drowned carefully in your younger years, didn't you? And do you feel like, did you feel like that held you back?
Aaron: Yeah, I do. I just Outrageously. Like a ridiculous amount. Because I but like I 'cause I remember like I was around where I was like grew up and like I really think I'm very late to the party with getting the show on the road. I'm not even talking about like Joe Gang being going, ⁓ I was bit late coming to comedy, like like I'm late even getting drunk the driving license, like do you know what I mean? Like even ⁓ because I was I was around I was around a lot of people and I was like, you know, I never dawned on me that like, ⁓ this probably isn't a healthy relationship with drink at all.
Taran: Really. Yeah.
Aaron: The lads are at us, but they were all had a bad relationship with it as well, like.
Taran: Yeah, but it's because you're the sum of all the people you spend time with so if you're in some Boozer all the time then it seems it normalizes doesn't it?
Aaron: Yeah, I do think like if you're hang if you're frequenting places and it has a a good number of like proper old lads like I mean really old lads who are haggard from it and they're sitting down the corner. If they're there like it's probably a sign you're probably in the wrong place four nights a week.
Taran: Yeah. So if you were to look back at your younger self now, like 19 or 20, what would you say to him?
Aaron: I'd say ⁓ I'd I'd s probably certain don't ⁓ don't drink unless it's for like a special occasion. I'd be like, look Yeah, I'd be like, look, lads, like you're going to like 'cause the problem is I think like I hit of a certain quota and then I hit like the the body and life and the mind is like, alright, that's it, you know. I think you actually only have a certain amount of points you can actually drink in your whole life. And I think it's a different number for everybody. I think I used up that ⁓ like loyalty card too quick.
Taran: That's very good advice! Yeah. when you were in your early 20s.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very much so, yeah. Yeah. And then even when the loyalty card ran out, I still kept going. And I was trying to hand in it was like, you know, going into with a frank and honest and there's no stamps on it left. And like here, can I take that there? Like, no.
Taran: Yeah, but or top in your Visa card and you know there's no money left on it.
Aaron: Yeah, and then going, ⁓ it's very unusual. Going yeah, they kinda that c yeah, so I think I actually probably more so than anything, I think I caused a lot of it of everything. And 'cause I like I grew like where I grew up like I had a pretty like as close to a winning lottery ticket as you can get. Like like I had like ⁓ you know good like the par I came from a good background of the parents like you know, it was a good home life.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: You know, no real kind of major family issues at all. You know, I kinda never really wanted for anything. So I had the with the golden ticket like for the chocolate factory. And I got it. And I said, you know what, I'll keep the chocolate bar instead and threw away the
Taran: Yeah. Yeah. But do you think that it's sometimes harder to deal with things when you can't pin it on this is why and it's someone else's fault? When you have to look back and you're like, no, this was probably all my fault. That's hard.
Aaron: Yeah yeah. Yeah, it's it's the best when it's someone else you can blame. That's so good 'cause then you can just be know. It's like ⁓ do you know a break up where like no one did anything wrong? It's just like it's like you're like it's like ⁓ do you know you're like it'd be great if I could make a monster out of this person but no. Yeah. Yeah
Taran: Ugh. Yeah, that's very hard to get over. No, because it's you. ⁓ What decision in your life felt small at the time but turned out not to be?
Aaron: ⁓ probably starting ⁓ comedy to be fair. Because I actually didn't ⁓ go.
Taran: Yeah. And why do you- Do you think it had a bigger, so one day did you just decide to get up and do a set?
Aaron: No, I w my one of my the jobs I was in I was working in music shop and ⁓ I'm because I still was in the mind set up. So I'd basically I had just come out of like ⁓ a treatment center basically at that point. And ⁓ I was only in there for twenty eight days, but I mean I had but it's
Taran: And how long had you been in there? I think he could have done with state a bit longer.
Aaron: They offered me a secondary one. They offered me one where you go in for three months after, like I don't think and they're like, I genuinely don't think you're ready. And ⁓ and I was like, nah, I got it, man. I 'cause like 'cause I was on like I was a dope as he like I was twenty three at the time, like and mean there's no twenty three year old really who has like a good, you know, knowledge of things, but I was even bad for that age, like you know what I mean. Like, ⁓
Taran: Aww. And was there other people as young as you in there?
