Contraband Live

Jim Jefferies recorded his first DVD at a point when he was still operating as a pure dirtbag storyteller, unburdened by American television fame. Contraband Live captures him working a UK theater crowd with a filthy, aggressive energy. He leans entirely on long, escalating anecdotes that usually end at his own expense. The standout is a childhood memory involving his older brother, who demands a Coke and threatens to pee on the living room carpet if he doesn’t get one. When called on the bluff, his brother simply stands up, walks to the center of the room, and relieves himself.

Filmed at the Art Theatre in 2008, the set acts as a bridge between his early days gigging in Britain and his impending US breakout. He had just made a massive impression at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival, a run that would soon prompt HBO to give him his first American hour.

Here, he relies heavily on a signature brand of belligerent logic. He argues that society gives a pass to pedophiles as long as they are sufficiently talented, using Charlie Chaplin and Elvis Presley as evidence. He questions the utility of teenage sex education. Later, he complains about his 92-year-old grandmother’s stubborn refusal to die, pointing out that his inheritance will only amount to a measly hundred Australian dollars. When addressing the crowd’s reaction to his abrasive language, he cites a recent gig he performed for a disability charity, claiming he earned their official approval to keep saying whatever he wants.