![EVERYDAY MAN: Comedian Aaron Gocs became a viral sensation last year through his "classic stitch-up" video. EVERYDAY MAN: Comedian Aaron Gocs became a viral sensation last year through his "classic stitch-up" video.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/E9srhG6YCw3ZDt9UDADP4R/2ab7477c-18d5-4417-838d-9487298fa251.jpg/r32_0_2368_1314_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
COMEDIAN Aaron Gocs is all about embracing the great Aussie bogan dream.
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This is a man who is a self-confessed connoisseur of charcoal chickens and fisherman baskets, loves workplace practical jokes, barracks for the underdog at sporting events, and of course, boasts a mullet that would make Warwick Capper proud.
Despite plying his comedy trade since 2007 as a nervous 21-year-old, the Brisbane-bred, Melbourne-based Gocs only found major success last year when his “classic stitch-up video” went viral online.
“It’s allowed me to pursue it [comedy] almost full-time, so it’s been great,” Gocs tells Weekender.
The clip has attracted 170,000 views on YouTube and is delivered in Gocs’ trademark monotone. The basic joke about tricking a work colleague into thinking the boss wanted to see him, tapped perfectly into Australia’s blue collar culture.
“We like to have a laugh and muck around a bit and find an escape from every day life,” Gocs says. “I’ve noticed the stuff I do about work sites is what people really like. Not many people shine a light on it and we’ve all got to go to work.
“It was a real thing that happened, so I just said it. I’ve been doing blue collar work and labouring and whatever I could to get by over the years. I never got qualified for anything, so I always had to look for jobs that were basic, like unskilled labour.”
Gocs’ other popular videos have dealt with eating a fisherman’s basket, how working out at the gym would help him open Hungry Jacks sauce sachets easier and 2016 reviews in sport and fast food.
I’ve noticed the stuff I do about work sites is what people really like. Not many people shine a light on it and we’ve all got to go to work.
- Aaron Gocs
How close is the comedic character to the real Aaron Gocs?
“It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s pretty close,” he says.
Like most comedians, Gocs was the funny kid at school growing up in Brisbane, who used to revel in sharing his stories and anecdotes with friends. But after annoying his mates long enough, he decided to take his routine onto the stand-up circuit.
“You retell jokes to the same mates and they get sick of it, so you think you better branch out and tell some other people,” he says.
Gocs will branch out to the inaugural Thrashville next Saturday, where he will handle official master of ceremonies duties at the hard rock festival. Last year Gocs performed a routine at Byron Bay’s Splendour In The Grass, but this will be his first MC duty.
He’s been busy reading up on Thrashville’s various acts, which include headliners The Cosmic Psychos and The Hard-Ons.
“I was into it [hard rock] in my earlier days, but I’ve softened up over the years,” he says. “I like acoustic stuff.”
You can catch Aaron Gocs at Thrashville on January 21 and live in Newcastle on January 22 at Central.