Aaron: Mm, close enough, but not really. There's only one or two gang younger than me. But ⁓ but anyway, so yeah, the they actually advised going to another one for like it's a ninety day one. And I was like, nah, I got this. It's like Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah, it was that was the reason I didn't go. The the other one was in Santa Panza.
Taran: Yeah. Hmm on on an island Paged up.
Aaron: But ⁓ So I came out of there and I went in and I got a job in a music shop. So I like unemployed for ages after coming out of treatment because it I suppose it was a kind of a hard thing to explain like why there was a gap in the employment and telling someone I was in I was in Tabor Lodge. And ⁓ but I got this job Yeah.
Taran: Yeah. That's a big issue. That's a big issue for people who come out of things like that, isn't it?
Aaron: Yeah, but again I probably wouldn't I probably made it out to be more again, this is where we're back to like I did this. Like I probably was just like, ⁓ I was there. Like realistically, like there is a pr probably a good portion of me that's like there's just no get up and go in me, like, do you know what I mean? Like, as I said again, like, you know, 'cause I even noticed like the when I because of the background I'm from when people hear like, ⁓ an addict, people were so kind and considerate about it.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: Whereas there was gang who I was in there with who would be from, you know, a less a less ideal background and everyone's going, Yeah, well you know, you get away from me. But everyone to me was like, ⁓ gee, God love you, you poor boy. ⁓ so I think a lot of it was like like I was probably so came out of there, I was probably a good year unemployed. But I'd say a lot of that was
Taran: Yeah. Yeah. How did you pass the time?
Aaron: Can't remember. I wasn't it was I passed it sober anyway. yeah. Yeah, I don't know what I was doing. I think I'm just drinking loads of
Taran: Yeah. Yeah, like you should remember, but you don't. So... fizzy drinks.
Aaron: No loads of coff I remember actually when I I yeah, when I came out and I didn't like so I'd lost all the fun things. And I'd be out and I'd be drinking loads of Lucaseds. Remember the mother saying to me you'd want to calm down the Lucased no small bit it's you know, it's a bit much. I remember thinking like I'm after giving up all the class things for ya.
Taran: Mmm. Yeah.
Aaron: But ⁓ so yeah, I got I was a very long winded way going about that. So I got a a job in a music shop and I still in my mind I was like thinking, ⁓ I'd I'm gonna be a musician, I'd I'd like to do music. Then I went and worked in with a l actual musicians and they were telling me like ⁓ yeah, you know, I'd be practicing eight hours a day, I'm constantly writing and I was kinda going like I never heard I'm doing anything like that. I learned I learned four chords and went bushing.
Taran: No. What does bushing mean?
Aaron: ⁓ like you know, like drinking in a field as a young fella.
Taran: ⁓ right, I get you, okay. I thought you meant playing guitar in bushes. So then you finally decided to get up and do the stand up.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah. Hoping someone comes in. Yeah, so the person working with me at the time said w you know, I said, Look, I don't wanna do music anymore ⁓ and he said, Well you gotta f find something else you think you'll be good at that you'd enjoy and I remember I was always would have been interested in stand up as well. I said, Do you wanna and try that? And I tried that and I genuinely think that did actually ha have a very positive effect on me. So I got a nice group of friends out of it. That are all losers like but
Taran: Yeah. you Yeah.
Aaron: But ⁓ and it gave and it also gave me something when I did finally get actually sober, it gave me something to actually focus on.
Taran: This is it and a lot of life is just distracting ourselves, isn't it? So would you say that's a moment that changed your life as well or was there anything else?
Aaron: Yeah. Pretty much, yeah. ⁓ that's probably one of the more positive ones. The rest of them were probably what was the original question again? Sorry, I rambled for like seven minutes.
Taran: No, it's okay. ⁓ The original one was what decision felt small at the time, but turned out not to be. So we stumbled upon that that was starting comedy.
