Arj Barker ‘rattled’ after telling mum, baby to leave Melbourne show

More witnesses have come forward over the controversial incident involving a breastfeeding mum at Arj Barker’s Melbourne gig over the weekend.

US comic Arj Barker was “rattled” by a controversial interaction with a breastfeeding mother at his show in Melbourne over the weekend, according to a crowd member who watched the incident unfold.

Barker’s request for Trish Faranda to remove her seven-month-old child from the 15+ gig at Athenaeum Theatre on Saturday night sparked debate after Ms Faranda’s family member took to social media today.

Mother-of-three Ms Faranda has since told radio station 3AW the incident left her feeling “humiliated”, while Barker has stood by his actions saying the child was disrupting the show.

US comedian Arj Barker.

Chris, who was seated a few rows back from Ms Faranda, told news.com.au the incident was “awkward” but didn’t believe Barker had acted inappropriately.

“He wasn’t aggressive. He was doing his best in a pretty hard spot,” he said.

Chris said the child made a few noises that appeared to break Barker’s train of thought, with the comedian first trying to play off the situation by making a few jokes.

“It’s clearly disruptive,” Chris said.

“It’s audible enough for everyone in the theatre to hear it.”

After being disrupted again, Chris said Barker appeared uncomfortable when asking in “the most benign way” for the woman to take the child outside – leading to an uncertain stand off.

He said the woman did not leave at first because, like others in the crowd, she was not sure if Barker was joking.

Then some audience members began to boo and jeer her, with a few “f-bombs” uttered, prompting her to leave.

Chris said Barker put to the crowd whether the woman should remain or not, with the “majority” believing she should go.

Arj Barker has stood by his decision.

Barker starred in Flight of the Conchords.

Two people in the front row who advocated for the woman to stay also left soon after she and those she came to the show with walked out, Chris said.

“It was just an awkward situation for everyone,” he said.

“He was rattled, she was rattled.”

Chris said the comedian, known for his role in Flight of the Conchords and featuring on several Aussie television programs, appeared to have trouble finding his rhythm afterwards before recovering to finish the show.

Posting on social media, comedian Ellen Mahoney said she would argue that “comedy isn’t the place for babies” but criticised the handling of the incident.

She claimed “loud, aggressive male voices” could be heard in the crowd swearing at Ms Faranda, and claimed Barker did not intervene.

Ms Mahoney called it a “masterclass in what not to do” and said the crowd involvement made it “awful and gross to witness”.

Barker, Ms Faranda speak

Ms Faranda today insisted on Melbourne radio station 3AW that her baby “wasn’t screaming” and hit back at those who questioned why she took a baby to the comedy show.

“She wasn’t screaming, she was just being a baby, she gurgled a little bit, she had a bit of a whinge … nothing loud,” she said.

The mother said she booked seats with her sister and a friend near the front of the theatre but to the side so she could make a quick exit if the baby got noisy.

“I didn’t want to impact other people, people were out to have a good night.”

Ms Faranda said “10 or 12” other people – mostly women and mothers – joined her in walking out of the theatre in solidarity.

Speaking separately on 3AW, Barker said he didn’t make the decision lightly.

“(In that theatre) sound travels, you can hear the drop of a pin,” he told host Tom Elliott.

“It doesn’t take much to distract an audience, and I’ve worked on these jokes and there’s timing and there’s pauses, and it’s just not going to work with the baby.

“I made the decision, it wasn’t easy, it was really awkward for me. I said ‘I’m really sorry but the baby can’t stay’.”

Barker placed the blame with promoters for allowing the woman and baby to enter the venue despite there being a 15-plus age limit advertised online.

He also rubbished suggestions the fact the woman was breastfeeding had anything to do with the move.

“I could just make out a woman holding a baby, I had zero idea if she was breastfeeding – nor would that have been a factor, because I don’t have any problem with that.”

Barker’s show Mind Field is running until April 21 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.