Bill Burr Defends Performing at Controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival

Bill Burr's never been the kind of comedian to back away from controversy ... and he certainly caught quite a bit about his participation in the ongoing Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia, which kicked off last week.

The comedian performed on the festival's opening night, and he defended his participation at the event in an episode of his "Monday Morning Podcast," where he said he used a performance in Bahrain as a test run for his set in Riyadh.

Burr claimed the reaction to his material went over well, and he apparently pushed the envelope a little further by performing a bit about gay men hanging out at the gym ... FYI, Saudi Arabia doesn't have the most progressive track record.

He said the crowd at the event knew about their country's reputation and they were likely "extra friendly" as a result.

Burr admitted the festival's organizers initially set down some guidelines about what could and couldn't be covered during sets. The participating comedians reportedly settled for keeping bits about the royals and religion -- among many topics -- off the table at the festival, according to leaked details of the contract performers were required to sign.

The comic's appearance at the event wasn't not well-received by many in the comedy world ... David Cross specifically called him out for appearing at the festival in a scathing message posted on his official website.