Aaron: suppose going in into r treatment as well. Yeah. And I know that Yeah, I know that sounds like it was like it's ⁓ that's too big to be a small one, but I did genuinely go in there to get the mother off my back. So it felt pretty small to me. I was like, look, I'll go here for a while and
Taran: Rehab. Yeah. That's two pretty big ones. Yeah. Then I'll go back out.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah. But ⁓
Taran: Do you have any opportunities that you turned down that you still think about?
Aaron: ⁓ No. Again as a I feel like I feel like anyone else who'd be honest, they'd be like, ⁓ you know, there was a good chance for T V No, but I just it didn't feel right at the time and I'd love it.
Taran: Is there? What about going to college after school?
Aaron: I do regret that that I didn't go there and I did have the opportunity to go. ⁓ Noah like I I it's ⁓ 'cause at the time I remember everyone was telling me like 'cause I was just I had no interest, like I was genuinely I was there for the central heating more than anything. And ⁓ yeah, yeah, and just kinda like I found I thought honestly was more like school that was nearly more like a youth reach center. Like it was just like to kinda keep you off the streets until it was time to go home again.
Taran: Yeah. Yeah, charging your phone. Mmm.
Aaron: And I remember like people saying to Look, would you look you should probably make an effort here, like you know, I you you'll you'll you know, stand ya. And I remember going like, No, absolutely not. I don't need not listening to them at all. Then I got to about probably my late twenties and I was in my like probably fifteenth retail job. And I remember just thinking at work Yeah, working probably twenty one days in a row at Christmas time and going, Why didn't I go to college?
Taran: The king of the cashier.
Aaron: And I have a younger cousin who was the same, he was doing at just nothing in school and I said to him, Look, people said it to me and they said you will regret it, even though you won't think it and he went, Nah and I said, I'm telling you and he still went, Nah and now he's gonna be in the same.
Taran: Yeah. Well, you never know and you know, like you are only 30, Aaron. Like you're saying, you're saying it as if like you've got off the horse and now it's time to lay down and die. Like you are only 30.
Aaron: Yeah, good always go back. Yeah. Well I do like it is in my on my vision board to be dead by thirty seven, so
Taran: Right, that's nice. ⁓ If you could be, if you could witness any moment in history, it could be anything, could be something a bit of fun, anything that's happened, what would you like to have been a fly on the wall for?
Aaron: Yeah. ⁓ Probably Tiger Woods winning the second masters in a row.
Taran: ⁓ yeah, wow. And where would you be like, if you were the fly, would you be like on his, I was gonna say his drum kit, his bag with his sticks in them?
Aaron: I wouldn't be I wouldn't be in his car home anyway.
Taran: Aaron! That's awful.
Aaron: So for obvious reas for obvious reasons, but I would ⁓ I'd be probably on the hat next to the Nike logo.
Taran: Nice. Yeah, what an amazing moment I've witnessed.
Aaron: It would have been incredible, yeah. ⁓
Taran: Is there anything that past you would be shocked about? I think in a good way, let's say something good.
Aaron: ⁓ or am I being too negative?
Taran: Well, no, but I think it's nice that because you have achieved a lot and you're a very nice, kind, hardworking person.
Aaron: Yeah. ⁓ yeah, he wouldn't be impressed by that 'cause I was already nice and kind back then as well. ⁓ so he'd be like, All
Taran: Yeah. Maybe that you haven't let the world turn you into an ⁓ unkind person.
Aaron: I don't think he'd care about that either. But ⁓
Taran: Like you're incredibly loyal and giving and funny.
Aaron: ⁓ I I'd say like do you know what there was a time like when I I remember I was over ⁓ in Edinburgh during the fringe one time and I remember I was sauntering around the street. You know, there's all b hustle and bustle over there for that. And ⁓ and ⁓ I was there and I'd like to jumping on to do like a support for like a fella over here who like would be like relative like amongst comedy and would be relatively well known.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: I remember thinking like I'm there in a different country, like just wandering around. I think I was eating a jelly snake as well. I remember thinking like I'm more yeah, and I think I was doing something for channel four as well. ⁓ and I remember thinking like that's mental like that's just going up and talking into a mic just acting the muffets into a microphone has had me like that I've gone over here now. But I I ja I do think to be fair, like 'cause like my younger self would be blown away by that or getting to do like
Taran: Thanks in. Yeah.
