What comedy most inspires you?
Silly, daft, prop, musical, irreverent, variety, It takes a lot for a straight stand-up to impress me, however if they just held a Beagle wearing a Beret throughout their set, without referring to it once, then that would improve their set by at least 90%.
Which comedian most inspires you?
I can’t single one out but it would definitely be one from the 90s like Vic & Bob or Harry Hill and I aspire to be the kind of act who sits somewhere between John Shuttleworth and Bob Downe.
Which comedian scares the shit out of you because you know you'll never be that good?
Charlie Chuck
Why and how did you get into comedy?
I’ve been striving to be a musician (bass guitar) since around the age of ten (see photograph) and have always played in bands since this point . This progressed into song writing in my 20s. It was then I discovered that I could only write humorous songs. In my 30s I moved from the back of the stage to the front to try out my songs with a ukulele. A few years later I gathered a band around me to do my songs. It was in my 40s before I thought of trying to see if my material could work on the stand-up scene.
What drives you to do what you do?
Life is short and happiness is hard to come by. Practising then performing music and comedy is one of the things that makes me happy.
Describe your perfect Tuesday
It was Tuesday the 19th April 1988 when I found the Santana Borboletta album in a second hand record shop in Ashton Under Lyne. It was the most beautiful album cover I had ever seen.
Describe your worst experience on a coach.
It was 25th June 1989. I’d just been to see Santana at the Hammersmith Appollo in London and then rushed to get an all night coach back to Manchester as I had a practical electrical installation exam the following morning in Ashton Under Lyne. The coach seemed to visit every airport in the country before it got to Manchester at 8am and I didn’t get any sleep. In the exam I was standing up stripping some fire retardant cable and I fell asleep whilst doing it and failed the exam.
Best sofa you've ever slept on?
A brown one.
Best piece of advice a comedian ever gave you?
I don’t think I’ve ever had any advice, but a favourite Noel Fielding tweet was ‘Never Compain, Never Explain’.
Worst piece of advice a critic ever gave you?
I had a Chortle review after the WUSA final in which said ‘he garnered some big cheers but made me want something less cheesy and more polished’ I have since strived to be more cheesy and less polished.
Tell us a joke.
How’s about a poem instead that you will only understand if you know how to pronounce Pontyclun and have seen the roadside potato seller there. Where is the potato seller in Pontyclun? His potatoes are there but he's nowhere to be seen Oh hang on, forget what i just said, he's sat playing on his phone in a corrugated shed
What's the furthest you've travelled for the least amount of money/open spot?
London, for a competition. I don’t think you need to travel far to hone your act. Get better locally with not many people watching, then when you start getting better, people will notice and you’ll get nicer offers.
Best chicken you've ever tasted?
I don’t eat much meat but will occasionally have the Roast Chicken Salad Sub as part of the Meal Deal at Tescos which I can highly recommend but ultimately is probably not good for you or the environment.
On a scale of 1-10 , how hungry are you right now?
I’ve been doing this over breakfast so it would have to be a 1, assuming that 1 means ‘not very hungry at all’. Although when I started typing it would have been a 10.
How has lockdown been for you?
The day before lockdown we were called into the office at work. I thought they were going to say 'we're going into lockdown' but they didn't, they said 'you're being made redundant' which was OK for me as I got to stay at home and have some breathing space away from the pandemic before looking for work again. I've enjoyed having time to do some jobs around the house and spend time with the family. I've also been doing Joe Wicks every morning and getting into running. The plan for the day job is to get into HGV work which I'm doing some training for. As regards the night job, I'm taking the usual relaxed approach to it and taking gigs as and when they're offered. I had a couple of highs earlier in the year with a headline spot at the Glee Club for a family show and supporting Rich Hall at the first ever Crickhowell Comedy Festival.
Have you been more or less productive?
I've probably been a little more productive. I've had some online gigs which has encouraged me to keep creating. I've learnt some cover versions including Craig David's 7 Days and Katie Melua's 9 Million Bicycles. I haven't changed the words or anything, just performing them in my style. I've also written a song called 'G-Shock Bird' about a giant bird who has a penchant for G-Shock watches.
Any last words?
I found a Yamaha DD10 drum machine for £14.99 in ReGenerate, my favourite second hand shop in Pontypridd. So you can expect some fresh beats coming your way in future performances. Also, I was the first person to walk backwards across the new bridge in
Pontypridd!
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/JeffJapers