Life lessons: Ben Hurley

Ben Hurley. Photo / Natalie Slade

I was born just six weeks into the 80s, so my memories are ... let's just say varied. I know this will sound a bit weird for a 9-year-old but I really remember the end of the Soviet empire as being huge for me. I was the kind of kid who was really into current events and I remember constantly pestering my parents to explain it all to me. I'm not sure how they did it, but they somehow managed to squeeze 100 years of Soviet history into the ad breaks during the television news.

Aside from that, I really remember Monkey Magic on the telly. The. Best. Show. Ever. It must come back.

Then there's the leopard, the unofficial animal of the 80s. It inspired its own fabric and was worn with immense pride throughout the world and West Auckland, where it remains on display to this day. It was a great accessory for hair metal as well, especially for Jump by Van Halen. At a time when synthesizers weren't widely used in rock music, Van Halen went for it, launching their album 1984 with one and creating the most famous riff in the history of the electronic sound.

I love the bass and before I die I'm going to learn how to play it. Other than that I've always wanted to do exactly what I am doing. I just never expected it to happen. Then when I did it was all about trying to figure out how to make a living from it. To have made that happen is hugely lucky. Of course, in the end it's a job like anything else, so it has its downsides, but most of the time it's the best job I can imagine.

It helps that I'm a little more known now. For years, people would ask "oh, so where do you do that?" Which was a nice way of saying "well, I've never heard of you so you can't be any good ..." Then there are the people who go on the defensive and start to watch what they say in case I'm mentally recording everything so I can turn it into some sort of routine. I hardly ever do that. Really, hardly ever.

You have to be careful don't you? I believe in karma in that My Name Is Earl kind of way. I don't really understand the complex inner workings of the Hindu faith, but I like the idea of being nice to folk and nice stuff happening to me in return.

I'd like to be less grumpy. I try to fight it but sometimes I think I'm an old man before my time. Then again, it'd be a great help if more things in life were less annoying. They should be more like my wedding. That really was the best day of my life so far ...

Ben Hurley is a comedian and will be hosting the upcoming Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at Vector Arena.