Aaron: You know, getting to do like cool theatres and that like 'cause that probably that was the dream, like just to be in front of people talking like so I t I would like to think that, you know, as a young fella stumbling around Middleton, to see that or even being like a so even here talking to like yourself even that would have been unheard of like as a young fella.
Taran: Yeah. So there is things, obviously not talking to me, you're just being nice, but there is things that you have achieved.
Aaron: Well no no. Yeah no no it is like and fairness like and look life is actually genuinely unrecognizable like from where it is like like in and in a good way to be fair. Like you know ⁓ like it's frightening really, you know, like how different things are like 'cause I mean like it was it c like there was a point there it could have gone either way, like it was either like where we're kind of at at now with it or ⁓
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: You know, that kind of fella at that was at the corner of the bar and people are saying, I gotta love him, he's only a harm to himself.
Taran: Yeah, or he's harmless. It's the worst thing someone could say. ⁓ I want to wrap up on something a bit of fun. Okay, so I'm going to give you two options and you're going to pick the one that identifies, that you identify with more. Okay, so past or future.
Aaron: Yeah, he's harmless yeah. Yeah, ⁓ he's harmless. ⁓ future.
Taran: Tits or teeth.
Aaron: Tips.
Taran: Hairy legs or hairy arms?
Aaron: Hairy arms.
Taran: hide or seek. Unicorn or dragon?
Aaron: Dragon.
Taran: Fight or flight?
Aaron: slice.
Taran: Forgive or never forget.
Aaron: Get.
Taran: despite or in spite of. Nice, I'm the same. Aaron, thank you so much for joining me. Bye, Aaron, thank you. See you.
Aaron: In spite of Thank you. Bye guy. Bye. See ya real soon. See ya next time we'll have to.
Aaron: ⁓ immensely, yeah. ⁓ you see I I kinda anticipated there was gonna be talk cork, so I was gonna talk cork?
Taran: What is it that you love so much about Korok do you think?
Aaron: Every bit of it. Everything. ⁓
Taran: even when there's bad things about it.
Aaron: I can't think of any off the top of my head. Can you think of any?
Taran: Hmm, I don't want to be cancelled, but I don't think it's, I don't think it's paradise.
Aaron: ⁓ ⁓ I think it is. Maybe Gangster's Paradise. Maybe it's a bit like Coolio, but
Taran: Okay, well apart from loving cork, you are a comedian as well and I wanna ask, if you weren't doing what you're doing now in your life, what would you be doing career-wise do you think? And it could be anything.
Aaron: I think I think if I had my way I probably would be a professional bodybuilder.
Taran: Yeah. Which is interesting.
Aaron: Yeah, I used Okay.
Taran: Cause I don't know any professional bodybuilders. I thought that was something you could do on Venice beach.
Aaron: I will say that the majority of professional bodybuilders in this country are also bouncers at the weekend. Usually the
Taran: Will you go- You gotta make a bit of cash, don't you?
Aaron: But yeah, so basically like I remember when I first started going to the gym, I know looking at me now you wouldn't think like, you know, you're being a pretty bad bodybuilder to be fair, but ⁓ I remember where I was going, it was there was a play and all of the like no, I would say they're like these like Eastern European, like massive fellows with no hair. ⁓ but but yeah, like they that's what I'd have done. I'd I'd love to have done that. But I didn't I it like you know how like it's a du in you're trying to do comedy, it's like ⁓ I
Taran: Mm, yeah.
Aaron: be bothered writing no, you know, but that's fairly important to do. But this is like imagine you'll be there like your job is right, I need to eat plain chicken and rice and and like you can't go on the piss ever.
Taran: ⁓ yeah. That's tough. and you have to go to the gym.
