Multi-instrumentalist, singer, fire eater, tap dancer and magician Mic Conway has performing in his blood, coming from a family with strong ties to vaudeville and opera, and has made his way through the world of entertainment with a good slice of humour.
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"I love one liners that come from life itself; Donald Trump is a comedian's dream at the moment and has been for some time," he said.
"I'm probably butchering this quote, but Picasso once said 'art is a lie that tells us the truth'.
"That's what I'm doing, I'm trying to make some sort of truth out of something that's just funny."
Starting in the 1970s, his career has taken him into such popular acts as Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band and his National Junk Band, allowing him to delight audiences with his multiple skills, musical talents and irrepressible humour.
Conway is known for making music out of everyday objects and can now pick up about 40 different instruments or items after trying his hand at creations like the rubber glove bassoon or the tin can banjo.
"I love making music out of things that aren't meant to be used for music," he said.
"I've done magic tricks in my shows, I love the idea reality is an illusion. Turning a household item into a musical instrument is a magic trick itself.
"My grandparents are vaudeville performers, but they played proper instruments so I don't know where it came from - I'm not a real musician at all!"
His grandfather Manny Aarons was a vaudeville artist who played the piano and whose siblings also loved the genre - one sister played a baby in vaudeville shows until she was 37 - and the reason Conway has continued to love the art form can be summed up in one word: variety.
"They were variety shows where you had dancing, singing, sketches, circus skills, and I thought it was fun to learn all those things," he said.
The music scene in Australia has changed since the early days of Captain Matchbox.
Back then there were plenty of venues in Melbourne for a band starting out and Conway said the group only had instruments like a kazoo and a washboard, but were still having a crack at it.
These days, a lot of the venues in the city have dried up and he said musicians need more money to get by, such as needing to work a day job in addition to performing - Conway himself performs at schools, which he loves.
The 68-year-old looks back on his time in Captain Matchbox fondly, despite the bad luck the band had during what he described as "heavy days".
"We made mistakes, like with anything you have your regrets at the same time," he said.
"I used to smoke dope every day, but I stopped and I haven't for 30 years.
"I never took hard drugs. Some of my friends from those days who only dabbled in hard drugs have passed on.
"My mother was an alcoholic and I think that saved my life because I was afraid of anything addictive."
Bad luck took struck the band a few times. For instance, when they were about to tour North America with John Lee Hooker, the famous blues musician had a stroke just before the band left. Hooker did later recover.
Then there was the truck accident in the late 1970s that finished the band and in which people were killed.
"They were the down moments," Conway said.
"We worked really hard, barely made a quid. But having said that, we had a fantastic time."
Conway and flat-picking guitar champion Robbie Long will present an hilarious array of idiosyncratic songs that will make your jaw drop, toes tap and sides split at the Candelo Village Festival on April 27 at the Candelo Town Hall from 5pm.
For more information on the festival, which runs in the town from April 26-28, and for tickets, click here.