Bill Hicks
Relentless

Simply put, Bill Hicks changed my life. I discovered him by pure chance thanks to a show by Daniele Luttazzi while he was quoting one of his jokes (the famous JFK sketch), and it was a real bolt from the blue, an artist, more than a comedian, able to give voice to the most complex thoughts with disarming simplicity that has delivered more than just a worldview—a spiritual, philosophical legacy truly capable of changing things profoundly. On the back of "Aenima," he's described as "another dead hero," even Radiohead dedicated an album to him, their entire "The Bends," and dozens and dozens of artists, intellectuals, comedians (including the aforementioned Daniele Luttazzi, or the recently passed George Carlin) have reaped the fruits of his teachings.

And more than any other of his shows, it's in "Relentless" that Bill reaches his peak: violent, poetic ("I'm the little dark poet tonight..."), visionary and charismatic like never before; in not even 2 hours, you can finally grasp his redemptive message, through sketches and jokes never so inspired, covering themes such as politics, sex, music, religion, love, war, good and evil. This isn't comedy, this is philosophy, this is revelation! Not surprisingly, for today's generations, his name is almost entirely unknown, his words forgotten in the wind despite the mediocrity, and we remain deaf, feeding on false hopes perhaps by listening to the New Kids On The Block rather than following our true path, the one that should lead us to love for others, for ourselves, for the world and the entire universe, because as we know, "one man on acid realized that matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, and we're all one consciousness experiencing itself: there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream."

Watching one of his shows is one of those few things capable of changing a life forever. I can't fathom the fact that you're no longer with us... Bill, thank you.