Aaron: Yeah, that's the one problem with it. If you didn't have to go to the gym constantly and eat healthy and n get and if you didn't have to get like ⁓ at least eight or nine hours sleep, it would be a great job.
Taran: It's like... It'd be like being a pilot that doesn't go on planes if you didn't do the eating and the excess. So do you think that isn't something I don't know? Is there an age range for bodybuilding? Could you not do it now?
Aaron: Yeah. Mm yeah, but like y I it's kind of like I I suppose any sport, like we like imagine if I decided no, I'm I'll I said, Do you know what? I've decided I'm going to win an All Ireland Hurley medal. I'm gonna be a part of the cork team and win it. That's thirty guy
Taran: I'd look you dead in the eye and say best to look. But it wouldn't happen.
Aaron: I'd be like, no. I was like, this is my dream. I'm gonna make the team now. I think like I probably like hit mit miss ⁓ my ⁓ my prime. I think you'd want to you'd want to be in your mid twenties and you'd want to probably be full of ⁓ performance enhancing. But that's that was fine.
Taran: Yeah. So you didn't become a bodybuilder and you think it's too late, but the life that you are living now, do you think you chose it or do you think it happened to you?
Aaron: No. Yeah. I think both. I think ⁓ I think mainly it was my own doing, to be honest. Like there's the things I've because I ⁓ I think like any of the things that happened or like the situation that like the whatever I was born into or the kind of situation that were thrust upon me, I think the way that I handled every single situation has led to this.
Taran: Yeah. Why? Why do you think you handle them badly?
Aaron: I think I handle everything atrociously badly. I think everything that has ever happened, ⁓ you know that kind of like the meme of like the f the crossroads, your man walking one way or the other. I think I've egg exclusively taken the wrong s one each time. I think even I think because I'd probably be like I'd look even when I know this is the right way, I might like Darren like, ⁓ there's a squirrel is after taking off down the other way. And I'd follow him and then all of a sudden I follow the squirrel into a pub.
Taran: Yeah, I'm white. Yeah, so do you feel, cause you drowned carefully in your younger years, didn't you? And do you feel like, did you feel like that held you back?
Aaron: Yeah, I do. I just Outrageously. Like a ridiculous amount. Because I but like I 'cause I remember like I was around where I was like grew up and like I really think I'm very late to the party with getting the show on the road. I'm not even talking about like Joe Gang being going, ⁓ I was bit late coming to comedy, like like I'm late even getting drunk the driving license, like do you know what I mean? Like even ⁓ because I was I was around I was around a lot of people and I was like, you know, I never dawned on me that like, ⁓ this probably isn't a healthy relationship with drink at all.
Taran: Really. Yeah.
Aaron: The lads are at us, but they were all had a bad relationship with it as well, like.
Taran: Yeah, but it's because you're the sum of all the people you spend time with so if you're in some Boozer all the time then it seems it normalizes doesn't it?
Aaron: Yeah, I do think like if you're hang if you're frequenting places and it has a a good number of like proper old lads like I mean really old lads who are haggard from it and they're sitting down the corner. If they're there like it's probably a sign you're probably in the wrong place four nights a week.
Taran: Yeah. So if you were to look back at your younger self now, like 19 or 20, what would you say to him?
Aaron: I'd say ⁓ I'd I'd s probably certain don't ⁓ don't drink unless it's for like a special occasion. I'd be like, look Yeah, I'd be like, look, lads, like you're going to like 'cause the problem is I think like I hit of a certain quota and then I hit like the the body and life and the mind is like, alright, that's it, you know. I think you actually only have a certain amount of points you can actually drink in your whole life. And I think it's a different number for everybody. I think I used up that ⁓ like loyalty card too quick.
Taran: That's very good advice! Yeah. when you were in your early 20s.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very much so, yeah. Yeah. And then even when the loyalty card ran out, I still kept going. And I was trying to hand in it was like, you know, going into with a frank and honest and there's no stamps on it left. And like here, can I take that there? Like, no.
Taran: Yeah, but or top in your Visa card and you know there's no money left on it.
