ONE of the first things Andrew Netto says to me as he pulls up a chair and sits down is "I have to warn you, I can't stop talking". He was certainly not exaggerating as he was still spinning his yarn an hour and a half later.

Fortunately, Andrew's conversation turned out to be pleasant. He makes you feel like he has known you for years.

Interviewing this 21-year-old communications student was an absolute breeze - articulate and amicable, his wicked sense of humour keeps the conversation interesting.

Then again, Andrew's craft is in talking and making people laugh. He is Malaysia's youngest stand-up comedian - he made his debut at 19, and hasn't looked back since.

On stage, he tackles subjects from family life to local current news to being Malaysian, mixing hilarious anecdotes with critical jabs at our country’s state of affairs.

"Of course, I haven't always had good nights. There were shows where the audience wouldn't laugh at all, and shows where the audience would only laugh if the VIPs present laughed."

"If no-one's laughing and the situation doesn't improve, I cut my show short, and thank the audience for their time, even though they were not paying any attention."

There have been times when clients have refused to pay him for shows, but thankfully he has never been booed at or have anything rotten thrown at him on stage.

"It's not an easy job, but it gives me self satisfaction," says Andrew.

During his teenage years, people often told him that he was funny, and that he should try stand up comedy.

His career however began on a sad note. A close cousin passed away, and the cousin's brother told Andrew that one of the things his late cousin wanted to do before he died was stand-up comedy.

They grouped up with another two friends and held a gig to honour Andrew's late cousin’s unfulfilled wish.

It proved to be a major success. Soon after, the calls came for Andrew to appear on stage. His big break however came when funny man Harith Iskandar recognised Andrew's talent.

"I performed at Free Flow at The Actor's Studio, and it was quite a big hit. After the show Harith Iskandar came up to me and said he'd call me to come and open for his show," recalls Andrew.

Needless to say, Andrew wasn't too hopeful about Harith's promise but three weeks later the comedian personally called him up. The rest, as they say, is history.

"I opened for five days for his show 'Man On Stage Telling Funny Stories'. It was only 20 minutes each day but it was great," says Andrew. "He didn't have to help me, but he did. I'm grateful to him for giving me that boost. He's a brilliant comedian because he can relate so well to any audience, regardless of age, gender or cultural background."

From then on, the calls kept coming and Andrew has donemany stand-up gigs since, as well as emcee jobs and a stint on a local radio station as a deejay.

"My ultimate dream in life has always been to be a deejay. I talk day and night, and I love sharing information with people," says Andrew.

Comedians have their bad days too, says Andrew. There are days when he just doesn't feel like being funny, but does it because it makes others happy.

"People expect you to be funny 24/7. What keeps me going is making other people laugh - that’s when I’m happiest," he says.

Stand-up comedy in Malaysia is still a fairly new endeavour, but Andrew believes the industry can go far, if people were more open-minded.

"If people can get rid of their old school of thought and come out of their narrow-mindedness, stand-up comedy has a real future here," says Andrew.

For regular people, even jokes shared among friends can fall flat and cause severe embarrassment, so what's it like being on stage, under the scrutiny of an audience?

"If the announcer or the act before me manages to hype the crowd up, it's easier. If the crowd is unresponsive, you’ll have to break the ice, and that takes longer," says Andrew, who prides himself on having zero-profanity in his shows. (even though he claims to swear a lot when he's off-stage).

Before a show he runs through his material and sits in to watch the opening act, if there is one, and that helps get him in the mood.

"If it's a tough crowd, that can really ruin the night," he says. However, he always tries his best and usually performs for about an hour.

Having the unable-to-sit-still bug has driven Andrew to do many things - he is currently going into an events business venture with two friends. Their business is helping college students get part time jobs.

"I also plan to record a rap album next year, because I can't sing to save my life," laughs Andrew, who says he could have never come to this point if it hadn't been for his supporters.

"My family and friends have been the greatest support in the past years, and my dad functions as my greatest critic, which is very helpful to me in improving my material," says Andrew.

He goes through life looking for things to do, and living by the motto "Live life to the fullest, there's plenty of time to be dead", going to bed every night with no regrets, knowing that he has made the most of his life at this point.

Catch Andrew's lively performance at 9pm today at Groove Junction, Desa Sri Hartama. There is a cover fee of RM25. For updates on Andrew's gigs, go to his website at www.andrewnetto.com.