Aaron: Yeah, and then going, ⁓ it's very unusual. Going yeah, they kinda that c yeah, so I think I actually probably more so than anything, I think I caused a lot of it of everything. And 'cause I like I grew like where I grew up like I had a pretty like as close to a winning lottery ticket as you can get. Like like I had like ⁓ you know good like the par I came from a good background of the parents like you know, it was a good home life.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: You know, no real kind of major family issues at all. You know, I kinda never really wanted for anything. So I had the with the golden ticket like for the chocolate factory. And I got it. And I said, you know what, I'll keep the chocolate bar instead and threw away the
Taran: Yeah. Yeah. But do you think that it's sometimes harder to deal with things when you can't pin it on this is why and it's someone else's fault? When you have to look back and you're like, no, this was probably all my fault. That's hard.
Aaron: Yeah yeah. Yeah, it's it's the best when it's someone else you can blame. That's so good 'cause then you can just be know. It's like ⁓ do you know a break up where like no one did anything wrong? It's just like it's like you're like it's like ⁓ do you know you're like it'd be great if I could make a monster out of this person but no. Yeah. Yeah
Taran: Ugh. Yeah, that's very hard to get over. No, because it's you. ⁓ What decision in your life felt small at the time but turned out not to be?
Aaron: ⁓ probably starting ⁓ comedy to be fair. Because I actually didn't ⁓ go.
Taran: Yeah. And why do you- Do you think it had a bigger, so one day did you just decide to get up and do a set?
Aaron: No, I w my one of my the jobs I was in I was working in music shop and ⁓ I'm because I still was in the mind set up. So I'd basically I had just come out of like ⁓ a treatment center basically at that point. And ⁓ I was only in there for twenty eight days, but I mean I had but it's
Taran: And how long had you been in there? I think he could have done with state a bit longer.
Aaron: They offered me a secondary one. They offered me one where you go in for three months after, like I don't think and they're like, I genuinely don't think you're ready. And ⁓ and I was like, nah, I got it, man. I 'cause like 'cause I was on like I was a dope as he like I was twenty three at the time, like and mean there's no twenty three year old really who has like a good, you know, knowledge of things, but I was even bad for that age, like you know what I mean. Like, ⁓
Taran: Aww. And was there other people as young as you in there?
Aaron: Mm, close enough, but not really. There's only one or two gang younger than me. But ⁓ but anyway, so yeah, the they actually advised going to another one for like it's a ninety day one. And I was like, nah, I got this. It's like Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah, it was that was the reason I didn't go. The the other one was in Santa Panza.
Taran: Yeah. Hmm on on an island Paged up.
Aaron: But ⁓ So I came out of there and I went in and I got a job in a music shop. So I like unemployed for ages after coming out of treatment because it I suppose it was a kind of a hard thing to explain like why there was a gap in the employment and telling someone I was in I was in Tabor Lodge. And ⁓ but I got this job Yeah.
Taran: Yeah. That's a big issue. That's a big issue for people who come out of things like that, isn't it?
Aaron: Yeah, but again I probably wouldn't I probably made it out to be more again, this is where we're back to like I did this. Like I probably was just like, ⁓ I was there. Like realistically, like there is a pr probably a good portion of me that's like there's just no get up and go in me, like, do you know what I mean? Like, as I said again, like, you know, 'cause I even noticed like the when I because of the background I'm from when people hear like, ⁓ an addict, people were so kind and considerate about it.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: Whereas there was gang who I was in there with who would be from, you know, a less a less ideal background and everyone's going, Yeah, well you know, you get away from me. But everyone to me was like, ⁓ gee, God love you, you poor boy. ⁓ so I think a lot of it was like like I was probably so came out of there, I was probably a good year unemployed. But I'd say a lot of that was
Taran: Yeah. Yeah. How did you pass the time?
Aaron: Can't remember. I wasn't it was I passed it sober anyway. yeah. Yeah, I don't know what I was doing. I think I'm just drinking loads of
Taran: Yeah. Yeah, like you should remember, but you don't. So... fizzy drinks.
Aaron: No loads of coff I remember actually when I I yeah, when I came out and I didn't like so I'd lost all the fun things. And I'd be out and I'd be drinking loads of Lucaseds. Remember the mother saying to me you'd want to calm down the Lucased no small bit it's you know, it's a bit much. I remember thinking like I'm after giving up all the class things for ya.
Taran: Mmm. Yeah.
Aaron: But ⁓ so yeah, I got I was a very long winded way going about that. So I got a a job in a music shop and I still in my mind I was like thinking, ⁓ I'd I'm gonna be a musician, I'd I'd like to do music. Then I went and worked in with a l actual musicians and they were telling me like ⁓ yeah, you know, I'd be practicing eight hours a day, I'm constantly writing and I was kinda going like I never heard I'm doing anything like that. I learned I learned four chords and went bushing.
Taran: No. What does bushing mean?
Aaron: ⁓ like you know, like drinking in a field as a young fella.
Taran: ⁓ right, I get you, okay. I thought you meant playing guitar in bushes. So then you finally decided to get up and do the stand up.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah. Hoping someone comes in. Yeah, so the person working with me at the time said w you know, I said, Look, I don't wanna do music anymore ⁓ and he said, Well you gotta f find something else you think you'll be good at that you'd enjoy and I remember I was always would have been interested in stand up as well. I said, Do you wanna and try that? And I tried that and I genuinely think that did actually ha have a very positive effect on me. So I got a nice group of friends out of it. That are all losers like but
Taran: Yeah. you Yeah.
Aaron: But ⁓ and it gave and it also gave me something when I did finally get actually sober, it gave me something to actually focus on.
Taran: This is it and a lot of life is just distracting ourselves, isn't it? So would you say that's a moment that changed your life as well or was there anything else?
Aaron: Yeah. Pretty much, yeah. ⁓ that's probably one of the more positive ones. The rest of them were probably what was the original question again? Sorry, I rambled for like seven minutes.
Taran: No, it's okay. ⁓ The original one was what decision felt small at the time, but turned out not to be. So we stumbled upon that that was starting comedy.
Aaron: suppose going in into r treatment as well. Yeah. And I know that Yeah, I know that sounds like it was like it's ⁓ that's too big to be a small one, but I did genuinely go in there to get the mother off my back. So it felt pretty small to me. I was like, look, I'll go here for a while and
Taran: Rehab. Yeah. That's two pretty big ones. Yeah. Then I'll go back out.
Aaron: Yeah, yeah. But ⁓
Taran: Do you have any opportunities that you turned down that you still think about?
Aaron: ⁓ No. Again as a I feel like I feel like anyone else who'd be honest, they'd be like, ⁓ you know, there was a good chance for T V No, but I just it didn't feel right at the time and I'd love it.
Taran: Is there? What about going to college after school?
Aaron: I do regret that that I didn't go there and I did have the opportunity to go. ⁓ Noah like I I it's ⁓ 'cause at the time I remember everyone was telling me like 'cause I was just I had no interest, like I was genuinely I was there for the central heating more than anything. And ⁓ yeah, yeah, and just kinda like I found I thought honestly was more like school that was nearly more like a youth reach center. Like it was just like to kinda keep you off the streets until it was time to go home again.
Taran: Yeah. Yeah, charging your phone. Mmm.
Aaron: And I remember like people saying to Look, would you look you should probably make an effort here, like you know, I you you'll you'll you know, stand ya. And I remember going like, No, absolutely not. I don't need not listening to them at all. Then I got to about probably my late twenties and I was in my like probably fifteenth retail job. And I remember just thinking at work Yeah, working probably twenty one days in a row at Christmas time and going, Why didn't I go to college?
Taran: The king of the cashier.
Aaron: And I have a younger cousin who was the same, he was doing at just nothing in school and I said to him, Look, people said it to me and they said you will regret it, even though you won't think it and he went, Nah and I said, I'm telling you and he still went, Nah and now he's gonna be in the same.
Taran: Yeah. Well, you never know and you know, like you are only 30, Aaron. Like you're saying, you're saying it as if like you've got off the horse and now it's time to lay down and die. Like you are only 30.
Aaron: Yeah, good always go back. Yeah. Well I do like it is in my on my vision board to be dead by thirty seven, so
Taran: Right, that's nice. ⁓ If you could be, if you could witness any moment in history, it could be anything, could be something a bit of fun, anything that's happened, what would you like to have been a fly on the wall for?
Aaron: Yeah. ⁓ Probably Tiger Woods winning the second masters in a row.
Taran: ⁓ yeah, wow. And where would you be like, if you were the fly, would you be like on his, I was gonna say his drum kit, his bag with his sticks in them?
Aaron: I wouldn't be I wouldn't be in his car home anyway.
Taran: Aaron! That's awful.
Aaron: So for obvious reas for obvious reasons, but I would ⁓ I'd be probably on the hat next to the Nike logo.
Taran: Nice. Yeah, what an amazing moment I've witnessed.
Aaron: It would have been incredible, yeah. ⁓
Taran: Is there anything that past you would be shocked about? I think in a good way, let's say something good.
Aaron: ⁓ or am I being too negative?
Taran: Well, no, but I think it's nice that because you have achieved a lot and you're a very nice, kind, hardworking person.
Aaron: Yeah. ⁓ yeah, he wouldn't be impressed by that 'cause I was already nice and kind back then as well. ⁓ so he'd be like, All
Taran: Yeah. Maybe that you haven't let the world turn you into an ⁓ unkind person.
Aaron: I don't think he'd care about that either. But ⁓
Taran: Like you're incredibly loyal and giving and funny.
Aaron: ⁓ I I'd say like do you know what there was a time like when I I remember I was over ⁓ in Edinburgh during the fringe one time and I remember I was sauntering around the street. You know, there's all b hustle and bustle over there for that. And ⁓ and ⁓ I was there and I'd like to jumping on to do like a support for like a fella over here who like would be like relative like amongst comedy and would be relatively well known.
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: I remember thinking like I'm there in a different country, like just wandering around. I think I was eating a jelly snake as well. I remember thinking like I'm more yeah, and I think I was doing something for channel four as well. ⁓ and I remember thinking like that's mental like that's just going up and talking into a mic just acting the muffets into a microphone has had me like that I've gone over here now. But I I ja I do think to be fair, like 'cause like my younger self would be blown away by that or getting to do like
Taran: Thanks in. Yeah.
Aaron: You know, getting to do like cool theatres and that like 'cause that probably that was the dream, like just to be in front of people talking like so I t I would like to think that, you know, as a young fella stumbling around Middleton, to see that or even being like a so even here talking to like yourself even that would have been unheard of like as a young fella.
Taran: Yeah. So there is things, obviously not talking to me, you're just being nice, but there is things that you have achieved.
Aaron: Well no no. Yeah no no it is like and fairness like and look life is actually genuinely unrecognizable like from where it is like like in and in a good way to be fair. Like you know ⁓ like it's frightening really, you know, like how different things are like 'cause I mean like it was it c like there was a point there it could have gone either way, like it was either like where we're kind of at at now with it or ⁓
Taran: Yeah.
Aaron: You know, that kind of fella at that was at the corner of the bar and people are saying, I gotta love him, he's only a harm to himself.
Taran: Yeah, or he's harmless. It's the worst thing someone could say. ⁓ I want to wrap up on something a bit of fun. Okay, so I'm going to give you two options and you're going to pick the one that identifies, that you identify with more. Okay, so past or future.
Aaron: Yeah, he's harmless yeah. Yeah, ⁓ he's harmless. ⁓ future.
Taran: Tits or teeth.
Aaron: Tips.
Taran: Hairy legs or hairy arms?
Aaron: Hairy arms.
Taran: hide or seek. Unicorn or dragon?
Aaron: Dragon.
Taran: Fight or flight?
Aaron: slice.
Taran: Forgive or never forget.
Aaron: Get.
Taran: despite or in spite of. Nice, I'm the same. Aaron, thank you so much for joining me. Bye, Aaron, thank you. See you.
Aaron: In spite of Thank you. Bye guy. Bye. See ya real soon. See ya next time we'll have to.
